Kickstarter Campaign to launched to fund the new record.

Yes, it's true. I'm working on a new record. I've been working on one for a 
good long while now. So long, that some of you didn't believe it existed. 

:-) 


But it's actually two records, or more accurately, one record, one EP*, and 
a 7" single. 

Recording this record has been quite a challenge for me. Time and money 
have been constant and pernicious issues. And I've also had serious issues 
with my voice over the last few years, and have been working with a vocal 
coach to fix that. Finally, this is the first record in a LONG time that is 
mostly songs that I've written. And while I feel strongly about these songs 
and am proud of them, there is always that nagging sense of "but what if 
they don't like it?". But like I say on 'Longway From Settling Down', "I'm 
here 'cuz I got a song to sing." 

Here's how Kickstarter works: 

Kickstarter is a “crowdfunding” site. That’s a hipster way of saying “I’ll 
gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” You pledge money to me that 
will go to funding the record, and in turn I will send you downloads, CDs, 
t-shirts, vinyl records or whatever, once our goal is reached. You can give 
as little as one dollar and there’s no limit to how much you can 
contribute. However, there are specific rewards are given for specific 
levels of giving. Remember how I pre-sold “A Long Way From Shady Grove” 
before it was released? Well, this works like that, except that Kickstarter 
handles the payments through Amazon and that makes it safe and secure to 
pledge online. 

But here’s the catch: 

Kickstarter is all-or-nothing. If I don’t make my goal of $4600, NO ONE is 
charged. So it becomes a bit of a race, and if I don’t make my goal in 30 
days (well, 29 now) I’m going to have to find some way to get this album to 
you…and “Gone” will be, well, gone. 

I really like Kickstarter’s all-or-nothing policy. It forces me to rely on 
you guys to make it happen, and it means that we are literally in this 
together. Of course, this is true EVERY DAY, it’s just that a Kickstarter 
campaign puts it into high relief. 

The good news is that as of this writing, I’m over 25% there! 

Here's what I'm hoping to create: 

PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS: This is a CD of 11 songs, most of which I've 
written, that tell a story. Sometimes the story is personal, sometimes it's 
not (and which is which is not as obvious as you might think) but all tell 
the story of people or places or things, hence the title. I've treated this 
album very much as a collection of short stories. (here's one of them: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KtdmHs_x8ck). I call 
it an album because it is one; a collection of songs that sonically and 
thematically relate. 

GONE: This was originally my "808 and Heartbreak," meaning an album that 
was related to two specific concepts. In this case, loops and loss. These 
songs were all contenders for the record when I did the webcast back in 
February of 2012 (which, if you missed it, you can still see here: 
http://vimeo.com/37430256). The eight or nine songs I played here, got 
whittled down to the five or six that will end up on the album. Still, 
they're all based around loops, vaguely revolve around the idea of being 
"gone," and most importantly, hang together sonically. 

“Gone” is only available as part of this Kickstarter campaign. You will not 
be able to get it at shows or anywhere else. 

THE 7" SINGLE: This is an elegant solution to a very inelegant problem. I 
have, for years, REALLY wanted to make a vinyl record. But vinyl is VERY 
expensive, and the demand potentially very small. But it felt important to 
me to have it. I'm not that old, or that old school, but after all these 
years vinyl still feels more real than a CD, or worse, a download. At the 
same time I had been grappling with a tune that I really liked (“All I Need 
Is You”) that didn't really fit the overall vibe of "People, Places, 
Things." So when someone suggested to me that I could release a 7" single 
that came with a download of the whole album, an elegant solution was 
formed. That's how the single will be sold at shows, but through the 
Kickstarter campaign you will also get physical copies of "PPT" and "Gone," 
a t-shirt, and a bunch of other stuff. (check it out here: 
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/503728969/help-me-fund-my-new-cd-people-places-things 
) 

Okay, this is getting a little long-winded, so I’ll stop here. Please go 
check out the video at the above link. It’s about 5 minutes long and will 
explain all the perks of pledging as well as a good look at the album art 
and the music that will be on the CD, the EP, and the 7”. 

As the campaign progresses I’ll be sending you updates. You’ll be hearing 
from me a little more than usual, but I promise to keep it brief, 
interesting, and relevant to you. 

Thank you for reading this far. 

C-ya out there. 

