Since I am usually pretty terrible at asking for anything, I asked my mom to write something… and she did:
To all fans and friends of Sunshine Jones,
Here is a unique opportunity to get involved. As you know Sunshine has consistantly produced great music and has ever so many more tunes dancing thru his very creative mind. But, we must help him to produce a new and fantastic album. In this present state of finances we all need to pull together. Let the world of music know that you (each of you) want to hear more from Sunshine Jones. You can do this by sending your donation to help produce the next fabulous set of tunes by the one and only, not to mention handsome and carismatic Sunshine.
I have sent mine have you?
A fan and supporter of not only good music but of Sunshine Jones.
- JoAnna Jones
I’ve begun a new project. The idea is that I am creating a community supported album as my next record. In the spirit of how 22 songs have been written, every sunday on sunday soul, as a response to my weekly themes, and the ever shifting dialog that goes on in the chat during the show, my dreams, stories, diatribes, and the threads of ideas presented within the core community of listeners, I am planning to take the 22 songs and record handmade versions (to satisfy my heart) and then re edit and remix them (to make them more useful for DJ’s and dancers) and produce a digital, vinyl, and CD album from within my community of friends, family, supporters and critics.
The budget I want to raise is 50,000 us dollars. This will go to recording, additional musicians, mixing, mastering, designing, pressing, printing, and marketing this album. The basic idea is that I am betting that I can rally up 2,500 people to pre purchase the CD, thus creating the resources to create it.
One week into the fundraising portion of the project we are over 6% of the total goal. Having received contributions from all across the US, Canada and Europe. Considering the deeply limited scope of promotion I’ve done, I think that’s promising progress, and I continue to be surprised, and delighted with the response.
I’ve always through that the idea of a community supported/sponsored album was an interesting one, and now it is in motion…
I promise to make you all a great record, with your help.
Here is what you get in return for your contribution:
$10 - Listener
A free digital download of the album when it’s released.
$25 - Groover
An advance copy of the CD. The moment they arrive. Well before the release date.
Also by donating to the recording fund at $25 or more, you will receive a membership to the backend, where I will post rough versions for you to listen to, and a sense of the project as it comes together.
backend membership means access to all these versions and more.
$50 - Raver
Backend Membership, an advance copy of the album, a digital download, and a “Thank You” printed on the CD.
$100 - Dancer
All the above, plus a super baad T-shirt.
$250 - Guest List
Free admission to my shows and Live/DJ sets in support of the album for a year. Not to mention everything mentioned above too.
$500 - Party Posse
All of the above, plus toward the end of the CD, I’ll do one of my vocal diatribes where I’ll mention your name and maybe rhyme with it. If you don’t want your name used, you can give me your crew, a friend, or someone you love instead.
$750 - VIP
Exactly like the party posse, but you give me more money and enjoy your fancy VIP status.
$1,500 - Head
How would you like to have a theme song written for you?
What about a sick disco re edit of your all time favorite song?
You can put it on your answering machine, or play it in your DJ set as your actual theme song. The Head level could be a gift, or a personal treasure, but it would not be included on the album. It would be strictly entre nous.
$2,500 - Host
An advance copy of the album, a digital download, membership to the backend, a T-shirt, a thank you on the CD, guest list to all my shows for a year, vip status, a special track just for you, and you will be mentioned as an executive producer of the album - sweet!
$5,000 - Resident
I will come and do a concert for you. It could be at your house, social club, or the venue of your choosing. Invite your friends, turn down the lights, and I sing and perform a 3 hour live/dj set just for you and your crew.
Plus you get a digital download, an advance copy of the album, your name in the booklet, a custom re edit or theme song, vip status, executive producer credit, and a super baad t-shirt too.
$10,000 - Superstar
Everything I’ve mentioned above, plus a very special afternoon with me. Featuring a tour of my studio, a cup of my famous coffee, a first hand look at the progress of the project, and then you get to come and sing on my album.
Don’t worry if you can’t sing - we can always have you hum and clap along.
• You want me to do what?
• What if you make way more money?
• What if you don’t make enough?
• What are you asking for?
• Why don’t you just sign the album to some other label?
• I am interested in licensing this album for my territory, are you open to that?
• Why not just sell shares in the album?
• Aren’t you that Dub Tribe guy?
• What’s Treehouse Muzique?
• What’s in it for me?
• How can I donate?
• I am not down with paypal… Can’t I just send you a check?
• I don’t like this whole “level” thing. Can’t I just contribute something?
• I What if I want to give more later?
• How can I buy advance copies for my friends and family?
• What is the backend?
• Is there some sort of time line for this fundraising effort?
• How long will this take?
