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String Quartet OCD Recording Project

Help me release an EP of String Quartet OCD, a piece about postpartum OCD.

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String Quartet OCD Recording Project

String Quartet OCD Recording Project

String Quartet OCD Recording Project

String Quartet OCD Recording Project

String Quartet OCD Recording Project

Help me release an EP of String Quartet OCD, a piece about postpartum OCD.

Help me release an EP of String Quartet OCD, a piece about postpartum OCD.

Help me release an EP of String Quartet OCD, a piece about postpartum OCD.

Help me release an EP of String Quartet OCD, a piece about postpartum OCD.

Loretta Notareschi
Loretta Notareschi
Loretta Notareschi
Loretta Notareschi
2 Campaigns |
Denver, United States
$2,520 USD 53 backers
126% of $2,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Highlights
Mountain Filled 2 Projects Mountain Filled 2 Projects

String Quartet OCD

I'm Loretta Notareschi, a composer in Denver, CO. I write music for chamber ensembles, orchestras, and choirs. Last year, I decided to go deep and write a string quartet, called String Quartet OCD, about my experience with postpartum OCD following the birth of my daughter. Postpartum OCD is characterized by intense fear and anxiety, in response to which mothers develop repetitive coping behaviors. I struggled with the disease for a year, all the while receiving excellent treatment. I finally recovered from it after my daughter's first birthday.

This piece was premiered in the last two weeks and recorded at the Colorado Public Radio Performance Studio by Denver's awesome Playground Ensemble. It seemed to resonate with audiences. I've been told it's "beautiful," "cathartic," "a masterpiece," "compelling," "brave," and "brilliant." Along with the piece I presented an essay that tells my story, educates audiences about the disease, and explains how to get help. 

Now I want to release the piece and essay as an EP (a short album--the piece is about 22 minutes). Will you help me?

Estimated release date is April 9, 2016.

What I Need & What You Get

Here's who and what I need funding for. It's $2000 split among:

-Performers - Sarah Whitnah, Leslie Sawyer, Donald Schumacher, and Richard vonFoerster - all fantastic musicians!
-Sound engineer - Martin Skavish
-Designer of the CD cover and booklet - Michael Campbell
-CD duplication and shipping for 500 CDs
-CD Baby registration

$2000 is a bargain for all of this. 

For your donation, I'm happy to offer perks like a digital download, a signed CD, a signed score, a composition lesson, a talk about postpartum OCD, or even a brand new piece for you! See the right hand column for details.

I am optimistic about meeting the goal, but should it fall short of $2000, I'm still going to put the money toward the project and complete it eventually. I believe in this project both for the music and the education about postpartum mental illness.

Should the donations go over $2000 (wouldn't that be cool?), I have some "stretch goals" of presenting the piece and an educational panel about postpartum mental health for parents and staff at Denver's Family Star Montessori School, and at Postpartum ProgressWarrior Moms Conference in Atlanta. Both organizations have invited me to present. To reach these stretch goals, I'd need about $1400 ($1000 for Family Star and $400 for Warrior Moms). 

10% of the sales of the CD will be donated to the Healthy Expectations Program for Perinatal Mental Health at Children's Hospital Colorado. 

The Impact

The pathos and message of this piece are all about providing hope and relieving isolation for other families experiencing the spectrum of postpartum mental health disorders, which include depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and psychosis. The piece has already been doing this. Here are some quotes from people I've heard from so far about the piece:

"I'm writing to thank you for talking about your experience with postpartum anxiety and OCD. I suffered much the same thing a couple of years ago when my daughter was born, but never sought help, or really expressed what I was going through. So much fear, so many terrifying images & intrusive thoughts! It was somehow cathartic to hear you talk about getting through it, and what's even better, making art from it. Brava!"

"[A]s a fellow musician, I simply have to reach out and tell you that the movement shared in the story just couldn't be more incredible. I felt like I was taken back to moments of despair from 2008 when my daughter was born - I had crushing PPD and OCD."

" Having gone through postpartum OCD myself I especially appreciated it. It is a frightening experience and something that is not talked about enough out in the open."

"Brilliant! We love what you're doing!....It's great to see how you've translated your experiences into music and turn something painful into something positive."

Other Ways You Can Help

Thanks for reading this far! If you want to support the project but can't make a financial contribution right now, you can still help by getting the word out. Please share on Facebook, Twitter, etc, etc. Use the Indiegogo share tools below!

Thank you very much.

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Choose your Perk

Download

$10 USD
You will receive a free download of the piece.
Estimated Shipping
April 2016
6 claimed

Signed CD

$20 USD
You will receive the CD signed by me, plus a free download.
2 claimed
Ships to United States of America

Signed Score

$50 USD
In addition to a free download and a signed CD, you will receive a signed score, including the text of the essay.
4 out of 15 of claimed
Ships to United States of America

Composition Lesson

$100 USD
In addition to a download, signed CD, and signed score, you will receive an hour-long composition lesson in person (if local) or via Skype.
2 out of 4 of claimed
Ships to United States of America

Postpartum OCD Talk

$300 USD
In addition to the above, if you're local and work with families, I will deliver a talk on surviving postpartum OCD to your audience. This will obviously be from a survivor's perspective; I'm not a medical provider! If you're not local or you just want to chat about the issues, I'm happy to meet over Skype. I am on a bit of a mission with this stuff.
0 out of 2 of claimed
Ships to United States of America

Handwritten Draft

$1,000 USD
In addition to a free download, signed CD, and signed score, I will list you among the thank-you's in the CD liner notes, and frame for you a signed, handwritten page from my drafts for the piece.
0 out of 2 of claimed
Ships to United States of America

A New Piece for You

$2,000 USD
In addition to a free download, signed CD, signed score, mention in the thank-you's, a framed and signed handwritten page from the drafts, and my undying devotion, I will write a new five-minute piece for you or an ensemble of your choosing.
0 out of 1 of claimed
Ships to United States of America
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