The Cambridge Dictionary defines collaboration as the situation of two or more people working together to create or achieve the same thing. The arts are a collaborative effort, there are very few times where the best art is a solo work. In music, one singular record is a collaboration between a singer, a songwriter or multiple, a producer, a recording engineer, a mixing engineer, and a mastering engineer. That’s five or more people collaborating on just the recording side alone. There’s photography, lighting, graphic design, marketing, and more. It takes so many people just for one singular record to come out in the best way possible. I personally believe collaboration in music means working with each other to achieve the best possible form of someone’s vision. You have to leave your ego at the door for collaboration to really happen. I’ve had incredible experiences with collaboration during my time at Berklee College of Music. In my freshman year, I was able to work behind the scenes for the visual album for Mary Orji’s “Conception”. I helped operations run smoothly through assisting the director and taking behind the scenes photos of Mary and the players. I also had the honor to collaborate with Alex Ortiz on stage props for Mary’s sold out show at the Berklee Performance Center. I was also helping capture moments designed to be social media content for the show’s rollout. I helped make sure the show ran smoothly along with the band members and the Stage Prop Director, Alex Ortiz. We worked together and were basically right at the hip to make sure Mary’s show was the best it could be. In my junior year, I had the pleasant opportunity to work with Joyce the Singer as a part of her creative team. I helped her with ideas for content, branding, and marketing strategies. I’m still currently a part of her creative team, so I still help her achieve her vision. I had the opportunity to work with her for her show at the Loft in Berklee as a background vocalist. I worked as a tenor, along with an alto and soprano background vocalist. The three of us had to work together constantly to achieve one sound and voice to support Joyce who is the lead vocalist and main part of the show. My most proud achievement was creating a content calendar for Joyce that consisted of content designed for her to create a loyal fanbase consisting of a diverse community. I wanted to help Joyce create her story out of personal experiences and elevate her to a new point of her career now that she is a Berklee alum. I was also able to intern over the past summer. With this experience, I was able to create work that mattered. I sent out press releases and got feedback from the head of the management team, as well as actual results from the Indie Boulevard magazine and other music blogs. All these experiences that I’ve had both in and outside of school inspired me to embrace my own artistry. I was so moved by the shows I’ve helped work on, as well as the internship I had. The resources helped me greatly.

My interest has always been music, singing to be specific. Music has been my passion for as long as I can remember, and it has always been in my life. I have musicians in my family, and always enjoyed watching performers on TV. My enjoyment of watching performers in their zone and connecting to the audience through music continued through finding performances of my favorite artists on YouTube. I would watch performances from Brandy, Beyoncé, Tori Kelly, Usher, and Ariana Grande. Through watching those performances, I’d pick up the runs they were doing, the techniques they were using. I was learning how to sing through them. I started performing from about nine years old. Before then, I would sing quietly in my room hoping nobody would hear, as I had stage fright. Fortunately, I ended up getting over it. At first, I started singing in school auditions, then classroom performances, to school choir, to talent shows, to the school musical. I learned the hard way about the amount of nos before you would receive a yes with auditions. The audition process taught me how to handle rejection. I learned how to engage with the audience with the solo performances, and I learned how to blend my voice with other people with choir. I then continued performing at choir recitals, afterschool concerts, and school musicals in middle school. I learned how to bounce back from mistakes and not to draw attention to them during this time period. I sang at my eighth grade graduation, and the national anthem at the award ceremony. In high school I joined the Passing Notes, an acapella group, along with madrigal choir. In madrigal choir, we would perform at school concerts and a christmas tree lighting at a hospital. I’ve seen a couple of theaters, promposals, grand openings, and the Stephen Colbert Show with my time in The Passing Notes. Throughout my high school years, I learned filling in for others, as well as teaching others while being a musical director. All this lead me to continue my musical education at Berklee College of Music, where I started to think about what I wanted to do after I graduate. I want to continue to sing, to connect with audiences locally and internationally. I want to do shows in different countries, I want to go on tour. At Berklee, I’ve seen live shows every week. I’ve worked in video production, I’ve ushered at these shows, and I’ve worked in the production of a student run show at the Berklee Performance Center. These opportunities have helped me immensely when it comes to seeing what goes into a show. Continuing my education would help me greatly as I continue to perfect my craft and grow as a performer.

