Help Send Gabrielle to Interlochen Arts Academy!

My name is Gabrielle Figueroa-Diaz, and I am a fourth-year horn player from Miami, FL. I have been playing the horn since 8th grade, and after my first year, I truly fell in love with the instrument. I joined an El Sistema program called Miami Music Project, which is where my love of music began to take flight. In my sophomore year of high school, I came to realize that playing the horn was something I truly loved and appreciated. Since then, I have realized that this is something I wanted to pursue as a professional career. Music has been something that has helped me through all paths and hardships I've taken in my life, and I want to be able to grasp all of the opportunities I have worked very hard for. I believe music has the power to change the world, and I would love to be a part of the generation that does that. As I went through some of my toughest hardships, I realized that music was something that was my rock and helped me navigate everything I was going through. Interlochen was founded on the purpose of “Igniting lifelong passion for the arts” and I am so thankful I get to be a part of that. 

Some of my recent opportunities include are getting to perform in Miami Arts Charter Schools' concerto competition in 2019, playing in the University of Miami Honor Band for the last two years, receiving the Miami Music Project Interlochen Arts Camp scholarship for the summer of 2020, and being apart of Nu Deco Ensembles first youth orchestra, NuDeco NXT. 

For all of my life, music has been something I know that is able to understand me. Attending Interlochen Arts Academy will be something that I know will change my life, and I know I cannot pass up this opportunity. The financial aid team at Interlochen was very giving in the amount I was given, but it would mean so much to me if you were able to donate to help me attend the Academy - every single gift would be very, very appreciated by me.