Kickstarter

We're the Maniacal 4 (Alex Dubrov, Carl Lundgren, Nick Laufer, Matt Jefferson) - thanks for visiting our Kickstarter page!

About Us:

We're a trombone quartet based out of Denton, TX. We started playing together six years ago as music performance students at the University of North Texas, coming from all over the world (Canada, Ukraine, USA). Originally formed for class credit, we really bonded, and the group has continued to perform and travel frequently since then. 

Performing on 3 different continents, we've visited Brazil, Sweden and Denmark, and several locations in the U.S. (Chicago, Salt Lake City, Nashville, Monroe, Houston, Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, Waco, as well as throughout southern Louisiana). 

In 2008, we were finalists in the International Trombone Association's Quartet Competition; we returned to next year's festival in Aarhus, Denmark and won :) In 2009, we were guest artists at the Brazilian Trombone Festival in Belém, and in 2011 we were featured at the International Trombone Festival in Nashville. We have been invited back and will be performing at ITF 2012, which will be held in Paris this July!

We love playing a variety of music - from classical, to jazz, to rock, to contemporary music with a variety of media. We're always trying to do new things and innovate, which brings us to this project!

A few years ago, we started playing rock music with a rhythm section for fun. Since then, it has become a regular occurrence in our performances. Whenever we end recitals with a rock tune or two, there's a great audience response - and it's always a lot of fun :) 

www.maniacal4.com

The Project:

We're going to record an album of almost exclusively 70's rock covers - on trombone :). With the help of a rhythm section (drums, piano/Hammond B3, electric guitar and electric bass), we're going to cover tunes like:

Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son (see video)
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Toto - Hold The Line
Led Zeppelin - Stairway To Heaven
...and many more!

We love the way the tight vocal harmonies of these groups sit on trombone. In bringing a chamber music approach to this CD, we want to bring out what our instrument has to offer this music - it's so much like the male vocal range! And we believe good music is good music, regardless of how you label it.

All of the arrangements on the album are done by the group - transcribed directly from the original recording and adapted for trombone quartet. We also might be secretly practicing other instruments for the album...

In order to make this project happen, we really need your help. Making a CD is a lengthy and complex process, and the actual recording is only a small part of it. Your donations will help us hire a great rhythm section, rent a studio and an engineer, and cover the costs of editing/mixing, mastering, album artwork, mechanical licensing (to record covers of other people's music), and CD replication/packaging/shipping. Without your contributions, we won't be able to even start!

Any help is greatly appreciated - and if you can't chip in, please spread the word - tell people about us! We really want to share this music with you!

If you're interested in learning more about us, this project, or what we do, contact us on facebook or on our website: www.maniacal4.com. We want you to be as involved as possible - if you want to know more about the production plan, the budget, or the general process, get in touch with us!

Lots of love,

The Maniacal 4

*Special thanks to our good friends from the video - Sean Jones (recording engineer, drums), Brian Ward (bass), Matt Hornbeck (guitar), and Addison Frei (piano). You guys are awesome!

How To Donate/How Kickstarter Works:

Here's how Kickstarter works - you can pledge any amount you'd like, and you'll receive free stuff for it :). Pledges are done through Amazon Payments, and only at the end of our campaign will your card be charged.

It's an all-or-nothing thing, though - if we don't reach our total, nobody's money will be donated. This ensures that you'll only back a successful project. And remember, a small amount from a lot of people really adds up :)

Everything you need to know (and more) is here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/help/faq/backing%20a%20project#Pled

Thanks again everyone!

M4