Kickstarter

You can listen to all of it right now. For Free 

Yep, even without pledging a dime. All 12 songs for my debut album (and then some) are done and ready to be heard. By supporting you get fantastic rewards (not the least of which the rights to "own" your digital and/or physical copy and slap it on any and every media player you can find) AND buku satisfaction, but I really want my music out there and enjoyed more than anything. If that means you can't afford it right now or don't think it's worth paying for (unlikely though that may be) then you don't have to pay for it. Remember how before fee-to-pay, (er-sorry, "free-to-play") software we had "shareware"? Well this is my version -- try before you buy! Go here to check it out: http://sapphiregone.com. Even better, you don't have to wait a year to get your rewards... the tunes will get a final mastering treatment, get sent off for replication, and then get shipped out to you asap -- sooner if you back a digital tier!  Here's a sample while you read on, but don't forget to check out the rest at http://sapphiregone.com. 

My music is different

I can't exactly prepare you for my music, nor describe it, nor label it with any sort of genre, but I'll try to explain why I think my music is "different". It's not just different from what most would call "mainstream" music, but also from song to song. While I love guitar as it is such a versatile and expressive instrument, I cannot really choose a favorite instrument... so why should I?! Whether a song comes together out of a guitar riff, is borne out of a synthesizer lick, starts as an innovative rhythm, or blooms from a poem becoming lyrics, I let THAT shape the song, and only add what complementary instruments are needed to set the mood and tell the story. Not just in instrumentation, but the style, atmosphere, and soul -- if you will -- vary from song to song while forming an album that has a not-so-obvious standing theme to it. Don't get me wrong... I hold utmost respect for a talented musician who has poured all of her/his labor into mastery of an instrument or motif, but my music is crafted in a slightly different way. I try to let the song sculpt itself rather than letting the musician(s) sculpt a group's "sound" -- making what I believe is a more interesting album and one that can be listened to many more times. Tell me if this has ever happened to you: you hear a song you love, run out and buy the CD, and are disappointed to find that every song on the disc sounds exactly like it only not as good. At first I was worried that my songs sounded too different from one another, but I now see this as the benefit it is and know that my own personal style comes through in other ways. My music changes because I pull from many, many different styles in order to make my own, and then I start from scratch with the next song; after all, what is each one of us if not a collection of all of our experiences filtered by our tastes and magnified by our talents?

I have a vision

Call it trite, but I feel it and know it in my heart. Society often makes us toilers by necessity, and unfortunately seems willing to let us stay in an uncreative place that does not foster expression (sometimes even forbids it). But my belief is that each one of us has Art of some medium smoldering inside us, and given the chance, the means and the encouragement, it can be brought to fruition. Some people (Kickstarters like you and me, for example) feel this urge to the point of bursting... unable to deny the draw of creating. That is where I am at this very moment. This project has a clear goal, but my life's goal is to let that urge manifest in any way possible with the hope that it helps the World to live through their pain, grow stronger, and be inspired. Lofty? You betcha! But why dream small? I know it can happen and so do you, otherwise you wouldn't be here, sharing in the creation of inspiring projects, and discovering what glorious mark YOU want to leave emblazoned on the World. My biggest benefit is knowing how I want to express myself... MUSIC. Music my way... ;)

I made this stuff all by myself

Not for nothin', but I figured you'd be interested to know that this is truly a one-man-band. Writing, composing, arranging, performing, recording, mixing, mastering. Heck, even the design and layout of the CD and website... everything (except the excellent cover art photography by my lovely fiancé, Lisa Morris from http://passionoflight.smugmug.com). Truth be told, the one-man-band thing was originally because I didn't know anyone who wanted to make quite this kind of music or wanted/was able to help in certain ways, but I've since made a careful decision that this is how it is meant to be. It's not out of being selfish, or because of a power trip, or out of arrogance that I am the highest skilled performer and that "no one else will do" but rather it is a true labor of love. If someone has a personal, heartfelt, passionate story to tell, it only seems fitting that they be the one to tell it, right? Well it takes LOTS of time and LOTS of effort and dedication to see this type of thing through to completion, and it's been very rough at times. That's where your help comes in... you're going to be the FIRST ONES to contribute to this other than myself. Excited? I am!

The primary need is for funding CD replication costs. There is also the matter of the costs in website hosting, bandwidth and site maintenance for the digital downloads (plus it isn't free to keep my music out there, hosted for anyone and everyone to listen to anytime they're near an interweb source!). Though using my own modest facilities, recording, engineering and site administration is a time consuming beast, not to mention the cost of funding said facilities. Most importantly I feel that projects on Kickstarter are a new and wonderful way to spread the word about new music, which is the BEST way you can help. If you don't donate or can't donate much, at least enjoy listening to my music and then tell a friend (or twelve, or thirty, or ten-thousand). Honestly, I promise to send you precisely the same amount of karma. I'm not out to become rich and famous, but I do want my music to touch as many people as possible, so if you like any of my songs at all (or know someone you think might), any way you can help me get it out there will make me eternally grateful. Also I think that encouragement thing we talked about earlier fits under this heading too, because knowing that people want to encourage you is inherently inspiring, and it will show in the final product and music yet to come, I can assure you :) 

Finally, any funding beyond the goal will go towards spreading the message of this music farther, licensing better studio software, and for funding even more great new material.

Rewards! 

The chance to help create something inspiring!

Change the industry by supporting a new distribution format!

The decision to self record/produce this album BEFORE asking for help gets the music in your ears FASTER... nearly as soon as the Kickstarter ends for digital downloads and hopefully early September for physical rewards.

Speaking of, you also benefit from REWARDS! I mentioned rewards right? I have a note here to make sure to point out the fantastic rewards. 

*points*  >>

...and I almost forgot: MUSIC. My hope is that you will delight in my music and email and comment pestering me to make more (I've got tons more in me, I just know it). I aim to make deep yet simple, sad but beautiful, happy but wistful, in your face yet introspective, soul-moving MUSIC. This is a product crafted to move you to joy, tears, hope, healing, enlightenment and joy again, all while making your ears tingle with lavish sonic imagery that sounds new every time you listen to it. This is expression at my purest. This is my Art. And I sincerely hope you love it as much as I do.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read this and for helping me with my dreams. Of course your monetary contribution is very much appreciated, but I cannot explain in words how much making this a reality means to me... you're just going to have to listen to it instead ;)

-Mike (a.k.a. Hoodust)