--Br 

www.butchross.com 

*I don't know how this happened, but no one seems to remember what an "EP" 
is, it's stands for "extended play" record, and was a reference to ten inch 
vinyl records that were sometimes released. An EP is usually 4 to 6 songs, 
but sometimes as many as 8. It's way too much music to fit on a 7" single, 
but if you tried to sell it as an LP you'd make a bunch of people mad. 

RINGTONES!!!

I took a break from finishing up the Album and putting together the 
Kickstarter Campaign to make a few ringtones from some of my earlier albums. 

They are in two formats .m4r for iPhone users, and .mp3 for Android phone 
users (Droid, Samsung etc.) 

You can find them here: http://butchross.com/ringtones.html 

They're free and available to everyone, tell your friends! 

August Tour begins! (and there's a lot of Ukulele in it!!!)

Upcoming Shows:

This Saturday and Sunday! Aug 3 - 4, 2013
Midwest Uke FestFolkcraft Instruments Store and Factory
Woodburn, IN

Tuesday, Aug 6, 2013 - $20 per workshop
A day of workshops in Marine City, MIMarine City, MI
Contact Tom Hoy if you'd like to attend.
(586) 747-4197  thoy999@yahoo.com
Thursday, Aug 8, 2013 - $25
A day of workshops in Findlay, OHCollege First Church of God
Findlay, OH
Contact Phyllis Schaffer if you'd like to attend. (419) 424‐0213
Friday, Aug 9, 2013 - 8pm
Taffy's of EatonEaton, OH

http://www.taffysofeaton.com/
LOVE this place!!!
Saturday, Aug 10, 2013 -
Second Saturday ClinicFolkcraft Instruments
22133 Main St.
Woodburn, IN

More Uke wondrousness! (is that a word?)

Friday, Aug 16, 2013 - 7:30 - $10.00
333 Coffeehouse351 DuBois Rd
Annapolis, MD

Saturday, Aug 17. 2013 - 7:30pm - Free
Taylors Books226 Capitol Street,
Charleston, WV
(304) 342-1461

There might be some stuff happening in central Ohio too. I'll be sure and let you know when that gets finalized.

So, I'm going to let you in on a little secret; August is the one month of the year where it's no fun to be in Chattanooga. As a result, I try and book myself out of town for as much of it as I can. Of course, I heard just yesterday that it's been reasonably mild this summer and that we can expect those mild, wonderful conditions to continue throughout the month of August. Well my loss is your gain (or something like that 'cuz I'm headed your way).

Although I have no intention of giving up the dulcimer anytime soon, and am, in fact, looking forward to playing some new clubs and festivals in the coming year. I have to say that attending last year's Midwest Uke Fest was a revelation. Richard Ash and company know how to put on a festival that is fun and informative, and even the threat of a tornado didn't stop us from having a blast whatever we were doing. I'm very excited to get back up there with Bing, Ehukai, Gerald Ross (no relation), and YOU!!!

After a week that will find me teaching some nice all-day workshops in Michigan and Northern Ohio, I'll be back at Folkcraft for the Second Saturday Clinic. I'll be teaching Uke and Maureen Sellers will be handling the Dulcimer stuff. The Second Saturday Clinic manages to cram workshops, jamming, and concerts all into a jam-packed afternoon that you can still get to and back in a single day, and all for just $20 dollars.

Finally, I'll be performing at a new (to me) coffeehouse. The 333 Coffeehouse in Annapolis, Maryland is a fun series that has, in the past, hosted some of my favorite performers. I don't know how they found me, but I'm happy to be a part of this lively concert series.

News on the new CD

Nothing too much to report here. Progress IS being made, but you gotta be in town to record so it's been catch as catch can. But, the hard work is getting done, The guest musicians are coming and going, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've been saying this for a while, but I'm pretty sure that when this tour ends we'll be kicking off the Kickstarter campaign.

Kickstarter, for those of you who don't know, is a "crowdfunding" site where "backers" (that's you) pledge to give some amount toward the completion of my financial goal, in exchange for some level of reward. This can be everything from a download of the album, to a physical CD, to Vinyl, T-shirts and even House Concerts. It's very Public Radio except that the pleas will come mostly via email and I won't be holding your programming hostage until I make a certain amount. Also, Kickstarter is an all or nothing thing: If I don't make my goal, nobody gets charged. This last bit is actually my favorite part—it means we're literally in this together.

This record has taken a long time to get off the ground, but that's because it is an ambitious and emotional undertaking. I'm excited for you guys to hear the results, and one of the levels on the Kickstarter campaign will be just that: the ability to hear mixes of things and the work in progress.

