Help a talented Afghan pianist go to university!
Donation protected
Lauren Braithwaite and friends are organising this fundraising appeal on behalf of Arson Fahim.
Arson Fahim is an extremely gifted and motivated musician about to complete his high school studies at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) in Kabul, Afghanistan. Arson is not only a talented pianist but is also an aspiring composer and conductor, working with both the Afghan National Symphony Orchestra and Afghan National Youth Orchestra. He has a very bright musical career ahead of him and is a ray of hope within a country ravaged by war.
Arson is already an impressive ambassador for the dreams of Afghanistan’s inspiring twenty-something generation. Even at his young age, he has created moving compositions, including pieces to honor brave Afghan journalists killed in this conflict, to affirm the importance of women’s rights, and to express hopes for peace.
I had the pleasure and honour of teaching this incredible young person for three years while I lived and worked in Kabul and always knew he would go on to do wonderful things. As a refugee growing up in Pakistan, Arson was denied the opportunity to learn the piano until he joined ANIM and started his musical journey. Arson has worked incredibly hard to realise the next step in his journey, but to make it happen, he needs your help.
Financial concerns should never be a barrier to education. Arson has been offered a full scholarship to pursue his higher education at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts, starting in August 2021. However, he still needs to cover his basic living expenses while he’s studying. We hope to raise these funds through this GoFundMe campaign. Please help Arson to further his musical studies at a conservatoire level so that he can pursue his dream to return to Afghanistan to effect social change through music.
To learn more about Arson, please visit:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55301202
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKLLShgSTMk
I am a music educator based in the UK. Due to the practical challenges of raising money online in Afghanistan and receiving money to bank accounts based in Afghanistan, I am administering this campaign on Arson’s behalf. The funds will be received in the bank account of a trusted friend in the UK who regularly works in Afghanistan and who will deliver the funds directly to Arson in Kabul.
Here is a message from Arson:
War has robbed everything from us — our rights, freedoms, culture, economy, and at times, even our hope. Many have lost their lives, families have been destroyed, and life has become a game of Russian roulette where no one is certain if they’ll return home at night or see another dawn. In the hardest times of my life, when life felt like a struggle not worth struggling for, I found music. Amidst all this chaos, I’ve had Chopin and Beethoven by my side.
My country has been devastated by war for over four decades. Less than two decades ago, music was completely banned by the Taliban. Fundamentalists and Islamic radicals still try to silence our music. They’ve gone as far as bombing our concerts. I believe it is essential to fight back by making music. Music is beautiful. It is my reason to live. It is a ray of hope, where I find solace and comfort. It is how I express my emotions and my weapon to fight injustice.
I have wanted to become a pianist ever since watching the film “The Pianist” as a child. In 2012 I was able to take my first step towards realizing this dream by joining the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, the only music school in the country. I passionately worked hard and pushed myself every day. I discovered the freedom of composition, which led me to the honor of becoming conductor of the Afghan National Symphony Orchestra and Afghan National Youth Orchestra.
The sad realities of my beloved country have always been a source of inspiration for the music I write. I've written many pieces which address the injustices in my country, such as Dreams of Peace, The Lost Dove, Farkhunda (the name of a girl who was brutally murdered in 2015 by a mob in Kabul), Freedom (dedicated to brave journalists who sacrificed their lives to protect our democracy), and so on.
As a pianist, I know that I have a long way to go. I am far from being the pianist and musician that I want to be. While I believe that there are a lot of emotions worth expressing inside me, I also understand that I haven't reached the technical level necessary to be able to play the way I want to play. I imagine where I would be now if I began at a younger age but I hope that with the right guidance coupled with hard work, passion, commitment and dedication, I'll be able to make up for it.
I see myself returning to Afghanistan and effecting social change through music. Music has the potential to make life much fuller. In a country where people are fed up with life, people don’t live, they just wait to die; music can give hope, and with hope, we can achieve so much.
Music can bring people together and spread love. In other words, music can make the world a better place! Thank you for supporting me on this exciting journey.
