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A Life In Song - Ian Thomas with Orchestra

A Life In Song. An exciting new album from Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Thomas, with orchestra.

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A Life In Song - Ian Thomas with Orchestra

A Life In Song - Ian Thomas with Orchestra

A Life In Song - Ian Thomas with Orchestra

A Life In Song - Ian Thomas with Orchestra

A Life In Song - Ian Thomas with Orchestra

A Life In Song. An exciting new album from Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Thomas, with orchestra.

A Life In Song. An exciting new album from Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Thomas, with orchestra.

A Life In Song. An exciting new album from Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Thomas, with orchestra.

A Life In Song. An exciting new album from Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Thomas, with orchestra.

Ian Thomas
Ian Thomas
Ian Thomas
Ian Thomas
1 Campaign |
Hamilton, Canada
$19,431 USD $19,431 USD 115 backers
45% of $42,309 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

How It All Started

In May of 2014 my archives were celebrated at McMaster University. The musical portion of the program opened with a wonderful arrangement of Little Dreams for strings and saxophone that brought me to tears. This was in no small part due to the skills of music director/arranger Darcy Hepner.

I have a soft spot for orchestra as you might know with songs like Pilot and Long Long Way and many album tracks over the years. I have also written for orchestra in my alternate career as a film composer in over twenty feature films.

Over a good glass of red Italian wine, Darcy Hepner and I conceived the idea of a full-blown orchestral recording project and live performances with orchestra to follow. This will include some charts from the original recordings by my dear friend the late Milan Kymlicka and new arrangements by yours truly, Darcy Hepner and good friend film composer, Paul Intson. For fans out there we will of course be covering all of my early hits including Painted Ladies, Long Long Way, Right Before Your Eyes, Pilot, Hold On, The Runner and a veritable cross section of my life in song from the last 40 years. We’re pretty excited about this and have already completed some of the orchestrations. The project has already caught the interest of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and I am excited to announce the debut concert of this new CD has been booked for Oct. 17/2015 in the great hall at Hamilton Place with the Philharmonic.

So Why Do I Need Your Help – Why Private Funding?

The days of big budget recordings are over. We need a big soundstage and an old fashioned thing called - musicians. Sixty real living musicians are needed for this recording and no Canadian record company can afford an album like this - certainly not for someone my age. With retail outlets all but gone, recouping costs through sales is difficult to say the least. I know this project excites me musically and my hope is that many of you will love it as well. This will be nothing short of a world-class recording and if you think this something you’d like to listen to, you can play a large part in the process.

How You Can Contribute

Please see the Perks section on the right side of this page for the various bundles available. We think the perks we're offering will catch your imagination! Like this really cool guitar, custom-made for Ian by renowned luthier, Seppo Valjakka:

After you select your perk, your contribution will be immediately withdrawn from your credit card or PayPal account.

You can contribute as many times as you like and choose as many perks as you like. If you’d like to contribute on behalf of a friend, or several friends, this option is also now available. Read more about it here.

Where Do The Funds Go?

As you can see from the chart below, the lion's share of the funds we are raising for this project go to the musicians themselves, studio and mixing expenses. Because we're using classically-trained musicians and not computer-generated orchestral sounds, the costs to produce this album are higher, but you'll certainly hear the difference.

Let’s make an amazing album together!

The Music of Ian Thomas

Those of us fortunate enough to grow up in Canada during the 70s and 80s experienced the “coming of age” of Canadian pop music and the emergence of many great artists whose music has stood the test of time to this day, both here and abroad.

Ian Thomas is one such artist. He graced us with many memorable songs from the ten great albums he released between 1972 and 1988 and his fan base grew steadily with regular radio airplay and countless live performances throughout the period. Inevitably, his music gained more attention in the US market when headline artists like America, Manfred Mann, Santana and Chicago had successful hits with some his best-known songs, like “Right Before Your Eyes”, “The Runner”, “Hold On” and “Chains”.

With the advent of the 90s, Ian extended his reach into Europe as part of the renowned band, The Boomers and astrong following ensued, especially in Germany, where the band performed two live tours to sold-out houses. Radio reinforced the band’s popularity with frequent airplay of Boomers standards like “Love You Too Much”, “Wishes” ,“You’ve Got to Know” and “ I Feel a Change Coming” and history repeated itself when notable artists like Anne Murray and Bette Midler covered the two Boomers tunes: “Good Again” and “To Comfort You”.

In recent years, Ian has toured across Canada as part of the band, Lunch at Allen's with good friends Murray McLauchlan, Marc Jordan and Cindy Church. Well-renowned for their on-stage chemistry and fine vocal harmonies, they’ve put out four fine albums together and play regularly to packed houses.

Despite a variety of other personal and artistic pursuits, Ian has maintained a successful career in the Canadian music business for nearly five decades now. He continues to write new material and in 2012, released a new album, “Little Dreams” which was well-received both north and south of the border. And yes, Ian still performs solo dates on a regular basis to appreciative audiences everywhere!