My absolute favorite Netflix show has to be Bojack Horseman. This show is one of my favorite shows of all time, animated or not. The drama-comedy show is always in my “continue watching” or “jump back in” section. I first watched the show in the Spring 2023 semester with my roommate, and I can say that the show genuinely changed how I viewed relationships. The show Bojack Horseman (the show) focuses on Bojack Horseman’s rise back to fame and cultural relevancy after being inactive from his nineties tv show “Horsin’ Around”. Season one shows inspiration from Family Guy with the cutaway scenes (these scenes don’t appear after season one), but builds the foundation for the rest of the show. This show regularly deals with morals while pointing out the corruption in the entertainment industry like sexism and platforming abusers. Bojack Horseman is ultimately a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it shows the viewer when it wants the viewer to take it seriously. Bojack Horseman as a character has a big impact on other characters in the show, but on the audience as well. His actions greatly play with the emotions of the viewers and continue to play with the morally gray zone. The buildup towards the later seasons is outstanding and the character development is great, but those parts of the show weren’t even my favorite. My favorite part of the show was the animals doing their jobs. This show has animals all throughout the world, and they’re integrated with humans. Think of it like the Mickey Mouse characters. There’s an attention to detail wherever there’s a location revealed. The animals One example of this is the “elephant in the room” joke, when there’s an elephant in Bojack’s room building a device. I could not stop laughing when the elephant walked out of the room, clearly taking offense to the phrase. Another example is birds being flight attendants. This one in particular was hilarious to me because of the animation for the birds flying. I knew that it was supposed to be wings flapping, but because their arms were built like humans instead of birds, it just looked like they were waving their arms to fly. This attention to detail for animals in the world of Bojack Horseman brings light to a show that deals with heavy material. The idea of being happy is also a recurring idea of the show. Bojack tends to chase achievements in order to be happy, and it’s ultimately a lesson on being happy. All these elements build up to the amazing show that is Bojack Horseman, and I think it’s a show that would be an amazing weekend binge.

One show I find to have incredibly high replay value is “The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.” by Shuuichi Asou. I found the show in 2020 during the lockdown, and loved it from the first episode. Saiki K. was a nice change of flow from Evangelion, which I was re-watching at the time. This show is a comedy that deals with the supernatural. The show focuses on Saiki Kusuo, who is a psychic high school student. He hates his psychic abilities due to them being a collection of minor inconveniences. Throughout the show, Saiki ends up becoming friends with different characters. However, he is very introverted and just wants to be left alone. The comedy is phenomenal, there have been multiple episodes that have left me cackling loudly. Throughout the show, there was always the question of how Saiki would tell his friends that he has psychic powers. And before that, there was the question of how he would keep his powers a secret from his friends. There’s romance, along with drama and references to other anime and manga. I started to feel uneasy when getting closer to the last episodes. I didn’t want the show to end. Watching the final episode made me want to watch the show all over again, and that’s exactly what I did. Over the past almost four years, “Saiki K.” has become my comfort show, and my go-to for when I didn’t know what to watch. Watching the show now almost feels like a time capsule of what it feels like to be a teenager through the late 2010s in some episodes. I believe that Saiki K. is a show that everyone should watch.

Music has always been a part of my life. I had family who were musicians and I was always on the piano. Since I was a kid listening to the radio or music my mom played around the house, I’ve always enjoyed music. I’ve always liked to create. I got a Kindle Fire at nine years old which lead to me starting to write songs by using whatever came to my head, and I’ve kept at it since. I learned melodic scales quickly as a kid from listening to songs in different keys, and I had a keyboard in my room which helped me with writing lyrics and melodies as I had chords to put them to. In the eighth grade, I took a music production class which opened new doors for me. I learned the function of certain parts in songs and how to build a song production wise from scratch. This class was the most fun for me and was deciding factor in me deciding to pursue a career in the music industry. In high school, I sang in the school choir along with being in an acapella group. I expanded on music production on my own, and now I am a student at Berklee College of Music, planning to return in the fall. Through my first two years I learned more about songwriting and the music business which has helped me immensely. The classes alone were helpful, but the environment was very inspiring. For the first time in my life, I was around people who were passionate about not just creating music, but passionate about being a student of music. There were concerts happening very often, there were group shed sessions where you would meet up with other students and try new things over a groove or a set of chords, and you’d often be in a studio, which would lead to songs being recorded. There is a hefty workload at Berklee, however, I believe that it helped me with time management. There’s also a career center which helps with marketing, promotion, and has other resources to make sure that you succeed when you eventually leave Berklee. The arts are important to me because they allow self expression and creativity, whether it be in music, painting, photography, or fashion. Self expression and creativity are very important to me, especially in a society where the arts are underfunded, undervalued, and under appreciated. I feel like the two are vital to my life, and should be vital to society as a whole. Music has changed my life by giving me a way to express my creativity and myself as a whole. I genuinely don’t know where I would be, or even if I would be here without music. I also believe that the arts are important because they can help people connect with each other, despite a language barrier. Music has also allowed me to connect with other people in ways that wouldn’t be possible without it. I want to be able to create a space where others can connect through my music, whether it be experiencing heartbreak, or just keeping a positive attitude during a hard time. This scholarship will help me achieve the goals I have set by allowing me to continue my education without financial worry.

Andrew Garfield is my favorite Spider-Man because he is the perfect Spider-Man in my opinion. Through the movies Andrew stars in, the viewer gets to see how well he does as Peter Parker and how well he does as Spider-Man. The theme with Spider-Man is how Peter has to balance between Peter Parker issues and Spider-Man issues, and how Peter Parker loses when Spider-Man wins. Andrew portrays both aspects of Spider-Man well, whereas the other actors only have a good portrayal of one side of the character. Tom Holland is an amazing Peter Parker, but his disability to actually be alone in his own movies make him fail as Spider-Man, and Tobey Maguire is an amazing Spider-Man in his movies, but lacks in the Peter Parker department. Outside of Uncle Ben, the viewers see Andrew’s Peter experience loss through Gwen Stacy at the end of both of his movies. The first loss being the end of their romantic relationship, and the last being her death. Through No Way Home, the viewer gets more context on how Gwen’s death severely affected him, and how he saves MJ so Tom’s Peter doesn’t experience the loss he did. Andrew’s performance as Spider-Man was, and still is, captivating and pulled at the heartstrings of viewers everywhere which lead to them asking for a third Amazing Spider-Man movie from Andrew and Sony. This request was only made for Andrew, as his time as Spider-Man was unfortunately cut short. Despite Andrew Garfield having the least amount of time as Peter Parker, he makes the best Spider-Man; my favorite Spider-Man.

