One day, Kensington High School student Camilla noticed a new drum set on the stage of her school’s auditorium. She asked someone about them- Simone Crew, the MusiCore Kensington site director, told her about Rock to the Future’s after school program. As soon as she heard that MusiCore was free and open to all students, Camilla was hooked.
Camilla has played piano and written her own music for years, but before joining Rock to the Future she only knew what she could teach herself. Even though she loved music, classes were always too expensive for her family. Now, her favorite class is her piano lesson and music theory class with teaching artist Barron Lacy: “It’s the best thing in the world. Mr. Barron’s great, he’s amazing! Every single piece I give him, he plays it and I start crying. Words can’t describe how great he is.”
She loves learning to play movie scores, especially music by Hans Zimmer: “It’s just so calming. I love those kinds of pieces that are really powerful and have meaning, even though there’s no words.” And, since she’s a senior and high school and applying to colleges, she needs all the calming music that she can get!
Camilla plans to study oncology, since cancer has touched her life and family. Finding the right school is hard, but Rock to the Future helps by taking students like Camilla on college visits and to college fairs. Camilla moved to Philadelphia last year, after Hurricane Maria hit her home in Puerto Rico. She first started looking at colleges in Pennsylvania with Rock to the Future, and she is excited about her options: “When I went on this college trip, it opened a lot of doors. I saw schools where I didn’t have to choose between medicine and music, but where I could pursue both. I have a shoebox full of papers from colleges!”
“Basically, this has been an escape. When I got here, I was so homesick that I couldn’t play. I still had passion, but I just closed myself off. So, I was trying to find ways to get back to what I loved. When I got to Rock to the Future and saw the piano, I just started playing it again and felt that this is where I belong. They helped me open the door to music again. Every day that I’m upset, I look forward to coming here and getting my mind off things with music.” – Camilla, 12th Grade
At Rock to the Future, our programs begin where the classroom ends. We help students like Camilla plan for the future with college visits, college application help, and a scholarship writing club. Rock to the Future uses music to inspire kids to find what they love and who they want to be, and your support helps us provide students with a safe and supportive environment where they can learn, grow, and ROCK.