• This thing doesn’t auto-update does it?
• What are my rights?
• Dude, do you really charge Five Grand for a live show? WTF?
1. You want me to do what?
I want to raise $50,000.00 United States Dollars to form a budget to record, remix, produce, release, and market a new full length album by Sunshine Jones.
It costs a lot of money to make an album in this day and age, despite the aid of pro tools, computers and relatively affordable equipment. I want to make a really amazing album for you, and this will take studio time, musicians, rehearsal, post production, remixing, re editing, pressing, printing, promotion, marketing, and distribution.
2. What if you make way more than what you’re asking for?
I doubt it. I really doubt it. But if more money than the budget I’ve planned comes in, I will put it into marketing.
3. What if you don’t make enough money?
I’ll make the best record possible with what I can raise. If for some reason the sky falls in on me and I am unable to make this record, then all the money will be returned.
4. What are you asking for?
I am asking for an investment in creativity and the future of indie/electronic music. My assumption is that if you’re even reading this odds are that you are already involved, and at the very least interested in my music. You are people who would already show up at a shop and lay down the $15.99 plus tax (and shipping in many cases) to actually buy an album I would make. And I’m asking you to step forward in support of this project, and be involved in it.
5. Why don’t you just sign the album to some other label?
I’ve worked for BMG, Universal, Jive, Sony, Virgin, and many wonderful indies, I’ve even run my own record label. It seems to me that in this day and age, where the concepts of what an album is, what a single is, and what a radio station is are totally up for grabs, the best route to take with regards to my future efforts is to be independent.
I want to start Treehouse Muzique and aggregate digitally to iTunes and other online sources, as a source label, a home base for my music.
6. I am interested in licensing this album for my territory, are you open to that?
A contribution to the recording fund could certainly be considered an “advance” toward your licensing this album in your territory. I am not interested in releasing this record abroad (outside north america) in any other form than an import, so domestic and territorially exclusive digital rights are an option.
Traditionally people at record labels want to hear an album before they really want to sign it for their country. I understand that, and have enjoyed the delays of this process for years. I would be looking for a simultanious release worldwide to avoid the blues people have then they try to buy a track at Beatport and are not allowed to because the rights aren’t resolved for their home territory. Seems like such a nasty tease to me.
If you are interested in a domestic release for your region of the world, then contact me and let’s talk about what you have in mind.
7. Why don’t you just sell shares in the album, you know, take investment and offer a return in it?
I thought about that, even met with some folks and talked about the prospects involved with offering shares for the label, and even specific investment into my forthcoming album. The idea becomes deeply complicated very quickly. It appears to be simplest to focus on this single project, and create a community funded album and offer the gifts in return for the contribution to the recording budget. This makes the relationship personal, and clean. There are no annual reports, no royalty statements, and my accountability is simply to create and report on the progress of this album.
8. Aren’t you that Dub Tribe guy?
I wouldn’t put it that way, but yes, I was in Dubtribe Sound System for many years. I wrote ‘Do It Now’ which was the single of 2001 - 2003 on many dance floors and chill out lounges around the world. When Ben Watt from Everything But The Girl included it on their ‘Back 2 Mine’ compilation it changed the world, and brought this beautiful song into the consciousness of people from all corners of the world.
I also wrote ‘Equitoreal’ (often remembered as “lord have mercy on my soul) which was championed at Body and Soul in New York and celebrated around the world between 1999 and 2003. Before that I wrote ‘Mother Earth’ (often remembered as “I want my planet back” or “planet earth”.) This track exploded at the tribal gathering in the UK in 1993 and became a warehouse anthem for many years. The Chemical Brothers included it on their mix compilation, as well a having been sampled by many of my peers, we forged a sound that would describe the better part of the 1990’s warehouse experience.
Yes. That was me.
Here is some recent press pdf format
9. What’s Treehouse Muzique?
Treehouse Muzique is my record label. While I have already re edited, re mixed, and produced music for artists, Treehouse remains un-launched, and private. I have no intention of attempting to license or solicit other people’s work for release on Treehouse, it is an outlet for me and my music alone.
See for yourself: http://treehousemuzique.com
10. What’s in it for me?
By contributing to the recording budget, much like giving to a PBS station, you get the warmth and positive feeling that comes from giving to an effort which is established on a not-for-profit basis. You are supporting independent music, and the progress of electronic music, my art, me.
Additionally, In return for your contribution you will receive the appointed gift or gifts as described in detail on the index page of this micro-site:
• $10 - 24: You will receive a free digital download of the album once it’s done.
• $25 - 49: You will receive a copy of the CD in the mail well before it is released.
• $50 - 99: I will print your name in the “thank you” section of my notoriously long booklets.
