Kelsey's Baroque Flute and Grad School Fund
Donation protected
Introduction
Hi everyone! My name is Kelsey Burnham and I am a fifth-year at Oberlin Conservatory. I will be graduating this semester with a Bachelors of Music in Baroque Flute Performance with a Minor in Recorder, under the direction of Michael Lynn.
Here is a link to my senior recital.
My background
Born in Baltimore, MD, I was taken in by my grandmother Constance Burnham at a very young age. She did not have very much, as she raised two daughters before me and was a hairdresser. In middle school, I starting learning flute at Roland Park where my amazing band director, Danielle Schmitt, encouraged me to keep up with my hard work. By her recommendation, I began the Peabody Tuned-In Program, run by Daniel Trahey and Elijah Wirth. I owe so much to these programs and I was admitted into Baltimore School for the Arts a few years later.
My sophomore and junior years of high school are among the hardest years of my life. My grandmother was diagnosed with late stage breast cancer and, before her last round of chemo, fell incredibly ill. She was hospitalized for almost 8 months trying desperately to recover. My aunt Heather and I visited every single day, wanting to keep her company and wanting her home very badly. On September 20, 2012, my grandmother passed away. My Aunt and I were called at almost 4 in the morning to come to the hospital quickly, but about 20 minutes later they called again to announce my grandmother's death. I was 16.
Today, March 13, 2019, I am 23 years old. It hurts to think of how long I have been without my grandmother, but my Aunt Heather stepped in to make sure I completed high school. I got into Oberlin Conservatory and, here at Oberlin, spent two years trying to figure out what I want to do. I discovered more than just my love of modern flute, and switched majors to baroque flute at the end of my sophomore year.
I have completed auditions for graduate school and cannot believe how far I've come, with help from so many people. Additionally, I've worked two jobs for almost my entire Oberlin career, which, until now, has covered monthly bills, medical needs, and personal needs. Saving money working minimum-wage jobs has been hard, and every summer I've worked instead of going to camps.
My goals
Music has truly saved my life. To perform with others and to make music with others is without a doubt incredibly valuable to me. I recognize where I have come from, and I have therefore enjoyed teaching kids of varying levels (at discounted rated when needs) throughout the years. To go to graduate school will make me a more reputable teacher, and will enrich my studies in early music, an area that continues to rise in the music community. As I finish here at Oberlin performances have become sparse, but in graduate school my hope is to play and perform as much as possible.
What you can do to help
So, friends and family, I would like to ask for your help. An Oberlender flute by esteemed flute-maker Martin Wenner will be finished for me in the coming months. I've been fortunate enough to win an award from Oberlin Conservatory to help some of the cost, however I cannot currently afford to cover the rest of the instrument. This school year has been heavily devoted to finishing my studies and taking graduate school auditions (a very expensive process) and so I'd like to ask for help paying for the instrument. I've been playing on a similar model owned by Oberlin, but once I graduate I must return it.
Any little bit will help tremendously, as whatever is not covered will likely result in me applying for a loan (of which I have a fair amount from Oberlin Conservatory already). I'm ready to take this next step in my career, and I will forever be thankful for any help.
Additionally, if you donate you may leave your email address to be added to a mailing list about upcoming performances :)
Much love to you all,
Kelsey Burnham
Hi everyone! My name is Kelsey Burnham and I am a fifth-year at Oberlin Conservatory. I will be graduating this semester with a Bachelors of Music in Baroque Flute Performance with a Minor in Recorder, under the direction of Michael Lynn.
Here is a link to my senior recital.
My background
Born in Baltimore, MD, I was taken in by my grandmother Constance Burnham at a very young age. She did not have very much, as she raised two daughters before me and was a hairdresser. In middle school, I starting learning flute at Roland Park where my amazing band director, Danielle Schmitt, encouraged me to keep up with my hard work. By her recommendation, I began the Peabody Tuned-In Program, run by Daniel Trahey and Elijah Wirth. I owe so much to these programs and I was admitted into Baltimore School for the Arts a few years later.
My sophomore and junior years of high school are among the hardest years of my life. My grandmother was diagnosed with late stage breast cancer and, before her last round of chemo, fell incredibly ill. She was hospitalized for almost 8 months trying desperately to recover. My aunt Heather and I visited every single day, wanting to keep her company and wanting her home very badly. On September 20, 2012, my grandmother passed away. My Aunt and I were called at almost 4 in the morning to come to the hospital quickly, but about 20 minutes later they called again to announce my grandmother's death. I was 16.
Today, March 13, 2019, I am 23 years old. It hurts to think of how long I have been without my grandmother, but my Aunt Heather stepped in to make sure I completed high school. I got into Oberlin Conservatory and, here at Oberlin, spent two years trying to figure out what I want to do. I discovered more than just my love of modern flute, and switched majors to baroque flute at the end of my sophomore year.
I have completed auditions for graduate school and cannot believe how far I've come, with help from so many people. Additionally, I've worked two jobs for almost my entire Oberlin career, which, until now, has covered monthly bills, medical needs, and personal needs. Saving money working minimum-wage jobs has been hard, and every summer I've worked instead of going to camps.
My goals
Music has truly saved my life. To perform with others and to make music with others is without a doubt incredibly valuable to me. I recognize where I have come from, and I have therefore enjoyed teaching kids of varying levels (at discounted rated when needs) throughout the years. To go to graduate school will make me a more reputable teacher, and will enrich my studies in early music, an area that continues to rise in the music community. As I finish here at Oberlin performances have become sparse, but in graduate school my hope is to play and perform as much as possible.
What you can do to help
So, friends and family, I would like to ask for your help. An Oberlender flute by esteemed flute-maker Martin Wenner will be finished for me in the coming months. I've been fortunate enough to win an award from Oberlin Conservatory to help some of the cost, however I cannot currently afford to cover the rest of the instrument. This school year has been heavily devoted to finishing my studies and taking graduate school auditions (a very expensive process) and so I'd like to ask for help paying for the instrument. I've been playing on a similar model owned by Oberlin, but once I graduate I must return it.
Any little bit will help tremendously, as whatever is not covered will likely result in me applying for a loan (of which I have a fair amount from Oberlin Conservatory already). I'm ready to take this next step in my career, and I will forever be thankful for any help.
Additionally, if you donate you may leave your email address to be added to a mailing list about upcoming performances :)
Much love to you all,
Kelsey Burnham
Organizer
Kelsey Burnham
Organizer
Oberlin, OH