My father passed away on January 9, 2024. I woke up from my phone ringing, and realizing it was a call from my little sister. I called her back and that was when I heard the news. I wasn’t sure how to feel after hearing it. I visited my grandfather after hearing the news, and we came back later in the day. I was always encouraged to talk ab how I was feeling, but I didn’t have many kind words to say about him I didn’t want to talk about it, and I avoided speaking in that session like the plague. I did whatever I could to avoid thinking about him, whether that be taking more shifts at work, buying a new video game to play, or reading more than I usually do. I did whatever I could to not think about it. I didn’t want to think about it. If I did, I would only be reminded of the resentment I held toward him. My father was in and out of my life growing up. He was there for birthdays sometimes and graduations, but nothing he would deem “smaller” than that. We had a complicated relationship, if it could even be called a relationship. I internalized how he treated me and constantly thought there was something with me that made him not want a relationship with me or to provide for his family. But that relationship with him showed me how to interact with others so that I don’t make them feel how he made me feel throughout my life. My experience with my father showed me that I had to invest time and energy into the people I love. He showed me that actions do speak louder than words and that apologies without change are meaningless. I learned how to treat people better than how I was treated. Going to his funeral was an experience. Families tend to gather during funerals, so I knew that I’d be seeing people that I’ve never seen before or haven’t seen in a long time. But I felt a disconnect with almost everyone there. I felt like an outsider at my own father’s funeral. I learned valuable lessons from my father, and his death made me strive to be successful and to be a better person than he was. I had to let go of the resentment towards him because it made me feel miserable, and I had to put that energy into music. My father’s treatment towards me molded my views on relationships, but his death is currently teaching me how to recover after people hurt you. I’m learning that you don’t have to forgive, but you have to move on.

I am a current student at Berklee College of Music majoring in Professional Music. This major allows you to have concentrations where you can take classes from other majors. My concentrations are in Music Business and Songwriting. I believe that learning the music business will help me immensely when it comes to navigating the music industry, and learning songwriting techniques will help me write more poetically. I want my art to have an impact on people and change their lives, like some of my favorite artists. Music is therapeutic to me, it’s a light that pierces through the darkness. That’s why music is important to me, it’s my soundtrack. I have no idea where I’d be without music as a way to express myself. I want people to hear my songs and remember a big moment in their life when my song played, or a person that brought them good memories when my song played. That’s how I determine my success if there are people in the world who can hear my music and remember when and where they were when it first came out, or if they can remember a time when my music helped them get through a mood that they were in. Music is essential for many reasons, but there is one reason that I think is more important than the others. Music is important because it can bring people to specific moments in their lifetime and help form a community. I believe that self-discovery and self-preservation are some of the best ways to keep yourself grounded. These actions are a big part of my life and a big part of my music. I would love for people to relate to my songs, as I believe that tackling the question “what makes you unique” is a big part of life, therefore it would be very relatable to people all over the world. No matter your race, gender, and sexual identity, you’ve questioned something about yourself; whether it be your goals, your interests, or your whole identity as a whole. Finding your space in the world is a big theme in my music. I want to have a large impact on the world through my music. I want to be an artist where multiple artists generations after me will continue to be inspired by my creativity and visions to the point where some of their work will derive from mine, be it in visuals or interpolation.

I am a current student at Berklee College of Music, and I am planning to major in Professional Music. I want my art to have an impact on people and change their lives, like some of my favorite artists. Music is therapeutic to me, it’s a light that pierces through the darkness. That’s why music is important to me, it’s my own personal soundtrack. Music is important for many reasons, but there is one reason that I think is more important than the others. Music is important because it can send a message to people. Music can send a message to people. That message can be a call to action, to keep pushing through hard times, or simply just being in love. One of my favorite albums of all time, Rhythm Nation 1814, has calls to action embedded in its theme. The songs “Rhythm Nation”, “State of the World”, “The Knowledge”, and “Livin’ In A World (They Didn’t Make)” all have this theme that the listener should make a change for the better and for the future of our children. The children of the next generation should not have to suffer because of our mistakes. The title track, “Rhythm Nation”, conveys this theme very well, with the lyrics “let’s work together to improve our way of life,” and “people of the world today, are we looking for a better way of life?”. Mariah Carey’s “Hero” has a positive message that encourages the listener to keep pushing through tough events. The lyrics in the chorus best convey this message. Mariah sings, “when you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong”. This chart topping hit is one of the songs that people say has changed their lives.