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My name is Kayla Holland; I am a student and musician graduating high school in June, 2017. My ambitions are to compose, produce and preform my musical talents that I have been so dedicated. My goal is to attend Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts where I can fine tune my talents and aspire to become the musician I have been dedicating my life’s path, as I work to make this goal attainable, I am asking for your help in financial assistance.
Before I tell you why your assistance is appreciated, let me write about where I have been and why music is in my blood. My musical interest came to me sort of by accident. My parents always had weekend gatherings of musician’s e.g. “garage band lol” which surrounded me with live music. It wasn’t until middle school that I found I had my own special ability with music. At the start of my first year of middle school, I was focused on joining the school’s art class, but it was full and so I settled on choosing concert band. Not caring about what instrument to choose, I was put on bass. At the time I had no clue as to what a bass was, so I went home and asked my dad. It was then that he handed me an old Fender Jazz Bass that had been collecting dust.
My freshman year, I was diagnosed with a severe case of hip dysplasia which caused some hardships. Before I had known about my hip dysplasia, I was made fun of as a child. I had been continually made fun of the way I walked and ran which seemed somewhat like a penguin. In middle school I wasn’t very athletic; I was always last in sprinting and running activities. I acted as if everything was fine and just laughed it all off. Though, in reality, I was really hurting inside.
I remember this pain that wouldn't stop and every time I bent over to pick up my bags, something in my leg would pop. This eventually led me to go see a doctor. Of course I knew the outcome of seeing the doctor would not be great but I didn't think it would be as bad as it was. It was then I discovered that I had a severe case of hip dysplasia. This is why I need your support; I have endured 3 surgeries and months of rehabilitation which caused some financial burdens and lost work time to my family.
I have been driven to learn about different music genres, theory and styles of playing. There is very little music I will not learn or listen to, but I am currently passionate about Fusion Rock/Jazz – not sure if you can label it specifically. Before my surgeries and I was mobile I entered competition programs like Skips Music’s “Stairway to Stardom”, a Winter Drumline program, and Bach to Rock. At the Stairway to Stardom program, participants were randomly picked to form a band. I was then teamed with an all-girl group. We called ourselves, “A Different Salvation”, and we won the competition. From that experience, I was rewarded with studio time to record the music, make professional CD’s and the chance to get a taste for technical side of the industry. We were also scheduled with various music lineups where we performed live several times. It was a great experience and it was hard work! I have worked with several other musicians in these past couple years, but I strive to continue to meet and learn from new like-minded and talented artists with similar goals.
High school has been a great proving ground for my music training. I have been involved with every music program from Jazz, Concert, Winter Drumline, to Marching Band. Although I enjoy all of these programs and this has interrupted my time in school, I continued to work hard on my music as well as my regular studies. Currently I am back in school and I am recovering. I will continue to further my experience with music and I am determined to have a formal education in music with one of the best music schools in the country.
I respectively ask for your support of reaching my goal of $56,000 which is less than the actual cost of a full year at Berklee. This is due to the out of state intuition and living expenses, but I’m hoping for just enough to get by within the first year. I appreciate every cent and no amount is too small! Thank you in advance for your consideration and help.
Before I tell you why your assistance is appreciated, let me write about where I have been and why music is in my blood. My musical interest came to me sort of by accident. My parents always had weekend gatherings of musician’s e.g. “garage band lol” which surrounded me with live music. It wasn’t until middle school that I found I had my own special ability with music. At the start of my first year of middle school, I was focused on joining the school’s art class, but it was full and so I settled on choosing concert band. Not caring about what instrument to choose, I was put on bass. At the time I had no clue as to what a bass was, so I went home and asked my dad. It was then that he handed me an old Fender Jazz Bass that had been collecting dust.
My freshman year, I was diagnosed with a severe case of hip dysplasia which caused some hardships. Before I had known about my hip dysplasia, I was made fun of as a child. I had been continually made fun of the way I walked and ran which seemed somewhat like a penguin. In middle school I wasn’t very athletic; I was always last in sprinting and running activities. I acted as if everything was fine and just laughed it all off. Though, in reality, I was really hurting inside.
I remember this pain that wouldn't stop and every time I bent over to pick up my bags, something in my leg would pop. This eventually led me to go see a doctor. Of course I knew the outcome of seeing the doctor would not be great but I didn't think it would be as bad as it was. It was then I discovered that I had a severe case of hip dysplasia. This is why I need your support; I have endured 3 surgeries and months of rehabilitation which caused some financial burdens and lost work time to my family.
I have been driven to learn about different music genres, theory and styles of playing. There is very little music I will not learn or listen to, but I am currently passionate about Fusion Rock/Jazz – not sure if you can label it specifically. Before my surgeries and I was mobile I entered competition programs like Skips Music’s “Stairway to Stardom”, a Winter Drumline program, and Bach to Rock. At the Stairway to Stardom program, participants were randomly picked to form a band. I was then teamed with an all-girl group. We called ourselves, “A Different Salvation”, and we won the competition. From that experience, I was rewarded with studio time to record the music, make professional CD’s and the chance to get a taste for technical side of the industry. We were also scheduled with various music lineups where we performed live several times. It was a great experience and it was hard work! I have worked with several other musicians in these past couple years, but I strive to continue to meet and learn from new like-minded and talented artists with similar goals.
High school has been a great proving ground for my music training. I have been involved with every music program from Jazz, Concert, Winter Drumline, to Marching Band. Although I enjoy all of these programs and this has interrupted my time in school, I continued to work hard on my music as well as my regular studies. Currently I am back in school and I am recovering. I will continue to further my experience with music and I am determined to have a formal education in music with one of the best music schools in the country.
I respectively ask for your support of reaching my goal of $56,000 which is less than the actual cost of a full year at Berklee. This is due to the out of state intuition and living expenses, but I’m hoping for just enough to get by within the first year. I appreciate every cent and no amount is too small! Thank you in advance for your consideration and help.