Summer Music Training at Brevard

Thanks for checking out my GoFundMe Campaign to help send me to the Brevard Music Center Summer Institute and Festival!

My Musical Journey

I'm David Nakazono, a 22 year old trumpeter. My musical journey began when my parents began teaching me piano when I was 6, but I soon followed in their footsteps and took up the trumpet when I joined the middle school band and was immediately lovestruck! With the support of my parents, I practiced daily, studied privately, and made significant progress, achieving positions in All-State and National Bands around the world! (My dad's military career presented some exceptional music opportunities). 

Despite my success and passion for music, I chose to pursue academia in college and majored in Physics at the University of California- Santa Barbara. Reluctant to abandon music and the trumpet, I continued with it through college as a double major and ultimately, in my Junior year, decided that my pursuit of a career in music was inevitable and that was what I had to do.

So I left my straightforward and stable path towards science and engineering, to commit fully to pursuing a career in music. This new and exciting path has returned me to my birthplace in Chicago, IL to attend the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and work towards my Master’s in Orchestral Studies and Trumpet Performance under the guidance of Mark Ridenour (Chicago Symphony, Asst. Principal) and Neal Berntsen (Pittsburgh Symphony).

About Brevard

The Brevard Music Center is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina and is one of the country’s premier summer training programs and festivals. While at Brevard, I’ll be participating in the Orchestral Studies Program, in which I will rehearse daily and perform extensively in various ensembles, study privately with world-class faculty, undertake audition training, participate in masterclasses, and take part in several more educational and experiential musical opportunities! I’m particularly excited to perform alongside my teachers and the faculty at Brevard in the Brevard Music Center Orchestra.

Trumpet Faculty:
Neal Berntsen (Pittsburgh SO, Carnegie Mellon, Roosevelt)
Robert Sullivan (Cincinnati SO, Northwestern)
Mark Schubert (Honolulu SO, Baylor)

My Needs

I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity to attend Brevard Music Center, but unlike my summers interning in Physics, the Arts and Music require much more funding and community support. Brevard offered me a generous $3800 in aid (Merit and Work-Study), but that still leaves another $3150 in tuition (housing and meals included). I’m aiming to raise as much of this as I can and I’ve set my goal at $3300 to help offset my own financial burden which includes rent while I’m away, travel expenses, and time spent not earning. Additionally, I’ve begun driving for Lyft and Uber along with my several part-time jobs to help cover as much of these costs on my own.

Thank you to everyone for all the support!

You can learn more about me and my music at my website: DavidNakazono.com