Dominique Toliver

By Robert Gillies
Contributing Writer

Money is not the only thing being let go of in these harsh economic times. Many are the students at Berklee who have had to see their friends return home simply because they cannot afford the costs of tuition. Though sadly these situations have become common, there is one such story that is fast becoming one of hope and strength.

Dominique Toliver, a Los Angeles native, arrived at Berklee in the summer of 2008. “Music is my life. Jazz is my personality,” says Dominique, whose love of jazz came from a childhood enriched by the sounds of his uncle’s radio that was perpetually tuned into LA’s KJAZZ 88.1. After his third semester, Dominique found out that his financial backing had faded, and faced the prospect of heading back to L.A.

This setback was not to stop Dominique. After having spent several months at home, he decided that enough was enough and set about raising the money needed to finish his education at Berklee. Dom, known to his friends as a vibrant, multi-talented individual, created a fundraising website (www.yesdomcan.com) to start a ground roots movement to help him raise his grand goal of $140,000. It may sound insurmountable, but as Dominique puts it, “Just $1 from 140,000 people – or $20 from 7,000 people – can help me reach this goal”.

Within a day of Dominique posting his website on Facebook and Twitter, he found that his idea had blossomed into something much larger than he had envisioned. Inspired by his efforts, several of Dom’s friends jumped on board; within a day, had a small team of people working with a dedicated Twitter account (@YesDomCan), a buzzing Facebook fan page (currently gathering an average of 30 fans a day), and an excess of calls and e-mails going out to friends, colleagues and even celebrities.

It would seem that this effort has gone way beyond raising money to help someone achieve his or her dreams. What Dominique and his friends are doing is reversing the tide of an all too familiar situation, inspiring hope to those who face similar problems, and proving that by working together we can truly create the change we want to see in the world. And people are noticing. Several students in the same position have already contacted Dom and his team, asking for help and advice, and thanking him for that glimmer of a silver lining.

Find out more about Dom’s fundraising at YesDomCan.com.