From Uzbekistan to Boston

Hello! My name is Ivy, I am helping my best friend Amir Sharipov who is currently in Uzbekistan (where goFundme is unfortunately not available) to raise money to achieve his goal of continuing his education and starting his master's degree program in French Horn Performance at Boston University this Fall.

 

Overcoming life’s obstacles, Amir has seen the fruits of his hardwork and perseverance. As his best friend, I am incredibly proud of Amir for being accepted into 4 Colleges with varying degrees of financial aid for his Master’s Degree, including his dream school, the Boston University - College of Fine Arts. But there is one hurdle left in front of him: the extraordinarily high housing and living cost in the United States.

 

Amir and I met in Singapore during our Bachelor studies, we both grew up in very modest single-parent families, and we always struggled with finance. We have to always work hard to acquire scholarships to further our education otherwise it might mean no education at all. But we cherish the perseverance and resilience our upbringing had instilled in us.

 

Losing his mom who raised him and his brother single handedly to lung cancer, worked 2 years for a small salary trying to raise tuition fees to further his education, now a real chance stands in front of Amir to further his education in the US, to better equip his dream of being able to contribute back to the society in a meaningful way.

 

These funds will go directly to Amir and help him to focus on studying to pursue his goal of becoming an artist that is able to contribute to the global society.

We believe in hope. Please find it in your heart to donate anything if you can. No amount is too little, every little bit helps!

 

Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Ivy

 

 

Here is Amir’s brief background written by himself:

 

My brother and I were raised by a single mother who was a violin player and worked in the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan for 25 years. Unfortunately, my family never had a sufficient budget to pay for any kind of tuition fees, as it is known that earning money by working as a musician is challenging especially in developing countries like Uzbekistan.

 

However, my mother had done everything she could to raise us, including instilling a passion for classical music which would provide us in life with what she could not afford. She was raising us as musicians from an early age by regularly setting up small concerts for relatives and neighbors where we performed together in our living room. She was passing on to us her artistic knowledge by constantly training us. This training consequently provided us with opportunities to travel around the world performing in various settings, as well as scholarships throughout our studies from music school in Uzbekistan to bachelor studies in Singapore at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory.

 

Sadly, my mother died five years ago from lung cancer, but the seed that she planted in me and my brother provides us with a bright future. I have been accepted into Boston University and awarded a 100% merit scholarship for my Master’s program.

 

Here is the estimated cost necessary for Amir to study in Boston:

Below is a letter that further explains Amir’s motivation to continue his education:

 

I believe that classical music can break down barriers between human beings that previously have been considered insurmountable, as it promotes the union of humanity and empathy towards each other.

 

Recently a growing sense of responsibility for the next generation began to occupy my mind.

Be it in response to horrible tragedies in Ukraine or a motion of maturing, I felt a strong desire to acquire more knowledge and experience of being deeply involved in music-making so that I can provide value to a global society.

 

This idea fueled my desire to audition for the best music schools in the United States, which provide a platform for young musicians to learn more about various performing traditions, subtle stylistic differences between great composers, and plenty of other opportunities to develop skills of intelligent music-making. By absorbing this knowledge and skills one gets an ability to guide listeners to the world of music where there is no place for violence and oppression which are unfortunately appearing in our daily life more and more today.

 

Currently, I have been accepted to the master’s program at Boston University which is considered one of the prestigious Universities in the United States. Located in Boston Massachusetts, the birthplace of Benjamin Franklin, where traditions of independence and freedom are ever-present and passed from one generation to another in an unbroken chain throughout centuries.

 

I have chosen Boston University for many reasons, including internationally renowned faculties, incredible facilities, and performing opportunities, but most importantly is to be amongst the passionate young musicians. They will shape the art world in years to come. Furthermore, being a part of this group of future thought leaders will equip me with the necessary connections to participate in the global effort to cultivate the next generation into a more ethical and conscious society.

 

Boston University College of Fine Arts is providing me with a full scholarship that covers tuition fees of $58.560 per year. But in order for me to study there, I need to pay for other expenses such as accommodation and health insurance which are a serious obstacle for me in my current financial situation. Therefore, I am afraid that without financial aid my prospect of studying at Boston University is under question which will directly impact the amount of value I will be able to share with the next generation.

 

Thank you,

Amir