NanaUpsideDown: Berklee Bound Fundraising Event

HI! My name is Nadja. I’m a musician who was born in Lafayette, Indiana and currently based in Vermont. During the time I was raised in the West Lafayette area, I had a hard time being myself. I was seen as one of the ‘weird kids’ and in tandem with my weirdness, I am also Black. I didn't really know where to fit in because I was either too black for the white kids or too weird and ‘acted white’ for the black kids. When I started hitting my tween and teen years I became depressed and anxious dealing with drama on social media, feeling like an outcast, and not doing good in school. The one thing that has always been there for me to make me feel better was music (my mom too). Whether it was coming up with melodies in my head, listening to my favorite artist and songs whenever I was in my feelings, or trying to make my own sounds, music has always been a constant source of comfort.

At the beginning of 2021, I started producing music on BandLab using my phone. I mostly made music from loops but slowly evolved to making my own beats as my skills improved over the years. In addition to producing I also sing and write my songs as well. Me and my mom moved away from Indiana in the summer of 2021. I was then enrolled at Winooski High School. Not only was it a breath of fresh air, but the classes they offered sparked my interest in learning again after being dormant for so long. It was there that I spontaneously started drumming in the Jazz Band. My new friends invited me to have lunch in the band room and I saw that they had an electronic drum kit. I asked if i could mess around with it and when I was playing around trying to play a song, Mr. Argraves told me I sounded good. Other people who were around me were also impressed. I didn't have any prior knowledge or lessons with playing on a drum set, but my father is a skilled African drummer and professional dancer from Ivory Coast so it's possible that he gave me his gift of rhythm. :)

During my time at Winooski High School, I have learned from my seniors and those who volunteered their time and have inspired young girls who were my underclassmen and in middle school to join a band as percussionist and learn how to play drums.

Earlier this year, I found out that I was accepted to Berklee College of Music. I learned about Berklee because of an assignment my personal finance teacher, Mrs. Poquette had us complete in class one day. She encouraged me to research music colleges because of my interest in music. I was able to go on a college visit and attend the Berklee 5-week Summer program in 2023. I didn't think going to college would be possible for me to do back in Indiana, but getting into Berklee made the younger version of me so happy, excited, and proud. After graduating in 2024 from Winooski High School, my mother and I were en route to Boston to see a film about the band Ghost and their music tour when we were sideswiped by another driver. We were badly injured and I began having issues holding my drumsticks when I played. Thanks to physical therapy during my gap year out of high school, I was able to rebuild my skills to audition for Berklee, and I was accepted into the school I fell in love with the first time I visited it.

At first I didn't really know how much of a big deal Berklee was until I saw the caliber of artists and business people who attended the school and the cost of attendance. Regardless of the cost, my main goal as a musician and human being is sharing my art to inspire and encourage the next generations of artists while showcasing weird black girlhood/womanhood. That being said, college is hard to pay for especially in the times we live in now. I would appreciate any support people are able to give to help me realize my dream and further develop my skill in drumming, producing, singing, and songwriting.

If you or someone you know is in the Burlington, VT area on July 11th at 6:00 pm , I'm hosting a fundraising event at Kestrel Coffee House (with Mr. Rajni Eddins of the Black Artist Showcase in Vermont). In addition to me, there will also be some really cool artists like Omega Jade and Nadia Fraizer. During the event I will be playing songs from my EP Prologue, my album DIMENSIONS, a few covers, and some unreleased songs. You can also tune in to the livestream of the event on the Black Artists Showcase Vermont instagram page for those who can’t come or if you're a passerby on the internet.

This GoFundMe campaign will help support my education, travel, music production equipment, a computer, and more. If you aren't able to monetarily support me that's totally fine. All I ask is that you share this page with friends, family, and mutuals. Supporting me on my social media accounts such as Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube also helps share my music with more people. Thank you for your time and your support.

No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe.