Help George with SF Conservatory of Music Living Expenses

Hello! My name is George and I am studying music composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Despite receiving a full-tuition scholarship and the maximum Pell Grant, I struggle to cover living expenses in San Francisco. My family cannot provide any financial support, so I am on my own.

When I was four years old, my father committed suicide. I was then taken in by my aunt, who did the same a year later. Eventually, my grandparents adopted my siblings and me. However, having just retired from military and management careers, they were financially unprepared to take on four children.

I began playing piano shortly after as a form of therapy. Initially, I was only supposed to take lessons for one year as that was all we could afford. However, with the support of local non-profits, I continued to receive lessons and instruments throughout my primary and secondary education. For the last three years, I have studied with the founder of Play-it-Forward, my primary musical supporter.

Over my ten years of musical experience, I have striven to grow as much as possible. I have maintained rapid progress, learning classical literature as well as playing jazz, classical, and musical theater. I now play many instruments and sing professionally. I have performed at venues across the Portland area solo and in a variety of ensembles and have been featured on numerous local television and radio broadcasts.

I've been mostly getting by on gigs in the Bay Area and beyond, but it has not been enough to cover everything. I need just $7,000 to cover the full year, which must be paid by the end of April.

I've grown so much here over the last three months, not only as a musician but as a person. I'm studying with professors I love and working with incredibly talented peers, and I hope to do so for four more years. Any help would be greatly appreciated!