About this project

I'm at a really exciting point in my life right now - I've got enough good original material to do a proper full-length album, and I'm about to begin a new job at a K-8 charter school starting the brand new music program! Both have the potential to be awesome, and I want to make sure they're done right.

THE PROJECT
The goal is to record and release my debut full-length original CD in an actual studio with incredibly talented professional musicians, and 100% of the proceeds from the CD will go towards the budget of the music program that I'm starting this fall. I've got a target of $4000 in pledges over the next 40 days, and you can get a wide range of rewards for pledging different amounts. This money will go towards recording, mixing, mastering, musicians, and replicating 1000 CD's as well as putting it on iTunes and other online places. Once that's all in place, I can start using the CD's to make money for the music program :)

THE SCHOOL
Around 85% of the 300 students at Maureen Joy Charter School in Durham, NC qualify for free or reduced lunch, double the percentage necessary for a Title I designation. The teachers, staff, and administrators all work overtime to make sure that poverty does not define or limit the students' educational possibilities, and I'm excited to join the dedicated staff in the fall.

THE MUSIC PROGRAM
I feel fortunate to start a music program at a time when so many schools are cutting them due to funding, and I want the program to be self-sustaining. I'd like it to become a point of pride in the school and a chance for kids to have a creative outlet at a time when so much emphasis is placed on test scores. Right now the program consists of me, my laptop, my performance and recording instruments/equipment, and a handful of random instruments I've bought off craigslist over the past 2 years. By the end of the first quarter, I'd like to have the standard assortment of instruments and resources found in good K-8 music classrooms - recorders, Orff instruments (xylophones, bell, claves, other pitched/not-pitched percussion instruments), manipulatives (bean bags, scarfs, etc), storage, and more. Believe it or not, most estimates put the cost of creating a solid music class from scratch between $10K and $15K, with the ideal classroom costs increasing fairly rapidly. Pulling this project off would be a great first step in making sure the kids get the best experiences that they can.

THE CD
Over the next couple of months, I'll be recording 10-12 of my original songs at the Rubber Room Studios in Chapel Hill. Andrew Marlin (Mandolin Orange) is recording, producing, and playing on the CD. I'm hoping that Robert Sledge (Ben Folds Five), Rob Ladd (Alanis Morissette, Don Henley), Hugh Swaso (Swaso, Jump Little Children, Who's Bad), and other local musicians will be able to sit in as well. The advance copies should be ready to ship in late August/early September with a CD release show in September. It really will be a great CD, and the end result should make you smile, both from the music, and what you've helped accomplish.

MAKING MONEY
I play a decent number of shows and open mics each month where people would like to buy CD's, but I haven't had anything to offer them for a while. I've also made some good connections with local record stores/radio stations. Although I could just do everything myself and pocket the money, I'd like to use this CD to help the students at Maureen Joy. 1000 CD's for a $10-$20 suggested donation/CD easily turns $4000 into $10000 with potential for higher yield future earnings. The teacher, economics major, and musician in me are all converging at once!

Thanks for reading/watching/pledging, and even if you can't pledge, I'd appreciate you spreading the word! If you've got any questions/comments/suggestions, feel free to email me at chris@chrisbryantmusic.com.

-Chris

ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
Q: Why not just ask for donations for the program or use donorschoose.org instead of doing this?
A: I will never turn down donations :) If you'd like to make one, you can send a check payable to Maureen Joy Charter School to:

Maureen Joy Charter School
Attn: Chris Bryant, Music
1955 W. Cornwallis Rd
Durham, NC 27705

I plan to use donorschoose.org later in the school year, but because they do all of the purchasing and include an "optional donation to donors choose" in the project, dollars don't go as far as they can when I hold the purse strings. Also, I'm hoping to use this to create a connection with the community that the program/school can use in the future, bringing in people who would not otherwise be connected to the school and its mission.

Q: Why not make the kids do a fundraiser?
A: Because they have more important things to be doing, like homework and being kids.

Q: Can't you just get someone to record/produce/play for free?
A: Yes and no. I've got friends who could record, produce, and play on the CD for free/near free, but the end product would be no where near as good, the general public would be less interested, and it would take a lot more time due to inexperience and lower skill levels. Unfortunately musicians and other artists can't donate their time for tax purposes - only materials, mileage, and the like. Since this is their job and they need to eat/pay bills/etc, they're getting paid, but at a substantially reduced "friend" rate. I'm always making sure I get the most for the least amount of money.

Q: What happens if the CD goes triple platinum? Will you take the money, skip out on the kids, and go to NY or California?
A: Nope. I made a promise to stay at the school long enough to get the program up, running, and stable. Even if it sold a million copies (which would be awesome), the money will go to the music program. If it does generate a ton of cash, it will stay within the school.

Q: What happens when we meet the goal?
A: The project won't close until 11:59 PM ET on July 31, so any additional amount over $4000 or any amount I can save will just help the program :)

Q: What happens if we don't meet the goal?
A: None of the pledges are collected until the goal is met. If the goal isn't met by 11:59 PM ET on July 31, the project doesn't happen. However, I know we can reach the goal, so I've already started paying for recording out of my own pocket.

If you've got other questions, feel free to ask them here or email me at chris@chrisbryantmusic.com
-Chris