Hello Everyone!!!
My name is Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and I am a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, music director, producer, DJ, and educator. I am raising money to finish recording my first solo album (working title: Les Jardins Mystiques) as well as a string quartet record of cinematic improvisations with my string quartet, Quartetto Fantastico. I am unbelievably excited to share the love in my heart with the world through music! I appreciate your help in bringing this dream and vision to life!
Les Jardins Mystiques Special Guests:
Austin Peralta, Bilal, Chris 'Daddy' Dave, Coco (Quadron), Deantoni Parks, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Herbie Hancock, James Gadson, JRocc, Karriem Riggins, Leon Ware, Madlib, Marie Daulne (Zap Mama), Mia Doi Todd, Nai Palm (Hiatus Kaiyote), and Seu Jorge to name a few.
Quartetto Fantastico:
Chris Woods (violin)
Paul Cartwright (violin)
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (viola)
Peter Jacobson (cello)
Backstory:
I grew up in beautiful Topanga Canyon, tucked away in the hills of Los Angeles County, to a diverse and artistic family of musicians and educators. Despite playing music my entire life, performing thousands of concerts and recording on well over 500 records, films/tv shows and commercials, I have not been able to afford the time and money needed to record my own albums. Even though my path as a musician has been an awesome and emotionally fulfilling journey, most of my gigs don’t pay enough for me to make ends meet, let alone build a sustainable foundation to one day raise my own family.
Currently, as a freelance artist between unpaid gigs, I have no money and have not even been able to pay my own rent the last two months… In my experience, in most cases, the gigs that pay the best are often the least creatively fulfilling, and the most fulfilling gigs from a creative and emotional perspective pay either nothing, or an extremely small amount.
This is the most critical time so far in my entire life and with your help, I will be able to seriously break through with the production of my own recorded work!!!
Surviving as a Creative artist:
The one thing I love most in life is creating and performing music that touches people’s souls. As a musician focused on making incredibly well-crafted, soulful, diverse and inspiring music, I’ve given my life towards this cause by working on average 12-20 hrs everyday. I absolutely LOVE what I do, but would like to finally focus on and be able to sustainably create my own music with your help!
As human beings, we all love music so much! But, unfortunately, it is very difficult for many creative musicians like myself to survive in the world. I have done my very best to utilize as much heart and wisdom possible as I continue to grow as a human being and artist, and have now come to a place where I’m humbly looking to the support of you- new and old friends around the world who will join me in launching the next step of my music.
This all is what has led me to being here with you now!
This Indie Gogo campaign will allow me to:
*Finish my first solo album (a double album on the LA-based indie record label Brainfeeder). The working title is ‘Les Jardins Mystiques’ (The Mystical Gardens).
*Finish my first record with my string quartet Quartetto Fantastico (this will also be a double album and will be released independently by us and is 100% comprised of sublime and diverse cinematic improvisations).
*Have living expenses needed to complete these albums.
*Hire a small documentation crew that will document aspects of the making of both of these historic albums. This will be a huge help towards creating more future opportunities for myself and my string quartet.
*Pay for food at my Brainfeeder recording sessions to feed the multitude of musicians that I will be hiring to record with me.
*Purchase/fix gear that is needed to complete these albums and tour around the world.
*Emerge as the solo musician doing the work that I feel I was born to do.
*Be used as an example to other creative musicians that are also struggling to manifest their dreams.
*Donate 10% of my earnings from my solo Brainfeeder album as well as donate 10% of Quartetto Fantastico’s earnings to worthy charities for the rest of our lives.
Some of the charities that we will be donating to initially are:
http://www.hearmehub.com/
http://www.kiva.org/
http://www.donorschoose.org/
http://www.cff.org/
http://www.iapf.org/en/
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
Follow me on Twitter or like me on Facebook for a free digital download of my very first Mixtape (expected release: late summer)!
**** I greatly appreciate you considering donating through Paypal which will allow me to immediately start receiving and applying your generous contributions instead of having to wait 6 weeks from now once all payments are processed through Indie Gogo. ****
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE KINDNESS, GENEROISTY AND LOVE!!!!!!! YOU HAVE MY ETERNAL PLEDGE AND PROMISE TO STRIVE TO CREATE SOMETHING OF LASTING BEAUTY, HONESTY, RELEVANCE AND INSPIRATION!
Sincerely,
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson
Breakdown of Budget:
Living Expenses:
In order to have the free time needed to work on my Mixtape, Brainfeeder + Quartetto albums.
$25,000
Brainfeeder Double Album:
Brainfeeder Rhythm Section Recordings
Musicians: $16,000
Studio: $4,000
$20,000
String Orchestra:
Musicians: $7,200
Studio: $900
$8,100
Woodwind/Brass/Sax/Misc. Overdubs:
Musicians: $3,600
Studio: $1,500
$5,100
Brainfeeder Album Special Guests:
$20,000
Session at A Place Called Home:
Kids Performance Fee: $1,250
Food: $100
$1,350
Session in Atlanta:
Musicians (Pros): $1,600
Musicians (Kids): $1,000
$2,600
Editing/Mixing/Mastering of Brainfeeder Album:
$10,000
Quartetto Double Album:
Audio Mixing: $2,000
Mastering: $2,000
CD pressing/post cards/posters: $5,000
$9,000
Food for Musicians/Engineers/Film Crew during the making of both albums:
$3,000
Film Crew to Document Both Albums:
Shooting: $4,000
Editing: $5,000
$9,000
Gear:
Hard Drives: $2,000
Zoom Handheld: $300
Ableton Live 9: $1,000
Multiple Keyboard/Mic Repairs: $3,000
Violin Case for 5-String Yamaha: $2,000
$8,300
Sub Total:
$121,450
Projected Cost of Indie Gogo Perk Fulfilments:
$36,600
Sub Total:
$158,050
Plus Pay Pal's 0.03% ($4,889)
Sub Total:
$162,939
plus Indie Gogo's 0.04% ($6,790)
Grand Total:
$169,729
