Story and Impact
"Alex Sill is one of those rare talented individuals that has all the elements in place, and at the age of 22! (?)... He has a wonderful command of the compositional tools necessary to recognize his inner musical inspirations and make them real in the world in beautiful and generous expressions while still honoring the melody... He is one of the vital players that has the potential to raise the Jazz bar."- Steve Vai
Greetings, everyone. My name is Alex Sill and I'm a guitarist and composer from Los Angeles. Thanks so much for stopping by my IndieGoGo page. This campaign will assist me in recording my very first solo album- Experiences: Real and Imaginary. The title for the album came to mind a number of years ago while I was going to college at Cal Arts, and was inspired by my curiosity of the link between the music we listen to and the poignant imagery that streams through our minds as a result. After researching concepts such as psychoacoustics, music therapy, and ultimately the theories of psychologist Carl Jung, I came to a conclusion: When we listen to powerful music, we aren't only relating to our personal experiences, but to an inherited and collective power present within all of us; a power that creates stories and connects listeners to something greater than any one person. The music we love personally connects us to everyone else- We're all tapping into the same, deep well of psychological material.
The compositions I've assembled for this album stem from an awareness of what I've just discussed, and my wish is that the music allows listeners to connect with the vital, imaginative centers within all of us. Joining me in this journey are some of my favorite musicians; people I'm honored to call friends and mentors, including world renowned film composer and jazz pianist Dave Grusin (an amazing storyteller in his own right), Benjamin Shepherd (one of LA's finest bass players), acclaimed drummer Gene Coye, piano virtuoso Vardan Ovsepian, saxophone phenoms Jacob Scesney and Danny Janklow, and other special guests. The contribution you make will assist us in recording music that's been accumulating for quite some time, in the best possible form, with some of the best musicians possible.
"Alex Sill is one of the new lions emerging into the virtuoso group of young players. He's a guitarist who's destined to be in the front line. His talent on his instrument is phenomenal, and his dedication & hard work to master it began at a young age, and has never faltered. He has absorbed the "cultural" history of the guitar, and will obviously be a cutting edge contributor to the continued evolution of this axe. His solo playing shows his maturity, way beyond his age. And maybe most important, we can hear how much he loves what he's playing. A musical slam dunk."
-Dave Grusin (Grammy/Oscar Award Winning Film Composer & Jazz Pianist)
What We Need & What You Get
The plan- 1. Recording/mixing 2. Marketing 3. Physical and Digital album release
I've set the goal for this campaign at $10k, and am putting forward over 5k of my own money. The more we raise, the more possible it will be to produce the album in its best possible form. Without your help, the album might not be released at all. Every dollar raised will go towards engineering/mixing by the great Bill Schnee (Steely Dan, Chicago, Ringo Starr, Marvin Gaye, Neil Diamond, Boz Scaggs), the musicians, three days of live recording in the studio, manufacturing physical CDs, advertising/outreach, and the unique perks available through this campaign, including (but not limited to) private concerts, posters signed by all the musicians, items used during the recording, guitar/music lessons, special musical arrangements made of a donor's favorite song, and more.
Every dollar counts. Even if we don't reach our $10k goal, the funds will still assist with everything previously mentioned. Any help is appreciated! Projected release date: June 2018
Risks & Challenges
Due to the complexity of some of the music we'll be recording, and current budget constraints, completing a full 10 track will take hard work. I've faced similar challenges before, however, having recorded most of a ten track album, Montana Suite, in a single day, with a live band. (see my website www.alexsill.com to listen to and learn more about the suite I composed for that record). The more money we raise, the more time we'll have in the studio, and the more likely all the tracks will be recorded.
Other Ways You Can Help
Even if you can't contribute monetarily, there are ways you can help. If the music and concept of this album connect with you in some way, please share this crowdfunding page with your your friends and family via social media, email, word of mouth, etc. If you want to check out my music, live performance videos and other content, they can all be found at my website: www.alexsill.com
Experiences: Real and Imaginary
Psychologist Marie Louise Von Franz on Carl Jung and imaginary experiences: "He [Jung] told that story which you can read in the Memories about this girl [a patient] who was on the moon... And he pretended, or he told it in a way as if she really had been on the moon and it had happened.
And I was very rationalistically trained from school so I said indignantly, “But she imagined to be on the moon, or she dreamt it, but she wasn’t on the moon.”
And he looked at me earnestly and said, “Yes she was on the moon.”
I still remember looking over the lake there and thinking, “Either this man is crazy, or I am too stupid to understand what he means.”
And then suddenly it dawned on me, “He means that what happens psychically is the real reality, and this other moon, this stony desert which goes round the earth, that’s illusion, or that’s only pseudo-reality.” ~Marie Louise Von Franz; Excerpt from “A Matter of Heart.”
