To attend Berklee College 5 Week Music Intensive

Hi- My name is Zoe and i am 15 years old. I am raising money so I can attend Berklee College of Music 5-Week Summer Intensive this July/August.  I have been accepted into the program and awarded a $1000 merit-based scholarship but this is not nearly enough to make it possible to attend. They do not offer need based financial aid. 

The tuition costs $5,430 ($4430- after applying the scholarship)
and Room and Board costs $3675 and is due May 1st!!!) 

I am taking a huge leap of faith and reaching out to my community to see if anyone might be able to help me make this a reality for me. 






Why I want to go:


I took my first music class  "Music Together"  when I was 3 months old- apparently my eyes were big with excitement, from there i took a "Hootenany " class with The Nields when i was around 5 years old. But it all got real when I was 9 and I attended my first preteen girls rock session at the Institute of the Musical Arts  in Goshen MA. Since then I have taken every program the IMA offers for my age group. I have learned so much about being a woman (girl) in the music business, about how to be in a band and act professional and also met all my best friends there. I am ready to really challenge myself and do something hard and new. It will help me prepare for college and experience more independence while taking my musicality and skill to the next level. I plan to eventually study music at college and this will give me a better understanding of what that entails. 



Who I am and what i do:
(this feels like bragging but here goes!)

(me and my first guitar)

I am a sophomore at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts High School. I play guitar in the school Rock Band and also study languages (ASL and Spanish) I am motivated and work hard to get good grades and take several honors level classes so that eventually I can go to college and study contemporary Music/Songwriting. I am also on the Varsity Ultimate Frisbee team (this year I am one of the captains) I love Ultimate and have traveled to Blaine MN nationals with a local team the past few summers. 

Outside of school I am in a band called ZoKi  (@Zokiband , www.zokiband.com) I am a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist (occasional bassist/piano player) On average we play 4-5 gigs a month and have recently opened for some amazing artists (NRBQ, Antigone Rising, Pamela Means Band, Jami Seiber and Y La Bamba) We just recorded our debut CD which will be released on May 31st! I absolutely love playing gigs with my band and am so grateful that people keep booking us and come out and see us! It has been one of the best experiences of my life so far.



I also consider myself an activist and am involved in several movements in different capacities. I love the intesection of music and activism, using my voice in songwriting for change.  I have enjoyed studying protest music through history. 

I have been raising money for the LGBT Asylum Taskforce out of Worcester  MA since i was 11 years old when I begun busking in  the streets of Northampton. I am also one of the organizers of #All Welcome; A benefit for the LGBT Asylum taskforce  which will take place in April 28th at the IMA. As I am a first generation American and both my parents are immigrants (Greece/Tibet) I feel deeply aligned to fight to  humane immigration rights. I have also written and co-written songs and put them on bandcamp to raise money for Puerto Rico Relief and the LGBT Asylum Taskforce. 

I am also involved and committed to the "March for Our Lives" movement and have attended conferences, and Marches in Washington DC as well as participated in the "50 miles more" March from Worcester to Springfield MA. My band also performed at the March for our lives in Northampton MA




I am so grateful to all my teachers and mentors  especially June Millington, Ann Hackler, (everyone else at the IMA , Pamela Means, Jane Hanson, Diana Alvarez, Matthew King...... and Lui Collins who planted the seed all those years ago w/ Music Together! I also am so grateful for every dollar anyone donates! as i get closer to my dream of attending Berklee this summer, also if you cannot donate please feel free to share with your friends. 

THANK YOU for reading this and considering a donation and sharing this and if you can donate THANK YOU very much.


If you would rather pay me or Berklee directly please email me and I will give you all relevant info  [email redacted] (dot) com. I hope to raise enough to attend but if I do not I will use the funds to go to the IMA Teen Session or Recording camp and donate the rest to the LGBT Asylum Taskforce. I will be sure to let you all know!