Donghee Kim, a grade 11 student at Beijing City International School (BCIS), was recently awarded a scholarship to a five-week summer performance program at Berklee College of Music in the US. Berklee has one of the most comprehensive summer music programs available, and Kim’s acceptance to their summer performance program is the first step in achieving her dream of being accepted to Berklee College of Music as a full-time student.
Kim, who is from South Korea, is an accomplished singer and plays the Gayaguem, a traditional Korean instrument. Kim started studying music in elementary school, and chose to study at BCIS for its music facilities and strong community. The scholarship to Berklee “means everything to me because it is the very first scholarship I have to from a college, especially my dream college,” says Kim. “The program will allow me to have opportunities to meet other musicians my age, [work with]the great faculty at the school, and to learn in the best environment … I am looking forward to this summer to develop myself to be a better musician, and am hoping to come back as a senior with greater effort, confidence, experiences, and passion in music.”
The summer performance program at Berklee College of Music hosts roughly 1,000 participants every summer, with musicians of all instruments, styles, and levels of musical ability. Participants can choose from one of four tracks: Jazz, Pop/Rock, Funk/Fusion for instrumentalists, and Pop/R&B for vocalists. Information about the five-week summer performance program, application, and scholarships, is available on Berklee’s website.
Photos courtesy of BCIS
