Help Sage Go to Spelman College to Study Music

Hello, my name is Sage and I am an 18-year-old cellist, singer, songwriter, visual artist, and composer. I am thrilled to share that I will be attending Spelman College this fall as a music major and art minor!

Donations to help me pay for school would be greatly appreciated!

I am reaching out to kindly ask for your support in helping me cover the costs of my college education. Any donations would be greatly appreciated as I work towards my dream of becoming a professional musician and artist.

Music has been a central part of my life, and I'm eager to expand my knowledge and skills in college. At Spelman, I plan to join the Spelman College Glee Club and the AUC Orchestra. I'm also passionate about composition and conducting and am excited to explore those areas further. One of my musical goals is to compose my own music, specifically experimenting with pieces for cello and voice.

To make my education more affordable, I’ll be living at home my freshman year. While I hope to be staying on campus starting sophomore year, for now, staying at home is the only financially viable option.

For the past seven years, I have been a part of the Atlanta Music Project (AMP), a non-profit organization that empowers youth in under-resourced communities through music. I am an alumna of AMP’s Senior Youth Orchestra and Senior Youth Choir, and I've benefited immensely from their AMP Academy, which provides free private lessons. My cello teacher, Ismail Akbar, who also teaches at Spelman, has been a tremendous influence on my growth as a musician. Without AMP, I might have never had the opportunity to learn the cello.

Last year I was blessed to be chosen to be on NPR's From the Top (FTT), America’s largest national platform celebrating young classically-trained musicians. As a part of FTT I had the opportunity to be interviewed, perform with my cello (and even do a cool collaboration and improvisational scatting)!!

Watch my performance here! (to listen to my interview skip to 19:55)

soundcloud.com/fromthetop-1/show-433-full-show?utm

I also participated in the learning and media lab, a class/ community of young artists meeting twice a week on Zoom to discuss big questions about being an artist in today's world.

The Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award is a one-time, need-based grant for young musicians who complete the learning and media lab, and I am deeply grateful to be a recipient of it. This award allowed me to purchase my very first cello, something that seemed like a distant dream, especially being the child of a single-parent household.

Music is my passion. It's what brings me joy, challenges me, and allows me to express myself. I still have so much to learn, and it's refreshing to know that no matter how good you are or how much you think you know, there is still more to improve on. I'm excited to continue to grow with my cello and voice throughout my life.

Making music is my way to bring myself happiness and express myself. I can't imagine a world without it. Please consider donating whatever you can to my GoFundMe. Any amount will be greatly appreciated. Even if you aren't in a position to donate right now, please share the link with others so we can get the word around!

Thank you so much for your support!

Sincerely,

Sage Mae