85
Backers
$2,763
pledged of $2,488 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on January 15, 2011.
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
(The B MAJOR Pledge) - I will send you a thank-you email, and play a special chord on the piano, in your honor.
Pledge $8 or more Pledge $8 or more
(The C MAJOR Pledge) - You get HQ digital download files, 2 weeks before the 'official' release date. And the special chord on the piano, played in your honor, as seen above.
Pledge $28 or more Pledge $28 or more
(The F MAJOR Pledge) - You get the HQ digital download files, and TWO (signed) CD's! - (One for you, and one for a friend!) - (And, a REALLY AMAZING chord played on the piano, just for you!)
Pledge $48 or more Pledge $48 or more
(The E MAJOR, +7 +#9 Pledge ;) - You get all of the above, PLUS a T-shirt or coffee mug (your choice) adorned with the project-theme graphics. (See image and description on the bottom left of this page.) AND, you'll get bonus download tracks (recordings from my youtube videos, and additional miscellaneous tracks of the "hidden voices of the grand piano",
Pledge $88 or more Pledge $88 or more
(The C# MAJOR Pledge) - You get all of the above, and I will buy you coffee at your favorite coffee shop (within 2 hours of the Baltimore area), where we can chat, and I'll bring along a key from my piano for you to sign. (I want YOUR autograph at this level of pledge! - And what better place than on (the side of) a key from my piano! :) Or...
Pledge $88 or more Pledge $88 or more
(The G MAJOR Pledge) - You get the electronic files, two signed CDs, the shirt or the coffee mug, AND you can drop in with your internet machine for one of five 30-minute pre-scheduled live-streamed sessions at the piano (as seen in my KickStarter video.) (Dates/times of the sessions to be determined. Limit 5 connected listeners per session. First come, first served basis.) - You can see this session with just about all commonly used web browsers, and/or your iOS4 iPhone, iPad,or iPod touch device.
Pledge $188 or more Pledge $188 or more
(The A MAJOR Pledge) - Your own one-hour personal streamed concert, wherein we can chat, you can have input into what I'm doing, ask questions, and we can basically talk about whatever you'd like, as I compose and improvise at the piano. (Best if we can type-chat via whatever method works best for you, while the music/video is streamed to you.)
Pledge $488 or more Pledge $488 or more
(The WOW MAJOR Pledge) - I will come for a 90 minute performance, in a venue of your choice, within two hours of the Baltimore Area. (Must have a tuned grand piano, with permission for me to temporarily install a pickup, touch the strings, tap the cabinet, etc. - Date and details to be arranged.)
Pledge $1,188 or more Pledge $1,188 or more
(The WONDERFULNESS MAJOR Pledge) - I will come for a 90 minute performance, in a venue of your choice, anywhere in the continental US. (Must have a tuned grand piano, with permission for me to temporarily install a pickup, touch the strings, tap the cabinet, etc. - Date and details to be arranged.)
Project By
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I am a composer, pianist, keyboardist, and technology enthusiast/geek from Baltimore, Maryland USA. My first CD, ("alternity"), was released in 1988, and music from it found it's way into television commercials, films, documentaries, radio, dance performances, and other media venues. My second CD, ("far end din") was released in 1996, and met with worldwide critical acclaim, finding it's way into playlists with the music of Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, and other well-known progressive/alternative artists. It also spurred an interest from Cirque du Soleil. Indeed, I was honored.
In March of 2010, I was awarded a Maryland State Arts Council "Individual Artist: Solo Performance" Award, for the preliminary performances/recordings of this 'hidden voices of the grand piano' music. This award has been very helpful in making this recording project reach its current state. I am thrilled to have received the award, and was inspired by it to spend the time, money, and energy to release a compilation of this music.
On a personal note, - I love to hang out with my loving family, our cute fuzzy dog, and my vast array of interesting friends. I also enjoy making new friends (and influencing them in no particular way). And I enjoy laughing. - Often. :)
Send me an email. - Ask me any question you have about the project. Make me laugh. :)
(ferdinand.maisel@gmail.com)
Great record with a lovely sound!
I'm sorry that I missed this project.
Let me know if you do another.
Thanks
Lois Dirkes
The music is amazing. I love listening to it as I work...has a calming feel that is helping me get things done. Thanks for sharing your gifts with us!
Hi Kazumi - Thank you for your kind words about the music. :)
Ah yes... the 'electric guitar track'... - it IS, in fact, the piano. Since the piano is recorded with both a microphone, and an electro-magnetic pickup, I occasionally run the signal from the pickup into a device that's 'normally' used for providing distortion on electric guitar signal.
It was a FUN few days when I 'discovered' that particular 'technique'. :)
Interesting to note - The piece 'Heather in Stone' was recorded 'live', (and I have a video of it being made), much like the one used on the main KickStarter project page. It was actually the 'original' video that I was going to use for the KickStarter project, but I decided against it, since I did not want to give the impression that I used that particular 'electric guitar' effect frequently on the CD (which as you know, I do not - it appears in only 2 of the 10 pieces - 'Flux' and 'Heather in Stone'). - But now, having the video of the piece being made, I intend to release that video in a few weeks, to promote the release of the music/CD.
I will let you know when I post that video, so that you can see the 'electric guitar track' being made, at the keyboard of the grand piano. :)
SO glad you're enjoying the music. :)
Just downloaded the pre-release. Thank you so much. It's gorgeous. I thought I heard an electronic guitar in track 9 (Heather in Stone), but is everything really done ONLY on the piano?
very cool... love the rewards in "8" for each octave :)
Hello! Wow!
You are brilliant!
No, you don't know me - I just happened to come across your link. I would pledge your full request if I could. I will absolutely be sure to purchase your CD when it's finished and will promote it on my FB page and a few other places. Please keep me in the loop!
Best wishes to you from a singerchick fan in Cleveland, Ohio.
Raine Austen
Congratulations! Looking forward to the final product! Love you Uncle Ferd!!!!
Congrats on reaching your goal. I look forward to the music! xo Janice
Beautiful stuff! I can't wait to hear the finished product. I feel good that my pledge will put you over :D
Hey Ferd, any chance you'll be adding a $15 reward for 1 CD in these last days? I'm going to share the link and that seemed to be the most popular pledge level with our backers, so I'd highly recommend it!
Yeah, it'd be great if you included some videos in the download. It's fascinating to watch you play!
Great music and very cool! You should release a DVD as well as a CD. Half the fun is watching how the sounds are being created!
Best of luck with this.
MF
I love you Ferd and believed in your talent since 1985! So glad to back you in this! <3