As a burgeoning singer-songwriter, musical theatre actress, and voice-over artist, I was inspired to apply for the inaugural Berklee NYC Masters Program this year to hone my skillset in writing original compositions for the Broadway stage. My inclination was validated when I was selected as 1 of just 60 accepted students for the program. There I will achieve my Masters in Writing and Design for Musical Theatre. Classes began in Hell’s Kitchen this fall. In the world of Musical Theatre, design means developing the stage using the most advanced technology in our capacity to create lively productions that resonate with an audience, whether or not they can be present to see the show live on Broadway.

The loss of my grandmother Nana Hazzard is something that still deeply impacts my life to this day. She was one of the earliest inspirational figures in my life and I still feel she was gone too soon. Our family lost her to breast cancer when I was 10 years old. As the oldest grandchild, we were always close when I was growing up and living nearby, we would visit her, along with my grandfather, quite often. She was an elementary school teacher and from a young age instilled her love of literature in my life. As a Black woman from her era, she and my grandfather made history as some of the first in their community to own a large plot of land in the country and both of them were college educated. Only in recent years have I reflected on the massive impact this had on me growing up. The lessons she taught me about putting my best foot forward at all times and carrying myself like a lady in every circumstance I have carried with me from those pivotal, formative years and will never forget the impact she made on me. The strides she and my grandfather made before he also eventually passed away, make me want to fight to keep extending the legacy they passed down to me. I want to achieve the highest levels of success and make the memory of them proud.

To me, generosity is the act of showing up for people in exactly the ways that are needed to serve someone, perhaps in ways that they cannot for themselves. Generous people are some of my favorite people, and while many people experience generosity in different ways, I find that the majority of people do enjoy receiving. There are five love languages that present opportunities to be generous, which are as follows: quality time, touch, acts of service, gifts, and words of affirmation. Personally, I experience the most fruitful generosity through acts of service. When someone presents their talents generously to help me with a task, I am consumed with love. Therefore at the most fundamental level, generosity might possibly be an act of service. Gifts are another way to express generosity. When I look back on my personal relationships with family and friends, a thoughtful trinket, food, or some of my favorite sweet treats have been some of the moments that endeared me the most to them. One of my favorite ways to express generosity is through baked goods and hospitality. I love to cook for people who mean a lot to me and invite them into my home. Being generous is one of the greatest qualities humanity has the opportunity to express.

One of the most formative experiences of my life was the gap year that I spent working for a local radio station as a disc jockey. I was given the opportunity by the station manager who was working for a local basketball game for which I was singing the national anthem. He invited me on to promote my newly released indie album. When I joined him on the air, he told me that I was a natural and offered me a slot on the weekends, which turned into a daily drivetime position. The experience was formative for many reasons, but namely, as my first job, it was an opportunity to research, hone my on-air interpersonal skills, and man the soundboard independently. I gained an appreciation for the work ethic that I am grateful to have acquired at such a young age. As someone who went on to manage our campus radio station, host a community podcast in Austin, TX, and become a voice-over artist in my own right, this was a pivotal time to invest in this craft that definitely helped shape my artistry.

During my undergrad experience, I made the most of my time by stretching myself incredibly thin with career strategizing and social clubs. There is nothing quite like the college experience, one of the firsts and lifelong friendships, memories, and learning curves. Since graduating I missed this hub of ever-flowing knowledge and did not think I would have such an experience again. Low and behold… as a burgeoning singer-songwriter, musical theatre actress, and voice-over artist, I was inspired to apply for the inaugural Berklee NYC Masters Program this year to hone my skillset in writing original compositions for the Broadway stage. My inclination was validated when I was selected as 1 of just 60 accepted students for the program. There I will achieve my Masters in Writing and Design for Musical Theatre. Classes begin in Hell’s Kitchen this September. As I pack my Austin apartment, my home for the past three years, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this opportunity, while simultaneously struggling to foot all of the expenses that come with my sudden move to the Big Apple. This time around is definitely different from undergrad. With five years of life experience under my belt, having worked in corporate America successfully, while navigating my theatre, music, and voice-over career simultaneously, I am ready to throw myself headfirst onto the Broadway landscape. This time I walked into my acceptance of this degree without the financial support of being a minor, with parents who can help me foot the bill. As a now 28-year-old woman, this decision is all my own along with the responsibility to cover the expenses. I am walking into this venture less bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, with less naivety and more of an understanding of how to put myself in the best possible light to take advantage of this incredible opportunity. We will be working one on one with Broadway professionals who are actually in the field we are pursuing. There are real-life implications to this graduate degree, including a Berklee database with musicians who have won hundreds of awards in this field and whose alumni and professors are actively creating work for Broadway stages currently. The main difference between my Alma Mater and Berklee is the fact that it was a private institution with little outside connections to the mainstream music industry. While I would not have traded my experience for anything, I am grateful for a second chance to make my networking skills reach farther and cast a wider net with lasting impact.