• $100 - 249: You will receive all of the above, plus a special t-shirt made just for people who have contributed to this project.
• $250 - 499: You will receive everything already mentioned, plus free admission to all my live shows for a year.
• $500 - 1,499: Everything I’ve listed above, plus I will include your name in a track to be included on the album. A thank you shout out if you will.
• $1,500 - $2,499: Everything listed above, plus I will write a short theme song for you, or create a re edit of the song you choose. Something for your collection, or just for fun.
• $2,500 - 4,999: All of the above, plus I will list you as an executive producer of the album.
• $5,000 - 9,999: In addition to everything mentioned, I will come and perform a concert for you. A three hour + live / dj set in your home, or somewhere we can arrange.
• $10,000 and above: Everything mentioned above, plus I will invite you to San Francisco to spend the day together. We can sit and talk in my studio, explore the city a little, and then I will point the mic toward you and invite you to sing on my album. If you can’t sing, or don’t want to sing we can figure something else out.
11. How can I donate?
All you need to do in order to contribute to the recording budget is to click the “donate” link at the bottom of the page. This will ask you for an explanation of your donation, and to enter the amount you wish to donate. Then you are taken to the paypal transaction engine where you can process your donation. You don’t have to be a member of paypal to donate, all you need is a credit card, or a debit card.
Paypal accepts most currencies, but it does charge me a very small fee for the transaction. It will not be counted against your level of donation, so there’s no need to add this fee into your contribution. It’s a small price to pay in return for the administration and book keeping fees required to track and account for this sort of endeavor.
Note: If you don’t have a paypal account your address, email address, and other important contact information will not automatically be included in the transaction. Please make sure you include a method of how to get ahold of you so that I can get your free gifts to you once you’ve donated.
12. I am not down with PayPal… Can’t I just send you a check?
At first I thought the short answer to this simply had to be no. I don’t want the recording budget contributions anywhere near my personal finances. I love the fact that paypal offer me a clear and at a glance way to track and account for each and every single contribution. Recently I’ve received more than $3,500 in pledged contributions which have arrived in the form of a request to get together and receive a check. My response has been “Oh… please go and use your debit card on the site, I really need to keep the recording budget and the contributions separate.”
Now after a chat with my good friend Peter, it seems that a pledge is encouraging, it is received as love and support. This usually means more to me than money, however, love and support doesn’t press vinyl very well. So in that spirit (thank you Peter) I have become open to receiving contributions in any form. It’s easy enough for me to simply transfer the money from my account into paypal.
If you really need to use another method of payment, please contact me and we can work something out.
13. I signed up early as a “Listener” and I’m so excited about this that I want to give more and change my status to VIP, can I do this?
Yes. I’ve set up the donate window to allow anyone to contribute again and again. Even if you don’t like this business of “levels” I will be keeping strict account of everything everyone contributes (including time and encouragement) and adding it up to fulfill my promises and make sure everyone gets the gifts I have to offer.
14. How can I buy advance copies for my friends and family?
If you are looking at this as a pre ordering of my forthcoming CD and want to reserve multiple copies I’d be glad to manage that for you, or simply send you however many you want when that time comes and let you take care of it. The transaction engine at PayPal has a nice “comments” section where you can add whatever instructions, or remarks you would like to add to the contribution. If you know now what you wanna do, then simply include them. Otherwise, just communicate with me and let me know what you’d like to do and we can do it. Yes.
15. What is the backend? Is that the name of your new album?
No. I haven’t named the album yet.
The backend is a section here on this site which is password protected. People who donate more than $25 will have access to this section where I’ll post updates from the beginning to the end and report on my progress with the album. I will post some rough mixes and out takes for your pleasure and enjoyment. Also, members of the backend will receive a weekly email digest (mainly for people who are too busy to check a web site every day) and get all the info in one compact email message.
16. Is there some sort of time line for this fundraising effort?
At this writing I am still considering if I even want to do this, to go this route, or ever make these pages public. So for the moment, I suspect that I would like to raise this budget and begin the process sooner than later. I think it will be essential to put a limit to the time period established to collect the goal. that said, reaching the goal is really the point. I am thinking that I will not want to run a campaign like this for longer than one to three months.
I wonder if using some kind of clock or counter might give the three people hovered here at this site feel all desperate and nervous and get people excited? The verdict is still out on that one (obviously.)
17. Once you have the budget together how long will this take?
In the past I’ve been notorious for taking up to three years to make a new album. Largely this has been because I loved to tour music for a very long period of time, revise, learn, and extrapolate on my tracks before setting about recording an album.
