A teenage singer has almost hit the $17,500 target needed to sign up for an international trip with a touring musical and theatre group.

Quinn Outerbridge, 18, has amassed $15,000 to help fund the trip with Up With People, which starts next month and will take her to Colorado in the United States, before moving on to Mexico, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

The former Berkeley Institute pupil said: “I’m extremely excited. It is such an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. You get to meet people from all over the world, you get to perform around the world and help communities around the world.”

Quinn, who left school in the summer, plans to raise the rest of the money through performances over Christmas and New Year.

She explained she heard about Up With People from friends at school who had done the organisation’s summer camp and its admissions representative later visited Berkeley.

Quinn said: “He was telling us about the programme and it further solidified me wanting to go.”

The young singer raised about $1,300 last month at a concert at Hamilton’s Pier 6, organised with help from arts foundation Chewstick, which also featured other performers.

Quinn got financial backing from wholesalers Butterfield & Vallis, the Bermuda Arts Council and Up with People.

She has always enjoyed performing and some of her earliest memories were of putting on shows for her family as a child.

Quinn said: “My entire life I have been singing and acting. I used to put on mini concerts for my mom and I had little acting roles in nursery school — I have always been into something.

“It has always been a part of my life that I have loved and been interested in.

“I enjoy the performance, so I like putting on a show and using the emotion from the song to really tell a story to whoever I am singing to.”

Quinn has written some of her own material but mostly performs cover versions of her favourite songs.

She loves the “oldie goldies” by jazz legends such as Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald — and audiences appreciate them as well.

Quinn said: “They complement my voice and it is not the type of music you hear as often now.

“I think it is interesting to introduce young people to older music and let them appreciate that while also catering to the older audiences.”

She added that would-be performers should not be discouraged by criticism and have faith in themselves.

Quinn said: “Do not worry about what other people think of your craft too much.

“It is so easy to be worried about what this person thinks about your voice or that someone thinks your lyrics are bad or the song is bad. The song is good, just keep working on it.”

Quinn admitted: “Any time I am about to step on any stage, I’m filled with nerves thinking I’m going to sound horrible, but you kind of have to take that deep breath, push yourself and just do it.”

After she completes the tour with Up With People, she wants to study musical theatre at university.

Quinn said: “I want to be a well-rounded performer. I would like to act on screen and on stage, and I want to sing.

“I want to do everything that life has to offer as far as performing is concerned.”