Bermudian music student Julian Johnson is hitting all the right notes at school, but financial challenges are threatening his dreams.The 20-year-old Berklee College of Music student says he’s been unable to apply for any significant scholarships.He’s now struggling to pay the prestigious institution’s high tuition costs and living expenses.“The problem is that school gets out late,” he explained. “We got out in May and most of the scholarships that I used to apply to are up in March and April.“Many of the scholarships had numerous requirements that needed to be produced, such of proof of residence. There was no way I could do some of them from Boston, and I really didn’t want to rely on my parents to do everything.“I just didn’t have the capability to apply to a lot of them. I was able to apply to, I think, three or four, but that was about it.”Mr Johnson said that he hopes to make a career of his passion for music.“I have been playing piano since I was seven years old,” he said. “This is what I have a passion for. Music is what I have a passion for. If it wasn’t for music, I don’t know where I would be.”Mr Johnson said he performed for the Queen when she visited the Island in 2009 and as an opening act for Beyonce at the 2008 Bermuda Music Festival.He has also played at churches and weddings and travelled to Atlanta, Georgia as part of a developmental artists programme.He said that he has focused his efforts on gospel music, but that within that genre he is able to play everything from classical to R&B.At Berklee, Mr Johnson is majoring in music education and production and minoring in psychology.He explained that he chose the prestigious school because he wanted to be surrounded by musicians.“I have had the opportunity to be taught by a Berklee graduate, and I saw how their education enhanced their life,” he said. “After attending a summer programme at Berklee, I knew [it was] the ideal place for me.”Mr Johnson has made the school’s dean’s list, and maintained a GPA of 3.78 during his freshman year.His teacher, Vadim Neselovski, spoke highly of Mr Johnson saying: “He is a musician with an incredible potential. His musical background is very rich and interesting and I think that, despite being his teacher, I actually learned a lot from Julian myself.“Not only is Julian amazingly talented, but he is also a very motivated learner. I was very impressed with the musicality of his performances and works by JS Bach — music that he wasn't very familiar with before.“His own original compositions that he has written during our time working together were very interesting and inspiring. His jazz playing has progressed immensely and he has already become a highly in-demand player that everyone wants to play with.”Despite his successes, Mr Johnston is unsure how he is going to pay the $60,000 bill for the coming school year.The Devonshire Seventh-day Adventist Church hosted a benefit concert that helped cover the cost of his tuition last year. He also took out personal loans and benefited from education grants and bursaries.Mr Johnson said that he worked hard for two years in order to make it to Berklee and get everything paid off. Should he be unable to afford a return this year, he said he would have to redouble his efforts.“It would not put me down, but continue to drive my passion for me to get back to school and find more ways to raise and finance my education,” he said.To contact Mr Johnson e-mail jjohnson.gp@gmail.com.Useful website: www.berklee.edu.