Help Caroline Cobb share the Story of scripture through her next album.
UPDATE (4/13/12):
First and foremost, I am praising God for the amazing response this project has received so far. In less than 3 days, we've raised 90% of our goal! What in the world?! I am humbled, encouraged, so excited and so very thankful.
But, although Nick and I felt like $8,000 was the right minimum goal to set, it's really less than half of what we need to cover the cost of the recording and releasing a 10-song album (see the minimum budget breakdown in my original post below).
If we happen to exceed our goal, then all of the additional funds will go toward adding instrumentation, adding additional songs, CD duplication, and promotional/touring costs (probably in that order). I would love to be able to give the producer, Josh Moore, more freedom to make the songs the best they can be, and I would personally really, really love to add more songs in order to tell a better, more robust Story.
So, if you feel comfortable, please keep sharing this project and this idea with your friends and family. Any and every gift, Tweet, and status update helps us share the Story. Thank you for everything you have done so far!
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ORIGINAL POST (4/11/12):
First, thank you for taking the time to visit this page. And thank you so much for even considering being a part of my next album: an album that would share the story of scripture, from beginning to end. But before I get too far ahead of myself, let me give you a little background...
The Crazy Goal:
In November of 2010, I gave myself a crazy goal: to write a song for every book of the Bible in one year, before I turned 30 on 11/11/11. I called it The Scripture to Music Project, and it was one of the most fulfilling and amazing things I’ve ever done. During this year of writing, the redemptive story God has authored for us in Scripture became vibrantly beautiful to me, in both its personal details and its panoramic fullness.
Sharing God's Story:
When I finished my goal, I knew I wanted to share these songs and this Story with everyone I could (see below to hear a few songs!). So, in January of 2012, I left my super supportive husband Nick at home and hit the road with my little girl Ellie to play house shows in cities all across Texas. Night after night, people sat and listened to the story of Scripture through song. And night after night, people told me how encouraged they were, how they wanted to dig back into the Bible, and how they loved hearing the old stories in a fresh, new way.
But what if people could actually take these songs home? What if you could own an album that creatively traced the story of Scripture from beginning to end? What if you could listen to stories from the Old Testament during your morning commute to work, and stories from the New Testament while you were waiting in the carpool line to pick up your kids from school? And what if you could give this same CD to a friend who was completely unfamiliar with God’s Story?
And this is where you (hopefully!) come in. I want to humbly ask you: would you consider partnering with me to make a studio album that tells God’s Story?
The Cost:
Unfortunately, there is always a pretty steep cost to making a full-length album, especially if you want to do it well. Our goal is to raise at least $8,000 here on Kickstarter, even though the actual album will cost around $15,000 or more for 10 songs (see below for a detailed breakdown). You see, the risky, scary thing about Kickstarter is that if you don’t meet the goal you set, you don’t get anything at all. The scarier thing is that we only have about 31 days to do it! We need to get $8,000 by May 11 or the record won’t happen. By the way, if we happen to exceed our goal, then all of the additional funds will also go toward the cost of recording, mixing, and mastering the album. For example, if we get an additional $3,000 I may be able to record 12 songs rather than 10 or add some really cool string parts that I couldn't otherwise have been able to have.
But Why?!
I have to be honest with you: these numbers feel overwhelming to me, especially when I break it down in terms of how many people need to give. But, knowing that this is about God and his Story, and not about me just making another album, we feel that this is the right amount to shoot for. Anything less just wouldn’t allow this concept, these songs, and this Story room enough to breathe.
But HOW?!
We are going to invest a lot of our own money into this project, and I am also working hard to raise funds through touring and some other creative means. But we definitely need a “kickstart”. We know it’s going to take a lot of people not only giving financially to the project, but believing in this idea and sharing it with their friends. So, if you truly believe in this concept - if you would like to have an album that tells the Story - I humbly ask you to share it and share it often with as many people as you can: on Facebook, on Twitter, on your blog, via e-mail, and with anyone who will listen! I truly can’t do it without your help.
The Fun Details:
If we make our goal, I’ll be working with the uber-talented producer, musician, and engineer Josh Moore (Caedmon’s Call, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken). Although this will be my third studio album, it will be my first time to work with a producer on every, single song. I’m so excited about the cohesiveness and creativity Josh will bring to the album. We’re going to be doing most of the work in my hometown of Houston, but the current plan is also to record in Shane & Shane’s studio in Dallas (I know, can you believe it?!). Our tentative plan is to do some pre-production in the fall and get into the studio in early 2013 (after I’m kind of “recovered” from baby #2 - not like you ever really “recover” though, I know!), with the album releasing later that spring and a tour quickly following.
More Fun Details: The Rewards!
On the right-hand side of the page, you’ll see that we’ve come up with some “rewards” for all the different levels of support. This is just our small way of saying “thank you”. I think there are some pretty cool ones, especially the “House Show”, the “Share the Story” (Part I and II) and the “Song” rewards! But please know that any and every gift, no matter how big or small, is so appreciated. As backers, you will also have the “inside scoop” during the whole process - from pre-production to our time in the studio to the release and beyond.