In this instance, I already have more than 20 songs written and will get right to work. My best guess is (assuming we begin in May) that I’ll be done with this album by the end of July and ready to begin manufacturing, marketing and tour planning. As an overview, I look at this from top to bottom as a 12 month project.
18. This thing doesn’t auto-update does it?
No, it doesn’t. I do it manually, and reply personally to each contribution.
19. What’s the legality of all this? What are my rights?
By reading this page, and/or by making a donation on this site you have agreed to participate in the production of Sunshine Jones’ next record.
Said agreement is limited only to the participation in fundraising unless otherwise stated. No editorial or musical ownership, or authority is granted, or implied.
The content, rights, publishing, and all other legal ownership of the result of this project shall be the sole property of the recording artist.
The “good feeling” implied as the result of your donation/contribution to this project is not guaranteed. The artist has no control over your emotional condition, and while we hope you will feel good about your contribution, one never knows. That said, the artist promises to maintain regular updates, and to make the process as pleasant and entertaining as possible.
The content of this micro site is and shall remain © 2008 Sunshine Jones. No portion of this page, it’s related pages, summary, printout, pdf, email, or cut and pasted text is granted, or agreed to by the author. That said, this was not my idea. My friend Deana in Brooklyn pointed me to the site of a singer song writer who had raised over $75,000 to record her next record. The site was truly delightful, and the idea was amazing. We both agreed that this was something I should attempt. And so I have.
20. Do you really charge $5,000 for a gig?
No, I don’t. That said, if a sweet benefactor were to be so generous as to contribute $5,000 to this project I would be delighted to fly to wherever they lived, at my own expense, and perform an amazing live set wherever they wanted me to. It would be my pleasure.
Send an eCard
Pick one of the cards below to send it, with a personal message to a friend, or anyone you feel might be interested in this project.
Banners for your blog!
Here are some banners you can use for your myspace profile, or blog to help me to spread the word about this project.
HTML for myspace and blogs
<a href="http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/"><img src="http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead4_450.jpg" alt="Help Make Sunshines Next Record" /></a>
BBCode for message boards
[url=http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/][img]http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead4_450.jpg[/img][/url]
HTML for myspace and blogs
<a href="http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/"><img src="http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead2_m.jpg" alt="Help Make Sunshines Next Record" /></a>
BBCode for message boards
[url=http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/][img]http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead2_m.jpg[/img][/url]
HTML for myspace and blogs
<a href="http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/"><img src="http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead-450.jpg" alt="Help Make Sunshines Next Record" /></a>
BBCode for message boards
[url=http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/][img]http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead-450.jpg[/img][/url]
HTML for myspace and blogs
<a href="http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/"><img src="http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead4_350.jpg" alt="Help Make Sunshines Next Record" /></a>
BBCode for message boards
[url=http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/][img]http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead4_350.jpg[/img][/url]
HTML for myspace and blogs
<a href="http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/"><img src="http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead3_350.jpg" alt="Help Make Sunshines Next Record" /></a>
BBCode for message boards
[url=http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/][img]http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead3_350.jpg[/img][/url]
HTML for myspace and blogs
<a href="http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/"><img src="http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead2_sm.jpg" alt="Help Make Sunshines Next Record"/></a>
BBCode for message boards
[url=http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/][img]http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead2_sm.jpg[/img][/url]
HTML for myspace and blogs
<a href="http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/"><img src="http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/main-masthead_350.jpg" alt="Help Make Sunshines Next Record"/></a>
BBCode for message boards
[url=http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/][img]http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead_350.jpg[/img][/url]
HTML for myspace and blogs
<a href="http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/"><img src="http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead4_200.jpg" alt="Help Make Sunshines Next Record" /></a>
BBCode for message boards
[url=http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/][img]http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead4_200.jpg[/img][/url]
HTML for myspace and blogs
<a href="http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/"><img src="http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/main-masthead_200.jpg" alt="Help Make Sunshines Next Record" /></a>
BBCode for message boards
[url=http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/][img]http://sunshine-jones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/snr-masthead_200.jpg[/img][/url]
If you download them and want to host the images yourself, please use this link:
<a href="http://sunshine-jones.com/sunshines-next-record/">Image Link| Text Link</a>Thank you for spreading the word!
After a redesign of this site, the new project pages are back up and working properly. If you notice anything strange, or broken, please log into the backend and post something up there, or just send me an email.
