Help Me to Keep Studying Music in Norway
UPDATE
Hi, thanks to your help I was able to make it successfully to Norway and I’m currently in the middle of my exchange semester receiving high-quality education and living in much better conditions that have improved my life, physically and mentally.
With the money you donated I renewed my passport, paid the visa and tuition fees, bought my flight tickets, covered some basic expenses, among others. Thank you very much!
Now it is my pleasure to communicate not only how heartily thankful I am or how it has changed my life but that after applying here at the Norwegian Academy of Music I’ve been accepted as a regular student and I’ll be able to stay longer to get my Bachelor Degree in Choral Conducting and Classical Piano Performance. This is great news!
Please keep reading to know more details of the time I’m spending here in Oslo, about my future plans and how you can help me to become a successful independent artist!
Despite pandemic restrictions, during this semester I’ve been able to receive regular conducting lessons with both Viviane Sydness and Tone Bianca Spare Dahl where I could lead different repertoire and groups of singing as well as to continue my piano studies. Besides, I had the chance to actively join a Master Class with Grete Perdersen who leads the Master in Choral Conducting at The Norwegian Academy of Music and with whom I hope to study in the future.
Recently I graduated from the European Creative Futures program, in which I collaborate besides other students from different european universities, learned about such matters as creative entrepreneurship, business management or concert production and developed a business plan idea with my group that was rewarded with a distinction.
The Norwegian Academy of Music is at the 8th place of QS World University Rankings for Performing Arts 2021 besides other worldly renowned institutions such as Juilliard School, Royal College of Music (London) or the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris, therefore, it's a pleasure and a privilege for me to study here. To accomplish that I need some more help and that’s why I’m asking you again to donate and share my campaign in all your social media.
Sometimes I'm hired for the university to join some projects as singer or pianist and I'm getting paid for it. Besides I keep applying to jobs and trying my best to support myself but it’s been too difficult to open a norwegian bank account, to find a job and to earn a living by myself due to the health restrictions to stop the spreading of the virus. All the appointments with the authorities here are delayed and everything is taking more time than expected.
To stay here and renew my study permit I need to pay a fee of 500£ and also to demonstrate having one-year living funds that I don’t have, or some Educational Loan/Grants that I cannot receive yet or a Job contract that I still don’t have and as I told you it’s been hard since culture or services are paralized.
Finally, If you want to support further my education and professional career you can also subscribe to my Patreon where I upload many of my most important classes and performances. For all of you that have already supported me this is of course FREE-access so you just write me if you want and I’ll let you in.
Have a nice day and thanks again!
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OLD INFO:
Hi, this is Eduardo. After applying for an exchange program in Choral Conducting at the Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH) I received an offer for the next spring semester that starts in January, 2021. Even though the program itself is exempt from any fees, I still must cover many visa & travel expenses. Unfortunately due to the deep economical and humanitarian crisis my country is passing through I'm not able to afford it. Take a minute to read my story and please consider donating and sharing the campaign to help me!
This exchange program has been possible thanks to a bilateral agreement between the university where I study (Universidad de los Andes) and NMH, this is one of the most prestigious music academies in Norway therefore it means a big step in my musical education and artistic career. It will permit me to continue studying and working part-hour to support myself -which I no longer can do here since university and life in general -especially for musicians and students- is practically paralized, not only by the coronavirus but for the generalized impoverishment that the regime has led the whole population to. Besides, since life conditions here are insurmountable: general failure of all services (electricity, water, internet, gasoline); scarcity of food and medicines; +3 years of hyperinflation; highest rates of insecurity and many others; it is also the opportunity to be -at least temporarily- in a better environment for life, mental health or subsistence and to look up for new study/job opportunities there.
The left funds will be destined to:
Obtain a passport renovation.
Travel to Bogotá, Colombia (Norwegian Visa Center) to request my Student Visa.
Visa fees.
Airplane tickets.
Pocket money.
Hopefully with your help I'll be able to reach Norway and continue my studies there.
PD: I haven’t organized it well yet but when I finish the campaign and while I’m reaching up to a certain % of my goal I’d like to donate my keyboard to a musical institution or a colleague who may need it and also a part of my personal library (certainly a good collection of classic literature) in gratitude for your donations. So this way you’ll be helping twice!
Read below more about my formation, experience and music career.
I worked in ‘El Sistema’ for almost a decade. At the beginning as a member of the choir and then as conductor and teacher for all-ages people. This worldly renowned organization highlight for its musical results and its social approach: giving musical education to thousands of people inclusively and without any discrimination (there are programs for people jailed, with mental dishability, infants, elders) while at the same time exporting high qualified musicians and orchestras that shines around the world. As part of the Youth Symphonic Choir and our eventual participations along the National Choir ‘Simon Bolivar’ I had the chance to perform under the conduction of remarkable musicians as Gustavo Dudamel, Mr. Cristophe Talmont, Mr. Gerald Wirth, among many others. I also worked as Assist. Conductor and Pianist, helping actively in the rehearsals & organizing classes and recitals for individual singers improvement.
As a highlight member of ‘El Sistema’ I was postulated to participate in the Academic Formation Program – “Choral Leaders” that was in charge of giving advanced musical education to young national choral conductors in all the matters related to Choral Conducting. I used to travel to the capital to receive classes with the best country’s professors as well as with renowned international masters such as Josep Vila (Barcelona, Spain) and T.J Harper (USA). As part of this program sometimes we could conduct the prestigious National Choir 'Simon Bolivar' for they were the clinic choir of the workshops.
In 2018, I applied and joined the World Youth Choir to participate in the Summer Session (China) under the leadership of two outstanding conductors: Helene Stureborg (Sweden) and Jhonatan Velasco (Philippines). This prestigious organization gathers high skilled singers from dozens of countries to make choral music and spend a rich time together. That summer we gave concerts in many important venues and joined both the Inner Mongolia International Choral Week and China's 14th International Chorus Festival in Beijing.