Asked recently whether he’s worried about running out of things to write about, he replied in typical fashion, “ No, I’m a big mouth. I think I’ll have too much to say until the day I drop!”

To learn more about Ian and his years in the music business, check out his recent interview with Steve Paikin on TVO’s “The Agenda":



Look Who's Been Talking About Us

http://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/5523104-a-little-help-from-his-fans/


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Choose your Perk

featured

X-Files Package

Currency Conversion $71 USD
$100 CAD
In addition to the Radio Tunes package, you’ll get a very special “X-Files” CD with a few of Ian’s unreleased tunes from years gone by. Somehow, these songs never made it to his albums, but Ian is opening up the vault to make them digitally available for this project. A must-have for any Ian Thomas fan. (Shipping included)
Estimated Shipping
October 2015
26 claimed

The Wilfred Laurier

Currency Conversion $4 USD
$5 CAD
Feeling shy but supportive? We won't force you take CDs or books, but you'll get a thanks from Ian on his website.
1 claimed

The Digital Download

Currency Conversion $11 USD
$15 CAD
The entire album sent into space for downloading to the device of your choice (email address only required for shipping).
Estimated Shipping
October 2015
9 claimed

My Life in Song Package

Currency Conversion $21 USD
$30 CAD
You'll receive an autographed copy of the “A Life in Song” CD by Ian Thomas with orchestra, signed by Ian. Nothing beats a having a physical copy and most crowd funding projects don’t give you a signed CD until you hit a much higher level, so this package represents a great value. (Shipping included)
Estimated Shipping
October 2015
20 claimed

Radio Tunes Package

Currency Conversion $35 USD
$50 CAD
You'll receive the “A Life in Song” Package PLUS a special issue CD from Ian called “Radio Tunes” with an assortment of his greatest radio hits including two bonus tracks of The Boomers performances recorded from The Boomers 1994 Art Of Living tour in Germany. The sound quality in these 2 bonus tracks is absolutely outstanding and this CD is not available anywhere else, so you might want to take advantage of this special opportunity. (Shipping included)
Estimated Shipping
October 2015
19 claimed

Sponsor Package

Currency Conversion $176 USD
$250 CAD
In addition to the X-Files Package, you’ll receive a copy of one of Ian’s books, either “Bequest” or “The Lost Chord” autographed with Ian’s personal thanks to you. Both are a great read from cover to cover and were critically well-received in literary circles PLUS you’ll be listed as a “Sponsor” in on Ian’s “A Life in Song” CD and on his website. In addition, you’ll get special insider updates and sneak previews on the making of "A Life in Song" as they become available. (Shipping included)
Estimated Shipping
October 2015
6 claimed

Patron Package

Currency Conversion $353 USD
$500 CAD
All the above, except you’ll be listed as a “Patron” in bold print on Ian’s CD and on his website. As a valued Patron, Ian will Skype with you at a mutually-arranged time to convey his personal thanks PLUS you’ll receive 2 tickets to Ian’s premiere performance of “A Life in Song” with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra at The Great Hall, Hamilton Place in Hamilton Ontario on Oct 17, 2015. In addition, you’ll be invited backstage for a special meet and greet with Ian! (Shipping included)
Estimated Shipping
October 2015
11 claimed

Songwriting Master Class

Currency Conversion $529 USD
$750 CAD
Spend a whole day in the studio with Ian and Juno Award winner Marc Jordan learning about songwriting techniques and how to create computer-generated demos. Working on a song? Bring it with you. Ian and Marc will help you bring it into better focus. A worthwhile and unique experience for you or the budding songwriter in your life. Some limited demo recording available. Lunch provided. Estimated delivery: TBD
2 out of 7 of claimed

House Concert Package

Currency Conversion $1,763 USD
$2,500 CAD
Yes, Ian will actually come to your home and play a personal concert for you, your family and friends! Timing and location to be mutually agreed upon in advance, of course. This is a rare opportunity for you, friends and family to spend an intimate evening with Ian and his music. Estimated delivery: TBD by mutual agreement. (Canada only. Reasonable travel/accommodation expenses for concerts outside Ontario to be discussed in advance).
2 out of 4 of claimed

Executive Producer Package

Currency Conversion $3,526 USD
$5,000 CAD
Ten (10) autographed copies of the new CD, PLUS Patron Package perks PLUS a an invitation to hang with Ian at the final mixing sessions of the recording in Toronto. You’ll receive credit as Executive Producer, photo with Ian in the album graphic design, (2) tickets to Ian’s premiere performance of “A Life in Song” with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra Ontario on Oct 17, 2015. Finally a backstage pass for you and a guest to join Ian for a wine and cheese celebration after the show!
Estimated Shipping
October 2015
1 out of 2 of claimed
sold out

Ian's Custom Made Guitar

Currency Conversion $2,115 USD
$3,000 CAD
Estimated Shipping
October 2015
1 out of 1 of claimed
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