Hello Friends, Family, Peers, & Music Lovers!

It's yer pal here, Zac DeCamp, writing on behalf of my band Geneseo - a two man crew which also includes my pal, Mike Brown.

Our new (and first...and only...) release has been nominated for a GRAMMY award!

We are thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to attend the GRAMMY’s, but we need funds to get us there.

We are asking for your support – send Geneseo to the GRAMMY’s !!

Please watch our pitch video for the story… and a song from the record.  Read on for more details… 

Thanks !!

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Summary

A bit more about us, and the record ---

We are childhood friends from Geneseo, NY.  

I moved to Montréal, Québec, about 15 years ago.

Mike has journeyed all over the place - including making his record "American Hotel" that took him to all 50 stars on the flag (USA) and eventually back to Geneseo, where he operates his old converted church studio called Temperamental Recordings.  

During this time, our common and neutral ground has always been Geneseo, and whenever we are both in town, we make sure to chip away at some musical collaborations.

We released a collection of these tunes in September (2013).  It’s called "Automatic Music Can Be Fun".  I mostly wrote the tunes and Mike mostly produced them, although there is a whole lot of overlap.  We recorded and played all of the instruments.

Our friends and amazing graphic designers, Brian Grunert and Annie Stoll, drew inspiration from the music to conceive and realize a scratch-off package.  The CD is enclosed in a unique package, the first packaging to incorporate scratch-off material, like a lotto ticket.  In fact, the text is almost completely covered, so you need to get involved for album credits.  The lyrics are covered too, but there are windows which reveal a poem, a theme.

Then, Mike and I collaborated on new music, using the poem as lyrics.  The song is a bonus, an extra.  You can hear it at our website, automaticmusiccanbefun.com

So we made music as art (not business), which inspired and made more art, and then came back and we made more music.  What?

We released this record independently and quietly.  But the unique and interactive packaging drew notice from members of the Recording Academy.  As a result, our record is nominated for a GRAMMY in the category of "Best Recording Package".

Wow!  The 56th GRAMMY Awards take place on January 26th.  We have the opportunity to attend the event in Los Angeles, CA.  It’s an experience we cannot pass up, but getting out there is expensive.

You probably want to buy the album anyway, so why not get it as a part of one of the perks?  There are also bigger perks for bigger donations !

Please support us and help the little guys get to Hollywood!  

What We Need & What You Get

We have set our funding goal at $3000. 

We believe this is a modest approximation of expenses that we will incur to make this trip.  

Thus far, we have already spent $2000 to reserve our flights, car rental, and one nominee guest ticket (for my wonderful fiancée!).

We are banking on finding friends to stay with, but we also might have to book some cheap hotels.

So that leaves up to $1000 to help cover other expenses while we are there, such as food and tuxedos, plus anything unexpected...which we expect!

I am also taking into account the money that we will not earn by skipping town.  For example, I will be missing at least one or two DJ gigs, and that is my main source of income.

We have set up a variety of great perks, starting with a copy of the GRAMMY-nominated cd.  We are also offering signed & sealed copies (with an extra so that you can still have the scratch-off fun), and signed polaroid photos from the GRAMMY nominee reception (one of a kind souvenir).  

Step up your donation for "experience" perks!  

A tour of Mike's church studio, followed by a night of drinking in Geneseo, have a house party with me (Zac) as your all analog DJ, or a hearty vegan soul food meal prepared by my bride to be!  Top prize is a recording session in Geneseo, NY, with Mike, and I will be there if possible. 

In reality, the trip will be more expensive than the $3000 we are asking for, but we are the ones who get to be at the GRAMMY's, so that experience is definitely worth our own coin.  That being said, even if we make it to the goal, you can keep on giving!

And if we don't make it to the goal, don't worry, any amount helps us, and you'll still get your perks.

The Impact

By giving to our campaign, you are directly and immediately assisting us in attending the GRAMMY Award ceremony.  This will have a lasting impact on our careers as a band and as individuals.  We will rub shoulders with the big names, and we will be among them as peers, which gives us opportunities to broaden our musical community and build new connections.  

Maybe we will meet someone who wants to put us on tour in Europe?  Maybe we will end up on the Wheaties box?  Who knows, but you are opening the door for us!

Also, supporting our campaign is support for independent music and art.  We hope to inspire others, as we are a concrete example that you don't need a big team or big money to cultivate a successful project.  Isn't it nice to know that staying true to the art can be recognized?  It sure gives me hope!

Other Ways You Can Help

The shows I organize in Montréal generally have a "pay what you can" cover charge policy, and this campaign follows the same philosophy.

So, if you want to support us, but can't contribute financially, NO PROBLEM!

There are other ways to get involved - spread the word by sharing our campaign on Facebook, Twitter, or whatever else the kids use these days.  Tell your friends and family about it and show them our campaign video over a coffee.

Sit back and listen to a vinyl record - this doesn't directly help us but it's good for the world of music.  I currently recommend Leo Sayer's "Endless Flight", which includes a GRAMMY winning tune!

Also, if you have any ideas, unique skills, or resources that could help our cause, feel free to contact us.  We will listen to anything you've got!