Kickstarter

The Folkways Collection is now a part of the Smithsonian Institute. It's impact on American music cannot be measured. The music industry as we know it is in the midst of a paradigm shift, and many talented musicians are left undiscovered by the public. Songwriters all across the country are making new music that is wholly unique, while still delving into traditional folk, blues, jazz, gospel, bluegrass, and more. The aim of this project is to document and record not only the music, but to also chronicle the songwriting process, and the ways in which emerging artists incorporate traditional styles into contemporary musical forms. I intend to interview and record artists in a "home" setting. Not necessarily their physical residence, but in the towns, venues and regions they inhabit. By implementing social media outlets such as facebook, twitter, and youtube we will be able to collectively bring artists out of the shadows and shine a light on a wealth of undiscovered talent. All monies raised will be devoted to equipment and studio time for post processing. That being said, editing will be sparse. It is my intention to do all filming and recording in one take. The sessions will not be recorded in a traditional studio. This idea came to me after seeing the videos of a few friends. In one video the artist performed a number in a barber shop, perhaps in exchange for a haircut? In another two artists performed while walking across a downtown bridge. The recordings were done in one take, allowing for the natural sounds of the city around them to become a part of the music.