After working as an opera, musical theater, and jazz singer for 13 years in New York City, singing in Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, last year I packed my life into a little red Volkswagen and drove alone across the country to California. I went to pursue my greatest dream: to be a singer-songwriter. I brought my favorite book, "Leaves of Grass," by Walt Whitman. His poem "Song of the Open Road" inspired this entire album.
I wrote snippets of each song while driving through different places over the course of this journey - from Harlem in New York to Carlsbad Caverns deep in New Mexico. As the year went on, through success, failures, new friends, new love and new heartbreaks, the snippets grew to songs.
This album is about adventure, home, love, loss, freedom, and the joy and heartbreak of self-discovery. And a little bit of Americana. This is the first full album I composed alone, and my first attempt to explore all of the different genres I sing through my own songs. I am so excited to see one of my biggest dreams come to life and to share it with the world - but now I need a little help. I have an amazing group of musicians to collaborate with, but I need to pay them.
I need to pay for the recording studio, the sound engineer, the mixing, the mastering, the production, the rehearsals, the manufacturing, and more...and I can't do it alone.
Camerado, I give you my hand!
I give you my love, more precious than money,
I give you myself before preaching or law;
Will you give me yourself? will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?
-Walt Whitman
Risks and challenges
The biggest challenge of this project is simply having the money to be able to make it happen. The band is lined up, the recording studio is available, and all of the songs are ready to record! All we need is the money to get things moving.
Cost estimates (based on rates found in Los Angeles):
Musician fees for multiple days of rehearsal and recording with full band: $2000-$3000
Recording studio/engineer fee: $100/hour (2-3 days of recording for full album): $2000
Mixing: $50 per song: $600
Mastering: $50 per song: $600
Graphic Design/photography: $500
CD manufacturing: $1000-2000
Distribution/Promotion: $1000-2000
Extra instruments/voices: $500-1000
Questions about this project? Check out the FAQ
Support
Funding period
- (30 days)