My son just came off the wait-list for Aspen, but received very little scholarship and his deadline is coming up. Any ideas for fund-raising at this late date? He will be playing for some weddings, etc. this month but that won’t raise the 3-4 thousand he’ll need.
He could try a Kickstarter-style campaign, or hold a concert for locals to “send a kid to camp”. You don’t mention his instrument, but if it’s portable, he could do some busking with a sign “help me get to Aspen.”. Write to wealthy potential donors or relatives? Another option is to stay home try again for more scholarship next year.
Is he at college or conservatory or still in high school? Some schools at the post-secondary level will fund festivals. My daughter waited for funding from college and went to two in one summer, making up for lost time! (Her festivals did not give scholarships at all.)
Yes to what @compmom said and @glassharmonica ---- funding is frequently available at the post-secondary level. For one summer program D wrote up a detailed proposal( with the help of her department head) and was even reimbursed for all her travel expenses. Just the year before that she had to turn down the same festival/program since their scholarships were so paltry. Your student will not be the only one who had to wait for a better opportunity.
It depends on the conservatory program. My daughter’s school doesn’t fund summer programs but some conservatories do. I think Colburn, for example, sometimes covers costs at Aspen. Most of my daughter’s cohorts at her conservatory only apply to fully funded programs, so the most they would pay is airfare. Some festivals also cover travel costs. Aspen has some fellowships; I don’t think many (in my daughter’s program) go to places like Aspen without a fellowship unless their parents are wealthy. Since fellowship spots are in high demand at funded programs, many musicians end up sitting out summer festivals. It’s not the worst thing in the world–you can make money and do the practicing you won’t have time to do at a festival.
D’s funding came from the University at large (not a conservatory) and not from her actual department, though her department head helped in her proposal and request for funds.
Hi everyone. I’m looking for some input on this same subject. Son is finishing first year of grad school at SFCM. A faculty member at Brevard with whom he’s had a kind of mentoring relationship over the years wants son to study with him there this summer. Son has received $4,000 of $6,300 cost, so still needs $2,300. We’ll pitch in $500m, leaving 1,800 for son to raise, which he won’t, because he’s living on air already. But the question is this: he’s torn, because he knows he’ll have very little time for his own practice. His SFCM teacher is very happy with the progress he’s made over the year, and has no problem with son NOT attending a festival, but just practicing, working and hopefully gigging in SF over the summer, and doing two recitals next year instead of one. But the mentor has been very good to son over the years (offered him a full assistantship to his school, which son turned down to go to SFCM). I don’t know how hard the mentor advocated for Brevard money, but son feels he can’t turn this person down again, and would enjoy working with him very much. He’s an incredible person, teacher and artist, and a good connection to maintain. Yet, son doesn’t have the funds, and needs to work and practice. He’d have to do a kickstarter campaign or similar thing. We just can’t help more than the $500 this year. Your thoughts? Is nurturing the connection with mentor worth losing out on work paycheck and having to find some way to raise the money? And giving up practice time?
Personally I would heed the “no problem with son not attending the festival”.My D turned down an offer for a festival where her teacher in grad school was teaching and she was pretty persistent in the idea that she attend. D still counts her as one of her mentors . I doubt that your son would loose the connection. Good teachers, more than most people, understand that money is tight for students and they admire good sense. Your son is in the process of becoming a professional musician and needs to put a value on his work and time. Turning down expensive summer programs is something that plenty of young musicians need to get used to especially if the participation is going to get in the way of the practice he needs to pursue during the summer…
Has he tried an appeal? DD got extra money just by asking.
Yes, he spent the morning put together his appeal, hoping that if they can come halfway he can find creative ways to earn the other half.
@onekidmama I agree your son might have a more productive summer if he doesn’t go to the festival. One problem with festivals is that they don’t leave a lot of time for practicing. If you’re worried the mentor would be offended, I’d say don’t. He or she will understand if you son says that he just cant’ swing it.
I think sometimes the festivals are important during the time a student is applying or thinking about applying, whether to undergrad or grad, but once on a course in a particular school, they become less important. That said, it is nice to study with other teachers and meet other musicians in training: it really becomes a global community. But it is understandable that money is tight for a grad student attending a conservatory, and the possibility of practicing all summer is a real plus. The musician in our family went after junior year of high school and after the last year of college and may not go for awhile!
onekidmama-you may want to check and see if Brevard has any RA slots (if your son is comfortable with the role). Both of my kids were RAs at Brevard the summer after each finished undergrad, All RAs go for free in exchange for the RA work. The responsibilities did cut into practice time, however. RAs come to the festival the week before the rest of the participants and form a tight group. S is working as an RA this summer (paid) at another festival and had his choice of two festivals he applied to work at because of his Brevard experience. He is not a festival participant this year but has set up lessons with one of the teachers in the studio at the festival.
BTW. I agree with the comments from parents above. If you cannot work better finances, there is no real loss with not going. . Most of S’s studio is not going to festivals or, it they are, the are free or some of the shorter ones.
In high school or younger I think there is some value in paying tuition for festivals. But once you hit college, it’s sort of pay-to-play, which doesn’t make sense when there are free festivals. The free festivals are so popular and hard-to-get-into that every year there are many excellent players who don’t win a spot. There is no shame in taking the summer to practice, teach, work, and save up money.
D3 has begun responding to invitations to join former teachers etc. at festivals set in delightful locations (Greek islands, Tuscany etc) with “That sounds great! Will you be able to provide funding?” 
Soon our kids will be starting their own festivals…at destination locations!
Do your kids have trouble with funding when scholarships are based on parents invome?
Yes-- my kids have never received festival funding based on our income.
@glassharmonica will our kids be hiring their parents to work at these destination locations?!