Put this young Scottish musician on a world stage

Hi, my name is Ben Gentil. I am an 18 year old drummer from Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland and I attend my local high school, Knox Academy. In December, I received the amazing news that following my audition, I have been successful in securing a scholarship to study for a 4 year music performance degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA in Sept 2023.

(Click to watch me playing Christmas in LA by Vulfpeck - funky!)

Berklee is like the Oxford/Cambridge/Ivy League of music and getting accepted to Berklee is a massive achievement for me. My teachers and tutors have very kindly written that I am a “talented and extraordinary student and musician” and I have definitely worked incredibly hard for it…but I still have a gap in my funding.

In Scotland, the government do not provide tuition funding or access to student loans for study in the USA and the total required for my first year at Berklee is £65,000. My parents have always encouraged me with my music and are helping as much as they can financially (in fact more than I am comfortable with) in the same way that they support my brothers. I have already raised £39,500 with a competitive scholarship, family support and my own savings but there is still a shortfall, and I am now continuing to fundraise for the rest of my tuition, accommodation, health insurance, travel and equipment.

I am doing a lot myself to raise all the funds I can. I have a weekend job, I am applying for grants and awards (I have successfully received funding from some of these hence being able to close the gap quite a bit) and I am also doing some tutoring and gigs.

I would also like to try to show you that I have the talent, focus and commitment to make everyone who supports me proud. After 2 years of practising in my house in lockdowns, 2022 has been a great year for me to get out and perform with jazz/folk/rock/country music bands and orchestras. Unusually for a drummer, in April I won 2nd place in the formal Scottish Young Musician of the Year competition for my county playing Living Color and Biffy Clyro. I scored a distinction and 100/100 on my grade 6 Trinity national drum exam and a distinction and 97/100 on my grade 8. On the grade 8 write up, the examiner cited that I showed "a real and genuine sense of musicality and star quality from the onset." (Update - I won East Lothian Young Musician of the Year 2023 last week and go through to the Scottish final at the end of May). I also got 5As in my Highers last year so I hope this proves that I work hard on the academic side too. My teacher wrote for a reference recently that my “study and work ethic is at the highest level”.

At 18, music is even more of a fascination for me than it was when I first picked up drumsticks in a piano lesson 10 years ago. Aged 7, I asked my piano teacher if I could “play with those sticks over there,” and now I literally can’t imagine my life without drums. Experimenting with set ups to create different sounds, adapting my equipment and researching interesting styles and techniques is something that I am naturally driven to do.

I really want to be a world class musician, and this is the best shot I have at developing a uniquely Scottish style of music with other young musicians from across the world. All support, whatever amount, is hugely appreciated as I would be truly gutted if I fail to raise the required funding. Please share as widely as you can!

www.bengentil.com

@Ben_plays_drums

#benGtoberklee