Interlochen dream

Hi, my name is Kelli Trudeau. I am from Suttons Bay, Michigan. I am 17 years old and a junior in high school. I am the second of eight children. I am also an organist. I have been playing organ for four years and playing at church for three years.

 This past summer, at the encouragement of my private organ teacher, I attended the Interlochen Arts Camp. I paid to attend using money I had saved from playing for church. Interlochen changed my life! I was able to work with fantastic teachers along with amazingly talented peers from around the world. I discovered I have a lot of work to do, but the Interlochen experience opened up my imagination to what  was possible for me given the right environment.

When camp concluded, I decided to apply to Interlochen Arts Academy for the school year. I received the news in August that I’d been accepted to study organ. This was an opportunity of a lifetime, one that I couldn’t let slip away!

 I received a very generous financial aid package from Interlochen, but the amount left to pay is still too much for my family. We live on my dad's school teacher salary, so there is not even a little room in our budget to send me to school. If I am going to continue at Interlochen, I need to find a way to pay for it. I have kept my church jobs. Every weekend I head home to play at Holy Rosary in Cedar, MI, and Saint Rita's in Maple City, MI. Still, this is not going to be enough, so I am appealing for sponsorship.

 Once I graduate I hope to attend college to study organ performance and choral conducting. My dream is to some day be the Organist and Director of Music at a large cathedral.

 Thank you for any help you are able to offer.