THANK YOU!
Thank you for visiting this Kickstarter page and for considering being a part of this with me. I am so excited to have you along for the ride and to have a sort of community around me during this process. Know that I will do my very best to make an album worthy of your support!
Estimated Cost Breakdown:
Recording/Mixing/Mastering: $15,000 (for 10 songs)
CD Duplication: $ 1,000
Travel: $500
Promotional: $1,000
Total: $17,500
"DRY BONES" VIDEO ADDED 4.26.12:
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
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- First created · 10 backed
- Caroline Cobb Smith 1148 friends
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THE THANK YOU: A big “thank you” and access to all of the Kickstarter updates. Every little bit helps!
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THE EARLY DOWNLOAD: Free MP3 download of the new album as soon as it becomes available (at least two weeks prior to the release).
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THE PRE-RELEASE: The “Early Download”, plus a physical copy of the new album shipped right to your door as soon as we have it!
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THE BUNDLE: The “Early Download”, plus 3 physical copies of the album shipped right to your door, for you to give away to your friends and family.
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THE GUIDEBOOK: The “Bundle” plus a free download of what I’m calling the “guidebook” for now. Part devotional, part companion piece, part “deluxe” liner notes, it will include the story and biblical context behind each song, the scripture passages used, and a short explanation of how this song has affected me personally. The guidebook may also include photos from recording and really cool extras that I haven’t even thought of yet!
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THE BIGGER BUNDLE: Everything in the “Guidebook” package, plus a physical copy of my second album Sing (2009) and a free download of my first album Far Beyond Me (2005).
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THE AUTOGRAPH: Everything in the “Bigger Bundle” package, plus a frameable, 8x8 album cover or photograph signed by producer Josh Moore, the musicians that will be a part of the album (they’ll be cool and there may be some surprise special guests!), and me (but I’ll probably be the least cool person signing it!). You’ll also be invited to a really fun CD release celebration party (see "The Party" package below).
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THE PARTY: Everything in the “Bigger Bundle” package, plus an invitation to an intimate CD release celebration party (location TBD, but it will probably be in Tyler, Dallas, or Houston), which will be almost exclusively for Kickstarter backers that give at this level or more.
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THE SHARE THE STORY, PART I: Everything in “The Party” package for you, plus 5 physical copies of the album and a free download of the “guidebook” sent to a ministry or missionary of your choosing, for them to give away as they please. I will even happily ship the CD’s overseas. The heart behind this is that ministries or missionaries would be able to share “the Story” in a fresh, creative, and hopefully non-threatening way. If you don't know anyone to send this to, I have some great missionaries in mind!
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THE HOUSE SHOW: Everything in "The Party” package, plus an intimate house show for you and your friends. At the house show, you and your friends will be able to sit and listen to the story of scripture through the songs that I share, and I’ll be sure to include context and stories behind each song to help connect the dots. The new album will also be “name-your-own-price”, so everyone will be able to walk out of your home with the new album (or two!) in hand.... P.S. I’m willing to go anywhere inside the continental US, but we would have to get creative regarding travel and lodging costs if it’s further than 250 miles away from Tyler, TX.
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SHARE THE STORY, PART II: Everything in "The Party" plus I will come play a show at your church, youth group, ministry, school chapel, or organization! At each show, I will share the story of scripture through song, being sure to include the biblical context and stories behind each song so that I communicate the full picture, and I will tailor it to the specific audience. P.S. - I’m willing to go anywhere inside the continental US, but we would have to get creative regarding travel and lodging costs if it’s further than 250 miles away from Tyler, TX.
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THE SONG: Everything in “The House Show” and "Share the Story, Part I", plus I will write a brand new song just for you, based on a scripture passage/story of your choosing. Before I write the song, I will talk with you specifically about the passage and what it means to you so that I can make the song as personal as possible. I can also write this song for your child, your friend, etc. and you could give it to them as a gift. You will receive a demo of this song and I will also upload a video to YouTube for you to share with your friends if you'd like. If I ever record the song, I will thank you in the liner notes for your inspiration!
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THE DOUBLE: Everything in "The Song" but DOUBLED (at least kind of). I will write one additional song for you from a scripture passage/story of your choosing AND give you an additional House Show for you to give away to someone else. So, you’ll get not just one - but TWO - songs. And you’ll get not just one - but TWO - house shows. See? Doubled! I'm also happy to work with you to customize a reward package just for you.
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THE NAMESAKE: Everything in “The Double” plus we will name our next child after you. No, seriously. Well, maybe not, but we will strongly consider it. Ok, but seriously... If you back at this level, you will almost-cover the cost of recording, mixing, and mastering one full song, so we will be forever grateful. So, this is what we'll do: we'll turn "The Double" into "The Triple" (i.e. 3 house shows, 3 songs, plus everything else), I'll throw in a "Share the Story, Part I", and I will specifically thank you in the liner notes (if you want). I'm also happy to work with you to customize a reward package just for you.
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