Help Sarah Buy a Cello (shhh!)
Donation protected
Sarah is a dedicated musician who loves the cello! She has impressed many people with her musicality, drive to improve herself, and commitment to her art. Sarah chooses to home school so that she can devote herself to her musical education, and she began researching music colleges and conservatories when she was in 8th grade! She has already been approached by professional cellists both wanting to teach her and to recruit her for their universities! Sarah has never owned a cello of her own - the one she uses is on loan from a dear community member.
We have learned recently that Sarah needs to buy herself a new cello. Despite her best efforts, she is not going to be able to raise the money to do so in time without significant help. I have started this GoFundMe Campaign IN SECRET (please don't tell Sarah!) to raise money to help her be able to get a new instrument before the current one is no longer usable. I would love more than anything to be able to surprise Sarah with a check for her Sweet 16 birthday next month to help her toward the cost of a new cello!
About Sarah:
Sarah has just recently begun studying with Gloria DePasquale of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In addition to her private lessons and solo performances, Sarah is a cellist with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, the Bucks County Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Bryn Athyn Orchestra. She plays regularly for church and special services in the Bryn Athyn community and at the Lord's New Church in Huntingdon Valley. She also volunteers in the pit orchestras for the local high school and community theater's musical productions.
In addition to playing the cello, Sarah enjoys listening to and studying the history of classical music, and has even composed some pieces of her own! For the past two summers she has received a scholarship to attend the prestigious Luzerne Summer Music Camp in New York, where she has gotten to work with several well-respected musicians, and even got to play on-stage with Yo-Yo Ma! She hopes to spend some time in the next year fund raising for Luzerne in an effort to give back.
Earlier this year Sarah had the honor of being invited by Elizabeth Pitcairn to play in one of her concerts at the Glencairn Museum in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania! Sarah played the first movement of Camille Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto #1. Here is my proud-mom-with-a-camera-in-the-corner video of that performance.
Sarah's cello:
The instrument that Sarah uses was very kindly loaned to her, and we are SO grateful to have been able to use it for these past few years! Unfortunately, the cello is in need of repairs and we have been advised that it is not appropriate for Sarah to put her money into repairing it. We have consulted with a few different professionals and they are in agreement that Sarah needs to purchase a new cello in order for her to continue to progress toward her full potential. Her teacher says that she will probably need to make a purchase within the next two months or so. With her teacher's help, we have found a cello maker that sells reasonably-priced instruments that are of sufficient quality to last Sarah through music school and perhaps even beyond!
Sarah has been working very hard and saving as much as she can for the past year in anticipation of buying herself an instrument. We had been hoping that the borrowed cello would last until she was ready to apply to music schools, and were dismayed to learn that she was going to need one sooner than that.
Costs:
I chose to set the goal for this campaign at the cost of the cello, but regardless of what we raise we will be so very grateful for each and every donation – regardless of the amount! Even if we do not reach our goal, the money we DO collect will put Sarah that much closer to being able to afford her new cello – and she will be thrilled! If your generosity happens to exceed our goal, there are some other expenses that Sarah is currently facing in connection with buying a new instrument. Here is a breakdown of what she needs now:
cello and bow (with tax) = $7000-$7500
hard case = $750-$2000 (depending on the specific cello she buys)
strings = $270-$350 (need to be purchased every year)
GoFundMe fees = $683 (depending on amount raised)
THANK YOU SO MUCH for taking the time to read this, friends! Please consider donating to help Sarah realize her dream, and please also consider sharing this campaign with others that you feel may be interested in helping us reach our goal. Remember though, this is a SURPRISE for Sarah, so please help us to keep the secret! If you don't feel able to donate, we would also be grateful for any prayers and good wishes you may choose to send Sarah as she continues on her musical journey. I have never seen her happier than when she is working with her cello, and I so look forward to seeing the joy on her face when she becomes the proud owner of her very own!
We have learned recently that Sarah needs to buy herself a new cello. Despite her best efforts, she is not going to be able to raise the money to do so in time without significant help. I have started this GoFundMe Campaign IN SECRET (please don't tell Sarah!) to raise money to help her be able to get a new instrument before the current one is no longer usable. I would love more than anything to be able to surprise Sarah with a check for her Sweet 16 birthday next month to help her toward the cost of a new cello!
About Sarah:
Sarah has just recently begun studying with Gloria DePasquale of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In addition to her private lessons and solo performances, Sarah is a cellist with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, the Bucks County Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Bryn Athyn Orchestra. She plays regularly for church and special services in the Bryn Athyn community and at the Lord's New Church in Huntingdon Valley. She also volunteers in the pit orchestras for the local high school and community theater's musical productions.
In addition to playing the cello, Sarah enjoys listening to and studying the history of classical music, and has even composed some pieces of her own! For the past two summers she has received a scholarship to attend the prestigious Luzerne Summer Music Camp in New York, where she has gotten to work with several well-respected musicians, and even got to play on-stage with Yo-Yo Ma! She hopes to spend some time in the next year fund raising for Luzerne in an effort to give back.
Earlier this year Sarah had the honor of being invited by Elizabeth Pitcairn to play in one of her concerts at the Glencairn Museum in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania! Sarah played the first movement of Camille Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto #1. Here is my proud-mom-with-a-camera-in-the-corner video of that performance.
Sarah's cello:
The instrument that Sarah uses was very kindly loaned to her, and we are SO grateful to have been able to use it for these past few years! Unfortunately, the cello is in need of repairs and we have been advised that it is not appropriate for Sarah to put her money into repairing it. We have consulted with a few different professionals and they are in agreement that Sarah needs to purchase a new cello in order for her to continue to progress toward her full potential. Her teacher says that she will probably need to make a purchase within the next two months or so. With her teacher's help, we have found a cello maker that sells reasonably-priced instruments that are of sufficient quality to last Sarah through music school and perhaps even beyond!
Sarah has been working very hard and saving as much as she can for the past year in anticipation of buying herself an instrument. We had been hoping that the borrowed cello would last until she was ready to apply to music schools, and were dismayed to learn that she was going to need one sooner than that.
Costs:
I chose to set the goal for this campaign at the cost of the cello, but regardless of what we raise we will be so very grateful for each and every donation – regardless of the amount! Even if we do not reach our goal, the money we DO collect will put Sarah that much closer to being able to afford her new cello – and she will be thrilled! If your generosity happens to exceed our goal, there are some other expenses that Sarah is currently facing in connection with buying a new instrument. Here is a breakdown of what she needs now:
cello and bow (with tax) = $7000-$7500
hard case = $750-$2000 (depending on the specific cello she buys)
strings = $270-$350 (need to be purchased every year)
GoFundMe fees = $683 (depending on amount raised)
THANK YOU SO MUCH for taking the time to read this, friends! Please consider donating to help Sarah realize her dream, and please also consider sharing this campaign with others that you feel may be interested in helping us reach our goal. Remember though, this is a SURPRISE for Sarah, so please help us to keep the secret! If you don't feel able to donate, we would also be grateful for any prayers and good wishes you may choose to send Sarah as she continues on her musical journey. I have never seen her happier than when she is working with her cello, and I so look forward to seeing the joy on her face when she becomes the proud owner of her very own!
Organizer
Rachel Genzlinger Martin
Organizer
Lower Moreland Township, PA