Arson Fahim is an extremely gifted and motivated musician about to complete his high school studies at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) in Kabul, Afghanistan. Arson is not only a talented pianist but is also an aspiring composer and conductor, working with both the Afghan National Symphony Orchestra and Afghan National Youth Orchestra. He has a very bright musical career ahead of him and is a ray of hope within a country ravaged by war.
Arson is already an impressive ambassador for the dreams of Afghanistan’s inspiring twenty-something generation. Even at his young age, he has created moving compositions, including pieces to honor brave Afghan journalists killed in this conflict, to affirm the importance of women’s rights, and to express hopes for peace.
I had the pleasure and honour of teaching this incredible young person for three years while I lived and worked in Kabul and always knew he would go on to do wonderful things. As a refugee growing up in Pakistan, Arson was denied the opportunity to learn the piano until he joined ANIM and started his musical journey. Arson has worked incredibly hard to realise the next step in his journey, but to make it happen, he needs your help.
Financial concerns should never be a barrier to education. Arson has been offered a full scholarship to pursue his higher education at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts, starting in August 2021. However, he still needs to cover his basic living expenses while he’s studying. We hope to raise these funds through this GoFundMe campaign. Please help Arson to further his musical studies at a conservatoire level so that he can pursue his dream to return to Afghanistan to effect social change through music.
To learn more about Arson, please visit:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55301202
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKLLShgSTMk
I am a music educator based in the UK. Due to the practical challenges of raising money online in Afghanistan and receiving money to bank accounts based in Afghanistan, I am administering this campaign on Arson’s behalf. The funds will be received in the bank account of a trusted friend in the UK who regularly works in Afghanistan and who will deliver the funds directly to Arson in Kabul.
Here is a message from Arson:
War has robbed everything from us — our rights, freedoms, culture, economy, and at times, even our hope. Many have lost their lives, families have been destroyed, and life has become a game of Russian roulette where no one is certain if they’ll return home at night or see another dawn. In the hardest times of my life, when life felt like a struggle not worth struggling for, I found music. Amidst all this chaos, I’ve had Chopin and Beethoven by my side.
My country has been devastated by war for over four decades. Less than two decades ago, music was completely banned by the Taliban. Fundamentalists and Islamic radicals still try to silence our music. They’ve gone as far as bombing our concerts. I believe it is essential to fight back by making music. Music is beautiful. It is my reason to live. It is a ray of hope, where I find solace and comfort. It is how I express my emotions and my weapon to fight injustice.
I have wanted to become a pianist ever since watching the film “The Pianist” as a child. In 2012 I was able to take my first step towards realizing this dream by joining the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, the only music school in the country. I passionately worked hard and pushed myself every day. I discovered the freedom of composition, which led me to the honor of becoming conductor of the Afghan National Symphony Orchestra and Afghan National Youth Orchestra.
The sad realities of my beloved country have always been a source of inspiration for the music I write. I've written many pieces which address the injustices in my country, such as Dreams of Peace, The Lost Dove, Farkhunda (the name of a girl who was brutally murdered in 2015 by a mob in Kabul), Freedom (dedicated to brave journalists who sacrificed their lives to protect our democracy), and so on.
As a pianist, I know that I have a long way to go. I am far from being the pianist and musician that I want to be. While I believe that there are a lot of emotions worth expressing inside me, I also understand that I haven't reached the technical level necessary to be able to play the way I want to play. I imagine where I would be now if I began at a younger age but I hope that with the right guidance coupled with hard work, passion, commitment and dedication, I'll be able to make up for it.
I see myself returning to Afghanistan and effecting social change through music. Music has the potential to make life much fuller. In a country where people are fed up with life, people don’t live, they just wait to die; music can give hope, and with hope, we can achieve so much.
Music can bring people together and spread love. In other words, music can make the world a better place! Thank you for supporting me on this exciting journey.
Organizer and beneficiary
Lauren Braithwaite
Organizer
England
Lyse Doucet
Beneficiary
