Help Mirabai Pay For College to Study Music
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Hi friends! In case you don't know me, my name is Mirabai Kukathas (she/they). I'm a 19-year-old queer, South Asian singer/songwriter from Seattle and I'm (hopefully) going to Sarah Lawrence College in the Fall to study music.
Music is my main form of self and community care. It always has been. When I was six years old I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder that came with intense anxiety and OCD. It was a really tough time in my life and singing was one of the few ways I could comfort myself. Throughout my childhood, music was a way for me to distract myself from intrusive thoughts, chronic pain, and bullies. It was also a way for me to build community: in high school, I started interning at a music studio and getting involved in the local music scene and nothing had ever made me happier. When, in my junior year, I was diagnosed with *another* rare autoimmune disorder, writing music is what kept me going. It was then I wrote, “Canary ”, an ode to my mental and physical illness. Writing it was healing, and not just for myself: the first time I performed it I was shocked when people I didn’t know came up to me afterward and tearfully thanked me for the catharsis and validation the song had given them. It was then I was reawoken to the power of using music to care for my community.
On May 14th, 2021 I released my debut album, "Songs to the Monster Under My Bed ", an eleven-track exploration of fear and healing. It's my way of reminding people that they’re not alone; that their mental health struggles, identities, and fears are all valid. The album catalogs nearly five years of artistic growth and was recorded remotely over the pandemic. It's been out for a week today (as I'm writing this) and already has almost 9,000 streams on Spotify. I don't think I've ever been prouder of myself nor more grateful to my community.
I want to pursue music in college because, despite my love for it, I’ve never had the opportunity for formal music education. My high school didn’t really have a music program. I’m incredibly proud of the art I’ve created, but imagine what I could do if I had some actual formal training. I also want to learn business and marketing skills so I can also pursue a career as a music manager in addition to being a songwriter/performer. I also just think college would be a really invaluable experience for me as an artist and as a person.
But college is kinda crazy stupid expensive. As I've mentioned before, I have a lot of health issues and surprise surprise, they haven't exactly been beneficial to my family's financial wellbeing. So, I'm turning to you guys, my wonderful community, for help. I've performed and spoken at so many nonprofit fundraisers, but asking for money for myself is really hard. Anything helps and everything is appreciated from the bottom of my heart. I love you all so much: please be safe out there!
Music is my main form of self and community care. It always has been. When I was six years old I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder that came with intense anxiety and OCD. It was a really tough time in my life and singing was one of the few ways I could comfort myself. Throughout my childhood, music was a way for me to distract myself from intrusive thoughts, chronic pain, and bullies. It was also a way for me to build community: in high school, I started interning at a music studio and getting involved in the local music scene and nothing had ever made me happier. When, in my junior year, I was diagnosed with *another* rare autoimmune disorder, writing music is what kept me going. It was then I wrote, “Canary ”, an ode to my mental and physical illness. Writing it was healing, and not just for myself: the first time I performed it I was shocked when people I didn’t know came up to me afterward and tearfully thanked me for the catharsis and validation the song had given them. It was then I was reawoken to the power of using music to care for my community.
On May 14th, 2021 I released my debut album, "Songs to the Monster Under My Bed ", an eleven-track exploration of fear and healing. It's my way of reminding people that they’re not alone; that their mental health struggles, identities, and fears are all valid. The album catalogs nearly five years of artistic growth and was recorded remotely over the pandemic. It's been out for a week today (as I'm writing this) and already has almost 9,000 streams on Spotify. I don't think I've ever been prouder of myself nor more grateful to my community.
I want to pursue music in college because, despite my love for it, I’ve never had the opportunity for formal music education. My high school didn’t really have a music program. I’m incredibly proud of the art I’ve created, but imagine what I could do if I had some actual formal training. I also want to learn business and marketing skills so I can also pursue a career as a music manager in addition to being a songwriter/performer. I also just think college would be a really invaluable experience for me as an artist and as a person.
But college is kinda crazy stupid expensive. As I've mentioned before, I have a lot of health issues and surprise surprise, they haven't exactly been beneficial to my family's financial wellbeing. So, I'm turning to you guys, my wonderful community, for help. I've performed and spoken at so many nonprofit fundraisers, but asking for money for myself is really hard. Anything helps and everything is appreciated from the bottom of my heart. I love you all so much: please be safe out there!
Organizer
Mirabai Kukathas
Organizer
Seattle, WA