Drumming prodigy seeks £40,000 to head to Berklee College of Music

Ben Gentil has been offered a place at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts – whose long list of famous alumni includes Quincy Jones, Steve Vai, Mike Portnoy, Charlie Puth and Ramin Djawadi.

The 17-year-old impressed during a virtual audition at Edinburgh College at the beginning of last month and is due to start the four-year course in September.

However, he has been left needing to raise thousands of pounds to cover the cost.

He said: “Berklee is like the Oxford/Cambridge/Ivy League of music and getting accepted to Berklee is a massive achievement for me.

“My teachers and tutors have very kindly written that I am a ‘talented and extraordinary student and musician’ and I have definitely worked incredibly hard for it… but I’m still a long way from being able to go.

“In Scotland, the Government do not provide tuition funding or access to student loans for study in the USA and the total required for my first year at Berklee is £65,000.

“My parents have always encouraged me with my music and are helping as much as they can financially (in fact more than I am comfortable with), in the same way that they support my brothers.

“I have already raised £23,500 with a competitive scholarship, family support and my own savings but there is still such a huge shortfall, and I am now needing to fundraise the additional £41,500 required for the rest of my tuition, accommodation, health insurance, travel and equipment.

“I am doing a lot myself to raise all the funds I can.

“I have a weekend job, I am applying for grants and awards and I am also doing some tutoring and gigs but the funding gap that I still have is way out of my reach.”

The S6 pupil at Knox Academy, whose younger brother Sam is in S3 at the secondary school, fell in love with the drums when he was just seven – but it was not through family musical genes.

His mum Jackie, a principal teacher at Macmerry Primary School, previously played the piano, while his dad Andy played violin but, according to his mum, neither were “at any level like Ben”.

The teenager has enjoyed lessons at Lamp House Music and at Knox Academy.

His mum has written to various organisations and trusts in a bid to raise the cash.

She added: “It is fantastic and I know I am biased but genuinely he is really, really talented.

“He just shines when you put him behind a drum kit.”

Ben, whose older brother Jamie is studying medicine at the University of St Andrews, has already been busy securing gigs to help raise funds.

Ben Gentil (front right), pictured with younger brother Sam, older brother Jamie and mum Jackie

He said: “At 17, music is even more of a fascination for me than when I first picked up drumsticks in a piano lesson 10 years ago.

“Experimenting with set-ups to create different sounds, adapting my equipment and researching interesting styles and techniques is something that I am naturally driven to do.

“I really want to be a world-class musician, and this is the best shot I have at developing a uniquely Scottish style of music with other young musicians from across the world.

“All support, whatever amount, is hugely appreciated, as I would be truly gutted if I fail to raise the required funding.”

Tessa Martin, music teacher at Knox Academy, wished the teenager well.

She said: “Ben is an intelligent, extremely musical and very motivated pupil; it has been a pleasure to be a part of his musical journey and to see him develop into the outstanding musician he is today.

“He deserves this incredible opportunity to study at the very prestigious Berklee College of Music and we could not be more proud of this achievement.”

Go to gofundme.com/f/put-young-scottish-musician-on-the-world-stage to make a donation.