Who I am and Why I'm Here
My name's Leslie McKee and I'm an independent Christian music artist, worship leader, musician, and roster artist with Creative Soul Records. I'm super excited to let you know that I've been working on my first full-length recording project! It's actually been in the works for some time now, but like I said, life comes at us and it has come at me full on for the past few years. There have been many times I've felt like giving up, but I've come out on the other side alive and full of hope, and in turn, want to encourage others to hold on. I've pretty much lived out 2 Corinthians 4: 8-10: We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
I've teamed up with Eric Copeland of Creative Soul Records to create the best product possible for you. He has a heart for giving voice to independent artists, helps us to reach our creative goals and equips us to do the work God has created us to do. For this project, he has put together a team of the best players in Nashville. We have put together an incredible track list of songs, including songs that I have co-written, songs from other writer-friends, and songs that were acquired through Word Records. In addition to the amazing players and producers I've worked with on this project, I've also had the opportunity to work with incredible vocal producers. I want to tell you so much more about all these people that were involved and the process of getting to this point, but I'm going to save that for an update that will follow soon. The album is going to be amazing and will show quite a different side of me than what was heard on my debut EP, True to You.
I've been overwhelmed by the support and encouragement of family, friends, and fans since stepping out in ministry, and I would like to invite you to partner with me on getting these songs of hope out to the world. Together, we can make a difference!
So...how can you be involved?
That's a great question and I have a couple answers for you. One way to help is to offer prayer support. Prayer is such a vital part in all aspects of this kind of undertaking: from choosing and writing songs, to petitioning for the means to complete it, and to getting the finished product into the hands of people who need to hear the message of the songs.
Another way to help is to contribute financially to the project. The overall cost of the album will be around $25,000. I've set a goal of $5000 to help see us through the end of production. We've been able to track the songs with the band and I've recently been able to cut vocals and do a photo shoot. Now we're in the home stretch! The songs need to be mixed and mastered, album artwork needs to be done, and lastly, the CDs will be sent off for duplication.
Perhaps you're not able to contribute but you'd still like to show your support. Social media is a great way to get news out quickly to a lot of people. Please consider sharing this with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
What's in it for you?
We are putting together some great perks for you as a way to say thank you for your support. You'll be the first to hear of updates as they're available. Plus, you'll experience joy in knowing your contribution will help in sharing music that will influence and make a difference in the lives of others.
What happens to any additional funds that are raised?
We had some songs that didn't make the cut on this CD, so there is talk of doing an EP to follow-up within a year of this album release. Funds could go toward production on the EP, production on video for some of the songs, promotion and marketing of the new songs, and/or toward touring expenses for sharing the new songs.
Risks & Challenges
It is not easy for me to ask for financial support and doing so creates a sense of vulnerability. It's easy to feel that there are so many other worthy causes out there for people to contribute to, why would they choose to help me meet my goal?
I'm launching this campaign as we enter into the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons which may cause decreased visibility of the campaign.
My response to both concerns is prayer and trusting that God hasn't brought me this far to abandon me, but rather plans to do great things through the message of the songs.
