About this project
UPDATE: April 20, 2011
I'm still picking up the pieces of my mind that were blown to tiny bits yesterday when we exceeded the $8000 goal in the first five days of fundraising - unbelievable. I made this video to explain what happens next. The kickstarter campaign will continue running until May 14th & I've outlined some new goals for this project.
If we reach $10,000, I can afford to hire a radio promoter to get the new album on airwaves across the country once it's released. Another $2,000 would cover the cost of hiring a publicist for a professional PR campaign. If we make it all the way to $15,000 by May 14th, I will press the album in both CD & 12" Vinyl formats & anyone who's contributed $25 or more to this project can choose which version they'd like to receive. Backers who opt for the CD or the vinyl will also get a digital download version of the album, so your iPod's earbuds need not fear.
I'm also working on adding some other new incentives to the campaign, like exclusive video updates from inside the studio for backers only. Please keep spreading the word about this project - let's see what we can do!
So much love & gratitude for you all,
Gillian
----------------------------ORIGINAL POST BELOW---------------------------
From 2009-2010 I traveled through Europe and Asia, exploring emerging music scenes on a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. I returned to the United States with a wealth of experience, stories, friends, a new album's worth of songs, and some seriously over-developed calf muscles from carrying my harp through six countries. I'm ready to enter the studio to begin production on my second full-length CD, but I need your help raising the funds necessary to see this project through to its completion.
My vision for this album is to record the songs in a way that is harp and vocal centric, featuring sparse arrangements of primarily live instruments & using fewer overdubs and electronics than in my previous recordings. I'm excited about the songs on this album. Some of them you may have heard me perform at live concerts over the past few months, like The Canonization of Margot Price, Back to Your Flat, August, The Mark, & Borrowed or Begged. Some of them are still secrets.
$8,000 might seem like a bold figure, and it's an ambitious amount to raise in a month, but it's actually a very modest budget for a full-length professional recording. Here's how the money will be used:
- $5500 for recording (studio time, paying session musicians, producers, & engineers)
- $1000 for mastering (gives it the final sonic polish & prepares the album for radio)
- $1200 for duplication/manufacturing (1000 zero carbon footprint packages)
- $300 for art layout & design (because you want it to look as lush as it will sound)
Anything we're able to raise above $8,000 will be used to create a better final product for you, & to properly promote the CD once it's released.
I've put together an exciting list of incentives to encourage your involvement in this project. I hope they inspire much creativity & generosity!
Thank you for your support.
Love,
Gillian
FAQ
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When you make a pledge, Kickstarter will prompt you to select the reward you'd like. Backers can select rewards at any level up to their contribution amount, so, for example, someone making a $40 pledge could choose to receive the $10 level reward of the digital download, rather than the T-Shirt & CD. Some backers donate $25 instead of $20 for the CD, and some of the backers of this project have elected not to receive any reward at all, which is why the amount raised does not correspond to the numbers beside the reward levels listed. I don't think more or less of you if you want lots and lots of stuff (Grab Bag - yay merch!) in exchange for your contributions or prefer to be minimalistic. Everyone who participates in supporting this project at any level is a total rock star in my eyes.
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Yes! I'll be posting a video update shortly explaining this in more detail, but the campaign will continue running until 10 PM on May 14th. I'd love to get as many people involved in this project as possible - your investment in this album is about a lot more than money to me.
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THANK YOU! You're the best! Kickstarter will not bill any pledges until the conclusion of the fundraising campaign at 10 PM on May 14th. After the campaign has ended, the transaction should appear on your statement.
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
179
Backers
$14,025
pledged of $8,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on May 14, 2011.
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
MP3 download of an exclusive unreleased track + public thank you on my website, twitter, facebook, Myspace, & YouTube.
Pledge $5 or more Pledge $5 or more
collection of 3 MP3s of exclusive unreleased tracks + public thank you on my website, twitter, facebook, Myspace, & YouTube.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
Download of the full album in advance of its release + the collection of 3 exclusive MP3s + public thank you on my website, twitter, facebook, Myspace, & YouTube.
Pledge $20 or more Pledge $20 or more
an advance hard-copy of the CD before its release + public thank you on my website, twitter, facebook, Myspace, & YouTube. If you like, I’ll sign the disc for you with a personalized message!
