In 2008, without playing a single music note or having any formal knowledge of music, I applied for the stringed instruments class (violin) of the National Music Cons...
In 2008, without playing a single music note or having any formal knowledge of music, I applied for the stringed instruments class (violin) of the National Music Conservatoire in Lisbon. There I was so fortunate as to meet the person who changed my fate and made me the musician I am today - my teacher, Ms Anne Victorino d'Almeida. I started, then, the unflagging journey that has changed my life.
There have been tears and laughter, hard work, incomparable friendships and indescribable experiences, and now the moment has come to choose a new route, a new challenge, maybe the most important and decisive in my life as a violinist - having a music degree.
And because I know that the past cannot be changed and the future is still to come, today is the day to believe and act, to pursue my dream of studying at a music school in England. After working tirelessly day after day, I was admitted at three universities: the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
However, life had a disappointment in store for me. Due to an administrative mistake, a bureaucratic situation I don't understand or am responsible for, I haven't been assigned the Portuguese citizenship, for which I have to wait another two years. I cannot, therefore, apply for a bank loan to pay for the fees and, as a result, I will lose my place at one of these schools.
I have come to understand that I cannot go back and correct this situation, so I have decided to make some adjustments to my route so I can still achieve my goals.
Right now my only chance of attending the Guildhall School of Music and Drama is to raise the amount I need for the fees, and wait for the time that is needed to have the Portuguese citizenship. Then, I will be able to apply for a loan and finance my stay and studies in England.
Hence my appeal to all of you who have ever fought for a dream, who have despaired and, even so, have found the strength to go ahead and persevere.
All the support, as small as it may be, will keep my hope alive and will mean that my effort and of those who have helped me and believed in me has not been in vain. All the support will help me believe that we should never let people tell you that following your dreams is not worth the effort.
Thank you, my friends, for supporting and believing, from the beginning, that the shy child who once walked into this great school would one day leave it holding his head up high, towards a new and exciting challenge.
