Help send Chris to Columbia!

I am thrilled to have been accepted into the highly selective Masters program in Music and Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City. A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege to visit the campus and get a feel for life as a TC student - and I must say that I cannot wait to get started with this program!

My motivation for pursuing graduate work emerged from an ardent desire to continue becoming a better musician, all while becoming a better music educator. My love for performing and teaching is genuinely equal, and I cannot imagine a career where I am not doing both! The beauty of this particular program is that its flexibility will allow me to continue pursuing projects at home in Canada (especially in the Ottawa-Gatineau community) while pursuing coursework remotely, in addition to spending the next few summers on campus in New York City - "the greatest city in the world!" The program will involve coursework in music performance, as well as research, psychology and music pedagogy. My hope is that this program will give me the tools I need to be an effective musician and music educator, particularly as a music director and conductor, for the 21st century. 

The cost associated with a Masters degree has, of course, been an important factor for consideration. Although some financial aid has been provided to me in the form of scholarships, this funding will only cover about a quarter of the degree. While I do have other plans in place for funding, including ongoing fundraising efforts and grant proposals, I am hoping to reach out to those in my community to help me with the costs associated with my first year in the program, which I will begin this September. I have created this GoFundMe campaign with the goal of reaching $5,000. I am hoping that I will be able to meet half of that goal by my 26th birthday on September 5!

Every donation, regardless of the amount, is much appreciated and will help me to achieve my goal. With your support, I look forward to continue promoting the Arts and Arts Education within the various communities I am privileged to work within. Thank you in advance for your support, and I look forward to keeping in touch with exciting updates during this next chapter in my life!

For more information on the program:

Music and Music Education department website at Teachers College  (Columbia University)