Hi everybody, my name is Ari Rivera; I'm from Camden, New Jersey, and I've been accepted to attend Berklee College of Music to pursue my dream of studying Music Therapy and Guitar Performance. For as long as I've known, music has been an essential part of my life. I've noticed the power it has to unite people and help them persevere through tough times, so I want more people in the world to know that music has been there to save my life, and it has the potential to save theirs as well. I made this GoFundMe to assist with the cost of attending Berklee College of Music.

I've been honored with many accomplishments recently, thanks to those in my life who are willing to advocate for me, from playing the national anthem for my graduation to receiving a story on 6abc about my acceptance to Berklee. Right now, though, I have to advocate for myself due to an urgent situation with my financial aid.

Out of everything there is in the world, I feel closest to music. For most of my childhood, I spent my time alone playing with toys or listening to music. Fortunately, the past time that stuck with me was listening to music, and that was what allowed me to form a very close bond with rhythm and harmony. Music allowed me to be myself, no matter what was going on in life.

It brings people together and has the power to heal. No matter where in the world you go, you will always find music. Every single community enjoys it in its unique way and paints it with nuanced details that exemplify who they are. This kind of connection is exactly what we crave as humans, so it's no wonder that we use such a creatively expressive art to connect with each other in our daily lives.

My goal is to help as many people as possible. Though many may scoff at others for wanting to pursue a music career, there is actual scientific evidence that music can be therapeutic for us. Music Therapy can be implemented for people of all ages and backgrounds to aid them with medical, emotional, social, and cognitive issues. I know that right now, music is the best way I can contribute to healing the world, but this is also just the beginning. Once I finish my bachelor's degree, I plan to start my PsyD journey to become a clinical therapist who specializes in music-based therapy.

In addition to that, I intend to start social justice movements for marginalized communities and musicians. As a kid in elementary school, I loved history class simply because of how brave and intentional social activists were. Learning about people like Martin Luther King, Nina Simone, and Harriet Tubman gave me a glimpse of what my life could be like. These are all people who fought for their community until the end and tried their best to ensure that the future would not be as oppressive as the present. No matter what the future has in store for me, I'd like to follow in their footsteps and fulfill my duty as a United States citizen by holding those in power accountable for their actions.

My acceptance to Berklee could help kids with similar backgrounds to me recognize that they can get as far in life as they want. Being born and raised in Camden, New Jersey, already comes with preconceived notions about who you are and what your life is worth. I intend to break down these barriers and prove to the current and future generations of Camden residents that nobody can tell them where they can and can't go. Only they can behold the full strength of their potential and choose to act with it.

Being at Berklee would allow me to master my instrument and refine my craft as much as my potential allows me. The most popular reason why musicians want to attend Berklee is that they want to become one of the best, and I am no different, because Berklee is where some of the best are. I know that the resolve that got me through high school and on a stage in front of hundreds of people is the same resolve that will allow me to grow in my musicianship.

I'd also be pursuing my goal of learning as many instruments as possible. As a part of my journey to become a music therapist, I will be training my proficiency in guitar, keys, and vocals, but I have much more in mind than learning just those instruments. In middle school, I played the clarinet in band, so once I found my passion in guitar, my eye was opened to the realm of possibilities that come with knowing multiple instruments, especially when they're not always associated with each other. Having the ability to play multiple instruments would set me up to create as many diverse and sonically unique sounds as I'd like.

A community of like-minded people is sure to put me on the path I want and need to be on. In high school, there weren't many other musicians or music clubs, so for the most part, I was alone when it came to my interests. Being around mostly musicians would make it easier for me to immerse myself in the realm of music and acquire more diverse perspectives than just my own.

Berklee will help me break out of my shell and put my name out into the world. In this day and age, we see so many people use the power and influence they have to judge and condemn others. I want to be the opposite of that. I know that I can encourage others to be their best selves, so I want more people to know that I can be there for them in a way that others with a lot of recognition would not be willing to.

It's the best way for me to experience my own individual life. At this point in my life, I know what it's like to have people supporting and providing for me. Though I am still young, it's time that I start making true progress in my life by finding out what it's really like. I feel like there's no better time than the present to acknowledge everybody that I'm thankful for, yet simultaneously make room to allow myself to find my own way in the world.