Lots has happened since my last entry here:
I’ve begun recording this album. June produced 8 studio tracks, and 23 demos. I sent these demos to King Street to see if they were serious about doing a second album with me. Hisa chose 8 tracks which he really liked… only two of which were slated for this album project… But Hisa wanted the music to be 128 bpm, more along the lines of what most club DJ’s are actually playing these days, and further, he asked me to invite female singers into the project and add a more King Street flare. I am open to this, having explored faster tempos lately both on Sunday Soul and in recent live trips out, so I agreed, and invited Jenifa Mayanja, Monique Binham, Moonbeam Jones, and Mai to join me on this album both as backing vocalists, as well as lead vocalists. They each replied with delight.
Suddenly it looked like I was about to produce two albums at once. for me this was confusing at first, but then it all came into focus.
A. I create a faster, more techno album for King Street to be released in the early part of 2009
B. I keep on working on this handmade and heady album for us, to be released on Treehouse as promised late summer 2008.
Seems ideal to me.
The contract negotiations continue, and it’s all hanging on the outcome of this week’s 12th hour tussle. I’m worn out and looking forward to a productive weekend in the studio.
I am still at a bit of a loss to determine how I can drum up more support for this album. My dearest friends, and regular readers, as well as some long time fans, and new folks I’ve never met have already contributed. A couple of debts have been converted into the recording fund as well.. about $2,800 of the budget is not actually money in waiting, rather, deposits from gigs which have never happened were offered as contributions. I accepted this in order to close up the loose ends… but now the running total is inaccurate.
I thought that going at this fast and furious was the only way to get anywhere near the required goal. but as the months wear on I find myself scratching my head and wondering how to proceed. for now, the plan is to continue, and record this record with the budget we have. That said, if you know anyone who is into house music, into dubtribe, or loves my solo work… please please send them an ecard, or direct them to this site.
Forward!
• June 12th 2008:
My Mother wrote a letter, wanting to help introduce this project. I posted it onto the front page of this section if you want to read it. My mum’s the best.
This week has seen some action in terms of contributions. We’re up over 12% of the budget now. Yaay! Because some wonderful people have gotten behind this project and are also spreading the word, things are making progress. I love it. A community effort. That’s what this is about.
I began work on two songs last week, and have been really enjoying not worrying about the fundraising, and just getting down to recording, singing, and playing.
More soon.
• May 6th 2008:
I’ve got some news to report. Contributions have all but come to an end. I am guessing everyone who wants to contribute, or can contribute already has. There’s the little matter of something like $6,000 in promised contributions which have not materialized, but that’s the way with these things, and I’m not sweating it. This process has given me thoughtful pause, and consideration for the concept of “breaking out of my little world,” and just how much times have changed. Good for me. Humbling, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
So I’m going to go forward anyway and make this record.
Working titles:
Originally I was planning to call the album ‘Victoria.’ the idea comes from a photograph I took where some people on Duboce street had a piece of concrete replaced on their driveway. They went to great pains to protect the fresh slab from being molested. They put up barricades, flags, signs, and even kept watch. Still, one morning there it was, written deeply into the now dry concrete: Victoria.
Here’s a link to the image:
http://flickr.com/photos/fernando_graphicos/2259345175/
I saw it adorned with these little victorian children and shamelessly bourgeois images of men displaying their beards, and women in drawing rooms learning the violin. Somehow it seemed fitting, appropriate for these dubious days of hay we’re enjoying at the moment. Plus, these images fire my imagination, and ignite my heart a little bit more than I care to divulge.
Another thought was something Tami said in a rapid fire exchange during Sunday Soul… it was dirty mouthed sexy brainiac fashiononista… and once it was out there, well, it just seemed perfect. A lighter, more fun, and decidedly less self-reflexive album. Might be just the very thing.
Regardless of the title, or the graphics, the main thing is the music. And so today I begin…
After a couple of week of very little activity here, I was delighted today to find that we’re not up and over the 11% mark!
Feel like having a party!!!!
Thank you.
On a fundraising note, there are still over $5,000 in pledges out there which have not yet come in. I might normally just be grateful and feel really good inside for the pledges alone, but I’m chomping at the bit to get started recording these tracks. So if you’ve previously pledged something for the fund, and/or been thinking about sending in a little something but haven’t gotten around to it yet, please muster the courage and do it to it!
Once this fund gets up to 35% I will begin.
• March 29th 2008:
It’s been a thoughtful and very busy week. Lots of web work, and even more remixing. Gearing up for the 3 year anniversary of sunday soul!
I decided today that I just couldn’t stand not having access to my journal anymore. My journal, and much of this site has served me so well in terms of working out rubbish, ejecting short stories, and other oddities. So I decided that I would launch version 8 of my site a little sooner than I’d hoped.
Basically it just means that now there’s access to everything here. And you have a choice how you’d like to browse, and what you want to read.
I’m still working on spreading the word for this project, negotiating with King Street about a new album for them, and remixing my head off. Also… I am still working on stencils, stickers, and more creative ways to spread the word.
