Help Devin pay Tuition for Interlochen Arts Academy

Hello everybody, my name is Devin Spaulding and I've recently been accepted into Interlochen Arts Academy to attend for my senior year, the 2024-2025 academic year. I'm from Tomball, Texas, and currently attend Tomball High School. I've been playing trombone for 7 years now, and I could explain forever how much trombone has changed me as a person. 

To be specific, I play the Bass Trombone. When I first picked up the bass trombone, I was in a dark place: My neurodivergence held my attention span in gridlock, I didn't take lessons, I was getting in trouble at school, and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I started taking lessons and from there on it was history for me- playing bass trombone quieted my mind like nothing else ever had. My grades improved, my focus at school changed completely, and I finally found my footing—in many ways, the trombone saved me. Over time I learned how to practice, learned about how much music means to me, and how music could mature and define me as a person. 

I've progressed so much in 2 years on and off of the horn, and everybody around me has noticed it. Putting in the hard work every day and practicing has gotten me the achievements I wanted whether it had been success auditioning for honor bands in Texas through TMEA, getting accepted into prestigious summer music programs, or the recent acceptance into Interlochen, the nation’s premiere music high school. 

Interlochen has been a long-time goal of mine ever since I knew bass trombone was my path forwards. Seeing others attend and going far in music from even my school inspired me to do the same. I love Tomball High School and the city of Tomball but I know my opportunity to become a better musician at Interlochen waits for me. I know I can receive an amazing education and spend time around others who also plan on doing the same, surrounding myself in a community/environment that will only help me progress. 

I've received a hefty scholarship from Interlochen that pays for around 90 percent of my tuition, but even this amount I received wouldn't be enough for me to attend. My financial situation is extremely challenging. My family lives paycheck to paycheck, only able to afford bare necessities. I have 3 other brothers in the house with me, with 2 of them are under the age of 4. We are on government assistance, food stamps, and other benefits, and still, we’re barely able to get by. I don’t own my own instrument, and I can only participate in band through financial generosity of programs at school. A $10,000 tuition bill, while heavily reduced from the base cost of tuition, is beyond reach. 

 The amount I have received so far in scholarship is far beyond my expectation for what I would receive; paying for tuition is something that I have stressed over for so long about. Using this GoFundMe I hope to raise enough amount to help pay for my tuition at Interlochen and the cost of a bass trombone of my own, because I know this is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity and I can’t let it pass me by.