Pledge $40 or more Pledge $40 or more
an advance hard-copy of the disc before its release + a special T-Shirt + public thank you on my website, twitter, facebook, Myspace, & YouTube. If you like, I’ll sign the disc for you with a personalized message! Don't worry, you'll be prompted you for your preferred shirt size later.
Pledge $75 or more Pledge $75 or more
Grab Bag! You'll receive the advance hard copy of the new CD + copies of Serpentine & To an Unwitting Muse + 2 limited edition posters + a special T-Shirt + a limited edition HARPPOWER sticker + public thank you on my website, twitter, facebook, Myspace, & YouTube.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
an advance physical copy of the new album + the T-Shirt + the exclusive collection of MP3s + you will be thanked by name in the liner notes. Instant fame! (You'll also be thanked in all my online places, of course) If you prefer, you could have me list your company or business as a sponsor instead. You are also welcome to stay an anonymous donor if you like.
Pledge $150 or more Pledge $150 or more
I will cover ANY song of your choice & e-mail you a copy of the MP3 + post a performance of the song on YouTube + send you an advance hard-copy of the CD + the TShirt + you will be thanked in the liner notes.
Pledge $200 or more Pledge $200 or more
along with your advance hard-copy of the new album & the T-Shirt, you will receive a limited edition, hand-stitched, hand-crafted lyric booklet, made with love by yours truly. You'll also be thanked in the liner notes (and online).
Pledge $300 or more Pledge $300 or more
everything from the $100 level + a pair of tickets to the concert of your choice + I will mail you a lovingly baked batch of homemade cookies. (I can make them with/without nuts, chocolate, or vegan ingredients to fit your dietary preference).
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
Everything from the $300 level + you will be credited as an associate producer in the liner notes (and online).
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
Everything from the $100 level + executive producer credit in the liner notes + a house concert within a 200 mile radius of Philadelphia, or when I’m next in your town on tour, or at your convenience if you are able to additionally cover my transport expenses. Alternatively, you could also choose to have me play at your corporate event or business party.
Pledge $1,500 or more Pledge $1,500 or more
Music Lover's Level: Everything from the $100 level + executive producer credit in the liner notes + MY LAP HARP! Comes with a soft travel case, tuning key, a copy of Sylvia Wood's "Teach Yourself to Play the Folk Harp" music book, and a 30-minute private Skype lesson with me. It's a 22-string StoneyEnd Eve lap harp in cherry wood with levers on the B, C, & F strings. I once earned 60 Euro busking with it in Zurich when I was a wee thing. I'll even sign it for you if you like!
Pledge $2,000 or more Pledge $2,000 or more
Song Commission! I will write you a song about anything you like and will send you a hard copy of the song in the mail along with a lovingly baked batch of homemade cookies. If you need help with inspiration, I will send you a form with some questions to help get the ball rolling. I can write about your life, a friend or loved one, an experience, place, idea, theme, piece of literature or art, historical event, character song, adaptation of your favorite fairytale or book… the options are limitless. You will also get all the goodies from the $100 level + executive producer credit in the liner notes.
Pledge $3,000 or more Pledge $3,000 or more
I will cook an intimate dinner for you and your friends (up to six people total) & provide background music while you dine if you live within a 200-mile radius of Philadelphia, or when I am next on tour in your town, or at your convenience if you are able to additionally cover my transport expenses. I am happy to work with you on the menu planning to accommodate specific tastes & dietary restrictions.
Pledge $5,000 or more Pledge $5,000 or more
Hey, Big Spender! Why, I hardly know how to express my gratitude for your generosity. Would you like me to provide music for a big event in your personal or professional life? Shall I compose a song in your honor? Serve an intimate gathering of your friends, colleagues, or loved ones an elegant dinner with live background music provided? Would you like complimentary copies of any future recordings in my career? I’m open to any combination of the Thank You gifts from lower rewards levels.
Project By
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Gillian Grassie is an independent harpist/singer-songwriter who plays folk/pop with jazz sensibilities. Of her live performance, Grammy-winner Marc Cohn has said, “It is rare to hear a young singer with such control and understated soulfulness, and even more rare to hear a harp provide such a deep percussive groove. I was immediately captivated by her sound.” Her song "Silken String” finished second in the 2008 New York Song Circle competition and has since been picked up by triple-A radio stations nationally. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 2009 with a degree in Comparative Literature and has received grants from the Thomas J. Watson Foundation & The U.S. State Department.
