Help Trinity join AMA in Europe 2024

Music has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Whether it was singing along to the radio or messing around with the instruments in my mom's music classroom, it always fascinated me. At eight years old, my love for music grew tenfold as I learned the cello.

I have played the cello ever since, in and out of school. Even after everything that has changed in the past nine years, music has been my constant. Starting middle school for the first time, I knew no one and felt completely alone. But my orchestra class brought a sense of familiarity and introduced me to friends I still hold dear to this day. Through quarantine, I could always turn to my cello to return to the memories of being at school with my friends. In high school, I saw myself grow more as a musician and as a person. No matter how hard my day has beeen, I am always able to leave my burdens at the band room door and play my cello.

When I was younger, my family always loved to travel. Whether it was going to the mountains to camp or driving for dozens of hours to beaches in Florida, we were always on the move. There were talks about going to Europe to celebrate my upcoming graduation, and my mind raced with dreams of exploring vast countrysides and medieval cities. However, money is tight, and time is tighter, so I thought I had to let that dream go for good. But then, my band director let me know about American Music Abroad. American Music Abroad is a program that takes students from all over the country to Europe for three weeks to demonstrate their musical skills in a concert setting while also getting the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel the world. This year, the Gold tour is traveling to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and The Czech Republic and performing seven concerts. When I first heard about AMA, I knew I had to seize this opportunity. I am a senior in high school, and I'm likely not going to have the time to continue playing the cello as much as I'd like while I'm busy juggling college and work. AMA is my chance to truly have an incredible last music experience as a student before I hone in on my academic studies, and my chance to fulfill my dreams of visiting Europe and seeing sights that I have only ever witnessed on a computer screen.

While I am more than eager to join American Music Abroad's Gold Tour next July, there is one major hurdle facing me and others in my school community. The money. The sticker price for the tour is $6,199. My jaw just about hit the floor when I saw that number. That doesn't even include pocket change! Thankfully, I am absolutely blessed to live in a community that is generous and kind, and I knew that me and the other people in my school wanting to attend the tour this year could put our heads together to come up with the money we need.

I am creating this GoFundMe to kickstart my fundraising efforts and minimize the financial burden put on my family. In times of enormous inflation, every penny counts. I will put every dollar collected from this fundraiser directly towards the fees to book the trip. Every single cent that goes unused will go straight towards my classmates' fees. Even a single dollar helps! If you are unable to donate, please share this page so that more people can contribute to making a lifelong dream come true. Also, keep an eye out for fundraisers and benefits for other students at Chesapeake looking to attend the tour. They want this just as much as I do!

Thank you so much for your support.