Thank you for the notes and thoughts and love and support!
After a wonderful trip to Denver, and an insane sunday soul (the good kind of insane) I’m back at my desk considering new tactics for this project.
An interesting side effect of promoting my cause has been interest from labels, licensing offers, and sales in the treehouse muzique shop. I’m pleased, but want to bring the point of this record home more clearly.
I also really, really, really miss my blog. I love having a journal I can empty my head into every morning, and it’s been difficult to look at this same fundraising page over and over. One thought I had was to leave the new album sidebar up and return to my journal. Another idea was to move the album project off to it’s own domain… sunshinesnextrecord.com …
I’m considering how to have stencils made, and teeny tiny stickers too. Working on it.
More soon.
• March 20th 2008:
Very interesting developments today. A certain label I’ve sent some time working with has expressed interest in developing an album with me. Hmm… I’m quickly regrouping and looking into how I might be able to do both.
Very interested in your thoughts about this.
Today we saw a happy bump in contributions. We’re up over 9% now and that’s a beautiful thing. I got word that this idea is catching on, but not in quite the way I had expected. Several other producers have begun similar projects to this one. I say “Right on!” the more the merrier. This not about me, or money for me. This is about community, artist development, independence, support and house music. When I can I plan to contribute to all similar causes in the interest of everyone reaching their goals.
I had an idea exchange with Deana about other ways to support and spread the word, the fruit of which is the idea of creating a pdf file you can download and print out as tiny stickers we can put everywhere we go, and this afternoon on a 3 mile walk I thought that maybe offering stencil templates for you to print and cut might allow you to put that funny picture of my face on every street corner in town if you want to. Are you down? I hope so. Give me a sign and I’ll do it.
• March 17th 2008:
I’m a bit blue about this project this week.
last week saw only $20 in contributions to the project, and I’m meditating on how I might better present the idea, and how to proceed from here.
My questions:
Does everyone already know and that’s that?
Should I be pestering everyone all the time?
Is it a silly idea to ask you (whoever you are) to be helping me to build momentum?
What else should I do?
I suppose the answers to these questions are simple enough, that’s why I’m meditating on them and allowing their simplicity to become clear.
I’m playing in Denver this weekend and am planning to print up some little handouts for people I see and meet to better spread the word in person. Also, I asked my Mom to write a letter for me about this project, but she hasn’t done it. I’m not sure she is down. That leaves me staring at the wall and wondering about a lot of things. I won’t bore you with that.
Apart from these thoughts, things have been good. Sunday Soul kicked butt last night, and the archive is posted for your pleasure in the bottom of http://treehousemuzique.com/esprit/
Have a wonderful week!
Tala had a great idea: “Why don’t you make ecards that people can send out to friends?”
I spend a long time looking over the currently available scripts for adding ecards and virtual postcards to the website and discovered that nothing works quite like apple’s amazing icards. With the apple icards they actually arrive in your inbox, whereas most other services just send you a link and then you have to go to the web site to see the card. Dunnoe about you, but I really like getting beautiful emails, and don’t really like being told to go to some site in order to view my card.
However, I have added virtual postcards to the “spread the word” section of this microsite. Now you can go send one of four postcards off to anyone you like.
I’ll keep looking for a better method of sending nicer cards, but this seems to be working great for right now.
• March 10th 2008:
This weekend’s telethon during Sunday Soul brought in another 1.5% of the recording budget. Yaay!
I didn’t meet the goal I set for myself of 10% of the total budget, but that in no way takes away from my gratitude for your contributions.
It was a very interesting program for me, so strange to produce an 8 hour broadcast made up of my experience and perspective over the years with Imperial DUB. I didn’t pitch the project much, only interrupting between sections to make mention of why I was re broadcasting and giving the web site information. What was interesting about it was listening to myself talking about IDR and what a sad story it was for me at that time. It’s amazing to me how much happier I am now, two years later. I said at the start of the show (in the archive) that I was doing it because I was looking for healing… clearly that was a kind of catharsis that maybe only wading through those memories, talking about sources, influences, friends, mentors, and enemies was the gateway for the healing and relative happiness which has followed since then. It was hard to hear myself in so much pain, chewing on the past, unable to let go. I wanted to reach out and wrap my arms around that man from two years ago and let him know that everything was going to shift, to get better, and move forward.
‘Course the past is the past, and I have given up all hope of improving it. The best thing I can do in honoring those triumphs, disappointments and hard lessons is to let them go and step forward into the liberty of today, tomorrow and whatever the universe has in store next.
Happy Monday. Let’s see what happens next, shall we?
