A Cappella Academy 2020
Donation protected
Hello world, friends, family, and amazing people! My name is Raymond Ortiz. I am 16 years old and currently live in Downey, California.
Earlier this winter I applied for an awesome music program called "A Cappella Academy". This academy is a 10 day summer camp that helps young musicians develop their skills as vocalists, beatboxers, arrangers, music directors, and songwriters. Only the top 15% of applicants are invited to attend A Cappella Academy. Fortunately, I was among those lucky musicians. If you'd like to see what ACA is like... here's a clip from 2019.
If you would also like to watch my audition video... I've also attached it right down here. :)
This year would be my first time attending this summer camp. It would be a dream come true to sing my heart out with other musicians and in that environment. I am asking for your help to take me to A Cappella Academy. No matter how small you may think your help will be, I will appreciate and be extremely thankful for it. The tuition is $2,250 USD, and my deadline is in late March.
Here's my musical journey...
I have been singing and dancing ever since I can remember. I didn't think much about it until I got to high school. I joined the Downey High School Epic Jazz Choir during my freshman year and began to realize how much I loved music. The sensation you feel in your stomach and body when you're performing a song (that you've worked tirelessly on for months) is inexplicable. In my sophomore year, I decided to take on a challenge and enroll in AP Music Theory. AP Music Theory is a college-level class that focuses on advanced music theory concepts. I passed the AP test with a 4, and the class with an A. Now... I am a junior and in my 3rd year singing with the DHS Jazz Choir. I have dedicated a vast amount of time improving my music theory knowledge, vocal technique, musical expression, and much more. Because of my dedication and passion for this art form, my director, Cory Olariu, gave me the student leader position of my choir. This has given me the opportunity to learn the basics of what it takes to become an educator of music... which is what I hope to become in the future. The Downey Jazz program truly changed my life.
Since my sophomore year, I have participated in 3 regional/statewide Honor Vocal Jazz Ensembles. Those programs are CASMEC and SCVA. I worked with renowned Vocal Jazz figures such as Kerry Marsh, Christine Guter, and Greg Jasperse.
I picked up the flute last year, and surprisingly learned how to play it within a matter of weeks. My director decided to put me in his 3rd jazz band. This was a great achievement of mine because I had never been apart of a band up until that point. Learning to use a musical object to express your emotions is a great challenge, and I'm happy to keep playing.
I hope you can see that music is a humongous part of my life... and that my life would not be as meaningful to me if I didn't have music.
I hope you can donate, share this, or spread the word to help me attend A Cappella Academy this year.
Love,
Raymond Ortiz
Earlier this winter I applied for an awesome music program called "A Cappella Academy". This academy is a 10 day summer camp that helps young musicians develop their skills as vocalists, beatboxers, arrangers, music directors, and songwriters. Only the top 15% of applicants are invited to attend A Cappella Academy. Fortunately, I was among those lucky musicians. If you'd like to see what ACA is like... here's a clip from 2019.
If you would also like to watch my audition video... I've also attached it right down here. :)
This year would be my first time attending this summer camp. It would be a dream come true to sing my heart out with other musicians and in that environment. I am asking for your help to take me to A Cappella Academy. No matter how small you may think your help will be, I will appreciate and be extremely thankful for it. The tuition is $2,250 USD, and my deadline is in late March.
Here's my musical journey...
I have been singing and dancing ever since I can remember. I didn't think much about it until I got to high school. I joined the Downey High School Epic Jazz Choir during my freshman year and began to realize how much I loved music. The sensation you feel in your stomach and body when you're performing a song (that you've worked tirelessly on for months) is inexplicable. In my sophomore year, I decided to take on a challenge and enroll in AP Music Theory. AP Music Theory is a college-level class that focuses on advanced music theory concepts. I passed the AP test with a 4, and the class with an A. Now... I am a junior and in my 3rd year singing with the DHS Jazz Choir. I have dedicated a vast amount of time improving my music theory knowledge, vocal technique, musical expression, and much more. Because of my dedication and passion for this art form, my director, Cory Olariu, gave me the student leader position of my choir. This has given me the opportunity to learn the basics of what it takes to become an educator of music... which is what I hope to become in the future. The Downey Jazz program truly changed my life.
Since my sophomore year, I have participated in 3 regional/statewide Honor Vocal Jazz Ensembles. Those programs are CASMEC and SCVA. I worked with renowned Vocal Jazz figures such as Kerry Marsh, Christine Guter, and Greg Jasperse.
I picked up the flute last year, and surprisingly learned how to play it within a matter of weeks. My director decided to put me in his 3rd jazz band. This was a great achievement of mine because I had never been apart of a band up until that point. Learning to use a musical object to express your emotions is a great challenge, and I'm happy to keep playing.
I hope you can see that music is a humongous part of my life... and that my life would not be as meaningful to me if I didn't have music.
I hope you can donate, share this, or spread the word to help me attend A Cappella Academy this year.
Love,
Raymond Ortiz
Organizer and beneficiary
Raymond Ortiz
Organizer
Downey, CA
Sandra Macias
Beneficiary