As a burgeoning singer-songwriter, musical theatre actress, and voice-over artist, I was inspired to apply for the inaugural Berklee NYC Masters Program to hone my skillset in writing original compositions for the Broadway stage. My inclination was validated when I was selected as 1 of just 60 accepted students for the program. There I will achieve my Masters in Writing and Design for Musical Theatre. Classes begin in Hell’s Kitchen this September. A major difference between this degree: "Writing and Design for Musical Theatre" and my undergraduate degree in Musical Theatre performance, is the technological emphasis. For starters, the campus is set in the historic PowerStation Recording studio, where countless artists and Broadway shows have been recorded through the years. We are encouraged to learn to operate the equipment as professionals in this industry, including soundboards, and applications to create graphics in the new black box theatre. It will require a healthy degree of understanding in computer programming and we will work alongside the Live Experience Design specialty to incorporate lights, sound, and visuals for the productions we create. In addition to the theatrical aspect of the art we are creating, we must understand the sound equipment and audio technology as both performers and creators. In addition to all of the equipment to which we now have access, we were required to buy new Macbook Pro's and iPads with an Apple Pen, along with some in-ear headphones to hear the sound clearly while performing and creating. As I pack my Austin apartment, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this opportunity, while struggling to foot all of the expenses that come with my sudden move to the Big Apple. With this scholarship, I would cherish the opportunity to cover the looming tuition bill that is due at the start of the semester. It will go to good use and hopefully, you’ll see my work on Broadway in the near future. Thank you for your consideration!

As a burgeoning singer-songwriter, musical theatre actress, and voice-over artist, I was inspired to apply for the inaugural Berklee NYC Masters Program to hone my skillset in writing original compositions for the Broadway stage. My inclination was validated when I was selected as 1 of just 60 accepted students for the program. There I will achieve my Masters in Writing and Design for Musical Theatre. Classes begin in Hell’s Kitchen this September. A major difference between this degree: "Writing and Design for Musical Theatre" and my undergraduate degree in Musical Theatre performance, is the technological emphasis. For starters, the campus is set in the historic PowerStation Recording studio, where countless artists and Broadway shows have been recorded through the years. We are encouraged to learn to operate the equipment as professionals in this industry, including soundboards, and applications to create graphics in the new black box theatre. It will require a healthy degree of understanding in computer programming and we will work alongside the Live Experience Design specialty to incorporate lights, sound, and visuals for the productions we create. In addition to the theatrical aspect of the art we are creating, we must understand the sound equipment and audio technology as both performers and creators. In addition to all of the equipment to which we now have access, we were required to buy new Macbook Pro's and iPads with an Apple Pen, along with some in-ear headphones to hear the sound clearly while performing and creating. As I pack my Austin apartment, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this opportunity, while struggling to foot all of the expenses that come with my sudden move to the Big Apple. With this scholarship, I would cherish the opportunity to cover the looming tuition bill that is due at the start of the semester. It will go to good use and hopefully, you’ll see my work on Broadway in the near future. Thank you for your consideration!

The wisest thing I have ever heard was the encouragement we received the day that we showed up on campus for the first day of student orientation, by our founder Steven Webber. He gave us his suggestion and words of wisdom that he hoped would serve us in the upcoming year as we write with one another. They are listed as followed: 1. Show up and focus! You’re here for one year! Take advantage of it. Calculate the cost of every day. 2. Reset- take advantage of moving to NYC and starting fresh. 3. Don’t hold things too dear, or too tightly. Be nimble and hold on lightly. 4. COLLABORATE LIKE CRAZY. This is a rich opportunity. 5. Take advantage of performance opportunities every Friday. Also, build your own . 6. Incorporate feedback. It sets you apart as an artist. 7. Become excellent at GIVING feedback. Make sure it is a)specific, b) helpful c) kind. 8. Become the person you want to work with. You don’t need to wait until post grad, your professional career has begun. Impress each other by being present, listening, being on time and in tune with a great attitude. These are your lifelong collaborators. 9. Find ways to pitch in. 10. Help us find community. Nurture and respect one another.