I couldn’t bear the old masthead another minute. I love flowers, but it just wasn’t my style. So I piled everyone into a cablecar and rang the bell.
A few more contributions today. Yaay!
I asked my mom to please read up on this site, and maybe write me a letter of recommendation to help spread the word. I’m terrible at asking for help, and usually the best I can do is make things pretty, or sing more songs. So I thought maybe recruiting the genius of my mother might be a good idea.
I’ll let you know what happens…
• March 5th 2008:
It’s been two weeks, and we’re just shy of 8% of the budget required to begin.
Tala says: Spread the word at my gigs, be prepared to accept contributions right there on the spot.
Lorin says: Visualize those notifications of payment received filling up my inbox.
Arline says: Yaaay!
No input from my family other than my ex-sister inlaw made a generous contribution, and my sister has a banner on her blog. My step father asked me when I became a charitable cause. I laughed and then re wrote the whole site.
Looking for momentum
People are calling, emailing, texting and walking up to me in the street to talk about it. The word appears to be out. I feel so uncomfortable talking about it in person. Gotta get over it. The idea that there might not be 2,500 people willing to buy this album in advance must be destroyed.
I changed the mastheads for the two week anniversary, and plan to continue to change them every week until we reach the goal or stop. Sending out another email tomorrow. Please help me spread the word, and get people who love electronic music, my music, or were one time fans of dubtribe excited about what’s going on here.
I’m ready to begin recording and designing the cover… but we still have a long way to go.
Only one contribution so far today. Feeling a little obsessive about it. Some wonderful people have been texting, emailing and calling to cheer me on… delighted with the progress so far. Maybe I need to check my head on that one. Hehe… maybe.
It’s another beautiful day, so I’m going to go out in it…
• March 3rd 2008:
Last night’s Sunday Soul went beautifully. Wrote several new songs during the show, and got the sense that I am truly a very very fortunate man. I am at what feels like the peak of my abilities. I am doing exactly what I want to be doing, and expressing it in a way that feels completely effortless to me. I’ve never felt this way before.
I feel a lot better today, and so I am back to work, but going slowly, and thoughtfully.
Only one more contribution today so far, from Africa.
I am going to spend this week meditating and reflecting on how to spread the word about this project more completely, and send the word further, and wider. Thank you so much for your interest, well wishes, and for your support.
Have a great week!
Happy Sunday! Well, I played at the St. Regis last night and then crashed hard. I woke up this morning to some more very very sweet contributions bringing us well above the 7% mark. Hurrah!
I’m going to spend today getting ready for tonight’s Sunday Soul broadcast and resting up. I hear there’s a serious relapse factor with this particularly rambunctious virus I’ve had for a week now, and I’d like to be gentle with myself and make sure when it goes it stays gone. Only thing I gotta do today is re hang a door for my upstairs neighbor.
Thank you for your contributions. Please keep spreading the word with me.
Love,
s.
• March 1st 2008
I woke up this morning feeling a little better. Yaay for health! I’m still not 100% but I’m playing tonight in SF and need to get up and out. Bed rest helps me get better, but baby… it’s really not good for me (if you know what I mean.)
Four more contributions arrived this morning as the response to another mailing I did last night. I resent a better html email of the index page to a list of my friends and family, and then sent out another note to the sunday soul mailing list about the progress this far.
As promised, I have begun the “backend” section today and sketched out all the tracks I intend to undertake for this record. The titles, references, and descriptions are all there for the approval of those who have contributed $25 or more to this project.
Enjoy!
Several more contributions came in today bringing us up to over 6% of the budget so far.
I have been really down for the count with this flu, but managed to prop myself up with pillows and redesign the masthead for this project. I loved the shocking image of my face grinning at you from behind my rhinestone sunglasses, but I think it might have been a little too personality and not enough of the current design theme, look and feel of the album and my sites. So I added some romance, and emotions, taking away my silly face.
I had a dream this morning that the record had such beautiful paper… it felt smooth and crisp in my hands. The cover was a photograph I’d taken called “Victoria…” and posted on flickr. A concrete slab with someone’s handwriting in the lower right corner simply saying “Victoria.” There were the customary romantic images of faded people kissing and standing for the camera in the shadows. It was lovely. Naturally the dream also inspired some of what lead me to change the masthead for the project.
I haven’t forgotten my promise to sketch the basics of the album in the backend. I will get to this as soon as I am back on my feet.
For now, the best thing in the world that could happen would be for you, and me, and everyone we know to do what ever we can to spread the word about this project and to bring momentum to it.
I appreciate everyone’s kind words, and encouragement. Thank you.
Love,
s.
