Rob’s first year at Cornish College of the Arts

Hello friends, family, colleagues and other caring benefactors, My name is Robert Burston, and I am currently attending college for the first time in my life here in 2022! I am at Cornish College of the Arts in the great city of Seattle studying a Bachelor of Music Performance for trumpet. I am blessed to have the Post 9/11 GI Bill from my eight years of service in the US Navy to help finance my tuition, housing and meal plan for this.

A little back story for those who might not know me, but I have loved music ever since I was a young boy! My family had musicians of all sorts, especially the classically-trained kind. My mother was a piano player at the church I grew up in and had a direct impact on how I became a musician. She also used to play trumpet many years ago in high school, which later became my instrument of choice. I was always intrigued by the trumpet, and when it came to a time in middle school to pick an instrument, it was an easy choice as my Mother had an Old's Ambassador trumpet at home I could use. My Mother, having previously played trumpet, taught me the simple Bb scale, and I quickly learned others soon after.

After learning how to perform the trumpet properly throughout middle and high school, I was also introduced to many bands and orchestras to hone my newfound skills. I permanently joined every curricular music group in high school, the concert band, wind ensemble, jazz band and brass quintet. I had also joined several music ensembles outside of high school: Mississauga Youth Orchestra, Hannaford Street Youth Band, Jubilance Choir and Orchestra and later the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. I also studied many courses at the Royal Conservatory of Music to gain a more profound knowledge of music harmony, history and performance. Showing great persistence, I managed to secure a very sought-after position in the National Youth Band of Canada in 2003, 3rd chair 1st Trumpet, after being turned down three years in a row.

I have served eight years in the United States Navy as a Trumpet Musician! I have been blessed to perform with many extra-curricular music ensembles, ranging from classical, jazz, and opera to pop and contemporary music. I auditioned in 2003 at Naval Station Newport Rhode Island, with my Navy recruiter, who personally drove me from the recruiting station in Buffalo, New York. I initially had to pick a backup job as a Storekeeper in the Navy. In such a case, I did not win the Trumpet audition but ended up winning the audition and was soon sent to Boot camp in Chicago, Illinois. I was sent to the Seventh Fleet Band in Yokosuka, Japan, for the first four-year tour. On my second four-year tour, I was sent to San Diego, California, to perform with the Navy Band Southwest. During my eight years in the Navy, I performed trumpet in concert bands, wind ensembles, brass quintets, jazz bands, rock bands, marching bands and ceremonial bands.

I have been out of the US Navy for the last few years living with my folks back home in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. I recently was fortunate to perform with great music ensembles such as the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra, Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra, Jubilance Choir and Orchestra and Weston Silver Band.

Even though I am in my mid-30s now, I decided I needed to go to college to get a degree in trumpet music performance. I moved from Canada to Everett, Washington, to live with my brother Philip to attend college in the fall. Having been accepted into the Cornish College of the Arts, my brother Philip, who also served in the US Navy as a Senior Chief Religious Program Specialist, reminded me that I needed to use my Post 9/11 GI Bill before it expired. Luckily I will be able to attend for four years using this great benefit.

The GI Bill bestows monthly stipends to cover housing and food costs but alas, there are many other costs with attending college that is somewhat more than what the Veterans Affairs Post 9/11 GI Bill covers.  This summer I will be staying in the dorms at college and will have to pay entirely out of pocket for rent, since I work at Starbucks I can cover most of these funds, but any assistance would be greatly appreciated!.  These fees are above what this benefit and my savings threshold currently cover.

This is the reason I am humbly asking for any financial assistance you can offer at this time to help me with this significant educational endeavor. Thank you so much for your time and consideration!