Young violinist Tefari Prevoo Francisco is due to fly to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in September. But in order to do that, she has to raise over $150,000 the cost of three years of studies.
Her career as a professional artist is just a few steps away. At 17 years old, Tefari Prevoo Francisco is about to join the great Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, where she was accepted after participating in a 5-week intensive internship last summer. The problem is that the cost of studying in the United States is exorbitant. The young woman has to pay more than $75,000 per year. Even with a $8,000 scholarship from the university and a $15,000 loan from the Dutch government, more than $150,000 remains to be found for a three-year program.
While several musicians from the island have been able to join this school in the past, “today there is nothing for talented students who live on the Dutch side”, her mother Daphne Prevoo, who has supported her since her beginnings, says regretfully.
To enter the college of her dreams, today Tefari must try and work much harder. She is performing on stage and at weddings and launched, with the help of her mother, a fundraising online. She will also perform on February 29th at Nowhere Special to raise funds.
A YOUNG BUT BUSY CAREER
Since she has discovered her favorite instrument, Tefari Prevoo Francisco has shown an impressive determination to go through with her desires. At the age of 9, she created small bracelets that she sold in hotels to buy her first violin. At age 10, after a musician from a philharmonic orchestra finally gave her a violin, she taught herself how to play the instrument, using Internet, because there was no teacher on the island. She was quickly introduced to jazz by bassist and music teacher Paul Emmanuel, then to classical music thanks to a training she follows online. In just a few years, Tefari has reached a high level and has performed alongside many local and international musicians, including Dread I, Connis Vanterpool, Remo or Anguilla British Dependency music band. Music lover, she also sings and plays saxophone, bass, steelpan, cello and piano.
Today, she is the first woman from St. Maarten and the first Caribbean violinist to be accepted at Berklee College of Music. “I already have the theoretical knowledge, but I want to go even further,” she explains. “I want to study jazz and I want to mix it with Caribbean music. Berklee offers this freedom of mixing genres.”
To help Tefari Prevoo Francisco, you can go to the online fundraising.
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