Kickstarter

As a child, I idolized "Weird Al" Yankovic so much that I began playing accordion at the age of thirteen. After taking lessons and building up some confidence, I began to play covers in public, at High School Rock 'n' Roll shows and College Open Mics and the like. And people actually tolerated an accordionist in public. Go figure.

Recently, I've expanded my act a bit into sets of both non-conventional covers and original pieces (including short jingles for businesses who never asked me to write anything in the first place) and have learned new instruments, adding them alongside the squeezebox: glockenspiel, keyboard, melodica, stylophone, kazoo, vibraslap--the list goes on. I've also gotten more gigs at local concert and benefit events, and have gained a reputation around the Berkshires in Massachusetts as the "Robin Williams of accordion," though not quite as hairy. I've even been told about my following, which apparently includes both "screaming middle and high school teenagers," as well as "middle-aged bald men."

Believe it or not, I hope to expand this following. So, I've been working more on my original material and would like to professionally record it and distribute it, maybe even have an independent label pick it up someday, if I'm lucky. This would all get me: a) more exposure, b) more gigs, and c) one step closer to fulfilling my long-term creative goal of making an independent living by building up a reputable music/comedy act/repertoire. (Really, what I want to do is convince the world to bring polka back into the mainstream, but I'll stick with producing a musical comedy album for now.)

"What type of musical comedy do you perform," you may ask? "Well," I may begin to respond, "let me tell you some of my (and probably your) favorite compositional topics:

-The Open Mic Scene. (You know what I'm talking about.)
-Grammar. (What else would you expect from a guy with a Master's in English? A degree, by the way, which is currently being used as a placemat.)
-Explosions in Hollywood. (You know what I mean.)
-The Innocence of an Upper Middle Class Childhood. (Of which I actually know nothing about.)"

This and much, much more, as well as the jingles I mentioned above. (They're so catchy, they'll go in one ear and NEVER EVER LEAVE, no matter how much you want them to.)

I've done some research on different studios and have talked with other musicians who have had their work professionally produced. $6000 is a pretty reasonable estimate for studio recording, mixing, mastering, CD production and the beginnings of album distribution. Don't worry, though: I'll include you in on it all if you donate. Read about the incentives of donating for more details on this.

Okay, I'm done.