• February 28th 2008:
4 More contributions came in while I was sleeping, and one more this afternoon. That made me smile and lean back in my chair a while. I’m not all in one piece at the moment, still kicking this nasty flu (which seems doubly criminal to me because it’s been sunny and warm and wonderful outside in San Francisco the last couple of days,) but as soon as I have the energy I’m going to get the backend started with the rough sketch of the album, and the rough mixes already completed.
Let’s see what today brings!
After 12 hours of sleep I felt well enough to have 4 more hours of sleep. Seems like my fever broke (hurray!) and now I’m sitting upright in bed and looking after myself gently.
Today the topic of how to handle payments other than paypal came up in depth. In the last 48 hours I’ve been pledged more than $3,500 in contributions. This is more than the total contributions so far. I’ve really felt that it was best to keep the recording fund completely separate from my personal finances. However, a pledge is a pledge, and I want to be in a position to receive it.
The result is that I have updated the FAQ and included a method of making a contribution for people who simply hate paypal, refuse to use it, or just want to write a check and mail it to me.
Aside from the pledges, today is the first day (so far) where no new contributions have come in. I have mixed emotions about that. Need to rest, think, and trust.
Please keep spreading the word!
Love,
s.
• February 26th 2008:
I woke up this morning to a couple more contributions. Thank you.
I’ve been thinking and asking people for input on how I might be waging a more effective campaign to get more people involved in this process. Meanwhile I had a dream last night that I released a dual version of the CD: A Day version - featuring mostly handmade mixes and a Night Version - featuring mostly club mixes. The dream was so vivid, I could feel the texture of the paper in my hands.
Of course when I woke up I found I had a terrible fever and plan to spend the rest of the day, and perhaps the next couple of days in bed resting and getting better.
At the end of Sunday Soul there were four more contributions to the recording fund in my inbox. This morning there were a few more as well. This evening welcomed another 4 contributions to the recording fund bringing us up and over 2% of the total budget.
I am so grateful, and getting excited.
One thing I discovered today is that a donation of .01¢ is a benign contribution. Paypal eats the entire penny as a transaction fee, and thus donating a penny is like giving paypal a penny, and nothing comes through to the recording budget. Interesting…
Lessons learned, I am regrouping for the week ahead and looking into how to next proceed.
Please keep spreading the word!
• February 24th 2008:
I woke up today to five more contributions to the fund. Hurray!
A few people who received the initial email I sent out inviting them to the site to read more replied saying something like “Sunshine, I’d love to help. What can I do?” I felt a little awkward replying and basically just saying “Um… read the web site?” hehehehe.
Also a few sweet folks have written in saying they they really haven’t got even a dollar to contribute to the recording fund. I warmly replied letting them know that I know they would if they could and thanking them for their spirit, as well as suggesting that maybe the very best way anyone could help right now is to spread the word and help get people involved and excited about this project. We have accomplished almost 1.5% of our total goal in about 36 hours. That may seem slow, but it feels fast and exciting to me. What we need now is some momentum.
Anything anyone can do to help us move forward is welcome, and essential.
Time for me to get ready for Sunday Soul tonight. We broadcast from 10pm east (7pm pacific) and again shortly after 10pm pacific time on http://90hz.org. See you there if you make it by.
Love,
s.
I received my first seven contributions today!
So with the wind behind me, today I set up this micro site to replace my journal and we are live. Pretty as it was, my site will be this fundraising effort exclusively until we either reach the goal, or time runs out.
* kisses the ground *
Sent out a mailing to my list, and everyone I know in the world whom I think might be even vaguely interested in this project.
Mailed a note to the Sunday Soul mailing list.
Posted about it on myspace and facebook.
Added a header to the treehousemuzique.com main site and posted about it in the bulletin board there.
Day one.
• February 22nd 2008:
Began a dialog with several people I’ve shown these pages to, asking for their input and criticism. I have expanded the FAQ, added a list of questions, added some more questions, and clarified some of the answers. Consolidated the index page further, and brought the bottom paragraph up to the top.
Reworked the “donate” page. Made it a pop up page, and styled it to look more like the site itself. Added a drop down menu so that choosing the “level” would be easy, and automatic. Created an additional input for people who either don’t like the whole “level” thing, or want to donate again.
Added music to the sidebar for people who may not already know, and for your pleasure as well.
Added the “spread the word” section, refined the design. Added an unforgettable masthead to the section and created a special one for the backend.
Sent an email to a small handful of people pointing them to this micro site and asked for their feedback. Everything is in place, but these pages aren’t public or linked anywhere just yet. I am waiting for the response of my trusted friends and family, and meditating on this project to make sure it’s the best approach, and that it’s really what I want to do.
• February 20th 2008:
This site was created.
