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Help Zaki get to Maastricht!

I am Atamanu Zaki Hagins, a musician based in Philadelphia. For as long as I can remember, music has played an integral role in my life. Before I started actually learning about music, music was always around me, whether it was the Stevie Wonder my Mom played while cleaning, or the hip-hop my Baba played in his car, or the prayers my Grandmom would literally sing every morning. So, when the opportunity came for my brother and me to learn violin and viola respectively through the School District of Philadelphia, of course we jumped on it. Since then, my viola has become an extension of myself to the point that those who know me are often genuinely confused when they see me without it. Throughout middle and high school, I devoted spare time to the numerous ensembles I was a part of, and I eventually decided to pursue music as career.   

Recently, I was given the opportunity to represent Philadelphia by auditioning for the Maastricht Academy of Music, where I would be studying composition under the tutelage of Vykintas Baltakas. While this is an incredible opportunity, there is one barrier: getting to the Netherlands for the audition. Unfortunately, the Academy will not cover the cost of travel, and, due to the short amount of time between now and the audition, travel costs are high.  

If I am to make it to this audition, I will need your help. While my grandfather has been able to secure a flight to and from Amsterdam, I still need money to be able to cover incidental costs. In addition, I want to be able to repay my grandfather for his kindness; he went out of his way to help fund my education. Any amount that you can give will help to ease the financial weight on my family's shoulders so that I can focus on realizing my potential as a musician and musical representative of Philadelphia.

UPDATE: Thanks to generous donations from 28 people, I was able to make it to what ended up being a successful audition in Maastricht. It is thanks to these donations and the support of an incredible network of family and friends that I got accepted to study at the Maastricht Academy of Music.

Unfortunately, in my haste and excitement to apply and attend conservatory, I got some details confused and overlooked the costs involved for both tuition and a visa to the Netherlands. In order to attend the Maastricht Academy of Music, I need to give the school roughly $22,000 as soon as possible, about $12,000 of which I will get back at the beginning of the semester.

In order to study in Maastricht, I need your help. My family is supporting me as best they can, but we are unable to pay this amount in such a short period of time, so I am depending on you to make this happen. I am grateful for any amount that you can give to help me reach my goal and further my musical career.
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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $9,000 (Offline)
    • 6 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $12,000 (Offline)
    • 6 yrs
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Organizer

Zaki Hagins
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA

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