I was inspired to go back to school after 5 years post grad, because I found a program in New York City that spoke to me in a way that I could not have imagined. It's a program with some of the brightest minds in my field and that gives me the opportunity to acquire mentors and kinetic experience in writing and design.

"Hamilton" the Broadway musical by Lin Manuel Miranda is my favorite piece of art because it was a groundbreaking piece of theatre that changed the landscape of the American musical theatre landscape forever. I hope that with my graduate degree at Berklee NYC for "Writing and Design for Musical Theatre" I can create works of art like this that brilliantly bring together deep historical elements with a modern flair, which provides opportunities to showcase niche actors and vocalists. My favorite story genre is historical fiction and this play was extremely well researched with many facts infused into a compelling story. The reason "Hamilton" is my favorite play and work of art is because of the wide array of musical choices infused into the story. Lin Manuel is the one of the most brilliant lyricists and songbook writers of our time and he was never more in his element than writing this score. The time and dedication is evident and inspiring.

I am currently enrolled this fall in a Musical Theatre program at Berklee NYC in the theatre district near Broadway. I am looking for funding to help tell stories that amplify Black historical stories. The process of putting a show up on Broadway can be tedious and that is why I am excited to be obtaining my masters degree in "Writing and Design for Musical Theatre" to further showcase untold stories of our people during the Reformation Era, turn of the 20th Century and beyond. It is crucial that we hear put this on display, though it can be a time consuming and expensive endeavor. Black Americans have been entrepreneurs since the moment we were released from the bondage of slavery and set free to make names for ourselves, literally and figuratively. We created publishing houses, restaurants, hair salons, blacksmith shops, anything we had a tradable skill in, we used to build the foundation that progressed our legacy. This was not without crippling interference from foes who opposed our success, in contrast to their own plight and we endured Jim Crow, the Ku Klux Klan and general discrimination that threatened the way of life. Still we developed entire communities to give us opportunity and we thrived during that time. It is imperative to me that we make space to loudly, boldly share the lives of those who were silenced then. 100 years ago, I wonder if our ancestors could foresee a world where their meticulously decisions toward entrepreneurial endeavors would see mainstream recognition or be appreciated on a grand scale. That is what I aim to do with my musicals, short plays, and films. I want to cultivate a world in which the memories of my Black American people who endured so much and overcame even more would not live only in stories shared through generations across the dinner table, but be shouted from the rooftops. Their businesses, their lives mattered and we honor them. Recently I experienced the loss of my great uncle Sam, one of many of my family members who lived during that aforementioned era whose story I do not want to be forgotten. There are stories even within my own larger extended family that I would love to tell. I refuse to have these people die in the metaphorical sense along with their earthly bodies. Much like the words of Lin Manuel Miranda "Who lives, who dies, who tells your story" I want to be the catalyst for sharing the unbelievable triumphs of the Black entrepreneurs who came before me, and carry the torch onto the next generation. May we never forget those that blazed the trail.

As a Black and Puerto Rican woman, allyship is such a determining factor for those with whom I associate. I have found that even posting support of a community online makes a sizable impact and can magnify smaller voices to make them heard. When I recently posted my support of Stop Asian Hate online, several of my Asian friends were moved and even responded to tell me about how unseen they'd felt during past incidents before this movement. It made me realize all the more that support needs to be voiced in order to be felt and experienced by marginalized groups. As a burgeoning singer-songwriter, musical theatre actress, and voice-over artist, I was inspired to apply for the inaugural Berklee NYC Masters Program this year to hone my skillset in writing original compositions that showcase diverse stories for the Broadway stage. My inclination was validated when I was selected as 1 of just 60 accepted students for the program. There I will achieve my Masters in Writing and Design for Musical Theatre. Classes begin in Hell’s Kitchen this September. As I pack my Austin apartment, my home for the past three years, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this opportunity, while simultaneously struggling to foot all of the expenses that come with my sudden move to the Big Apple. With this scholarship, I would cherish the opportunity to cover the looming tuition bill that is due at the start of the semester. It will go to good use and hopefully, you’ll see my work on Broadway in the near future. Attached is a link that features one of my recently workshopped short plays. I will continue to give voice to untold stories and experiences as an ally. Thank you for your consideration! Sincerely, Ashley Hazzard