That's all the news I got for you, come see a show, take a workshop or just say hi.

C-ya out there.

--Br
www.butchross.com

"Now I know what a dulcimer is supposed to sound like" —Jake Shimabukuro

Spring Ohio Tour (and Indiana), plus info on how to get the NEW CD!!!

Upcoming Shows:

Wed. May 1, 2013 – 7pm. Free (eat something)
JK O'Donnell's
121 Wayne St. Fort Wayne, IN
www.jkodonnells.com
They like me, I like them; what else can I say? Oh yeah, GREAT FOOD!

Thurs. May 2, 2013 – 7pm  $20 per person
Prussia Valley Dulcimers Acoustic Music Shop
122 Main St. Waverly, OH
Workshop: Beatles tunes for Dulcimer
as I am only teaching one dulcimer workshop at COFF, this'll be another opportunity to learn some stuff.

Thurs. May 2, 2013 – 8:15 or so $8 (free to workshop attendees)
Prussia Valley Dulcimers Acoustic Music Shop
122 Main St. Waverly, OH
Mini-concert

Friday, May, 3rd Potluck and Jam @ Grandview Park – Free
We do this every year; contact Doug Snapp for more information (dmsnapp at wowway.com or phone at 313-6424). 

Friday, May 3 - 5 2013 - all day $10 to $30 depending.
Battelle-Darby Creek Metro Park - Central Ohio Folk Festival
I’ve lost count of how many years I’ve been doing this, but it’s a great festival, teaching a Uke workshop this year too!

Saturday, May 4, 2013 – 8pm (tip jar)
Taffy's of Eaton 
123 east main street Eaton, OH
My first time at this very cool and completely improbable venue just outside of Dayton, Ohio, you Cinci and Dayton folks TOTALLY need to check this place out.

Sunday, May 5, 2013 – 6pm - $3
Leo's Coffeehouse
@Zion United Church of Christ
2301 Indian Mound Ave.
Norwood, OH 45212

And a workshop at 5:30
Rock Rhythm Primer: Learn the basics of rhythm from the early days of Rock-n-Roll, some rhythms will be harder than others, but you'll be surprised by which is which.

Phew! That’s a busy long weekend. And I haven’t mentioned the school program I’ve managed to squeeze in the middle (thanks Laura!) 

I am procrastinator to beat the band, especially when it comes to the day-to-day minutia of my business (like writing this email). But I don’t get to do what I do, if you don’t know about it, so eventually it gets done. I suppose that the procrastination comes from (as Bing Futch has suggested) knowing the time commitment involved. I think he's right, I am a slow writer. This email is long, (not Moby Dick, but still) and took the better part of three hours to finish.

That’s not, however, why it’s taken FOUR YEARS to complete my most recent CD (I had wanted it to be out in 2011). It’s taken so long because, as I’m fond of saying “things take the time that they take”. Add to that, life, vocal issues and the fact that this is a major work that I’ve undertaken and you start to get a vague understanding of why it’s taken so long. But I am far enough along in the process that I can start to talk about the new CD (and take pre-orders).

It’s going to be called “People, Places, Things” and it will showcase my songwriting—something that I’ve not been able to do on the last two CDs. “Moonshiner’s Atlas” was a document of my learning to play my instrument, while “Shady Grove” was an exhibit of my dulcimer explorations. But this one—for better or worse—is my voice. These songs are both new and very old, and the whole project runs a thru line from my first CD (the out-of-print “Selected Works of Friction”) to earlier this afternoon. The songs are sweet, sad and funny (like life) and while my dulcimer chops are still amply showcased, it takes a back seat to the story being told. 

Along the way I’ve rounded up some friends to help me out: vocalists, guitarists, piano, cello, drums, violin and viola all make an appearance; great friends and greater musicians who generously donated their time and talent to make this thing a reality. It’s been a huge undertaking and is by far the most ambitious work I’ve done thus far.

And it’s not just a CD, there’s a whole other EP to go with it. I’ve decided to separate out some of the loop-based tunes I do into a collection I’m calling “Gone.” If you got to see the web cast I did in February 2012, you saw a lot of that material. This EP is NOT FOR SALE, but you can get it by either pre-ordering the CD (there will be sign up sheets available at the gigs) or by contributing to my Kickstarter campaign.

What is Kickstarter you ask? Well not to be too dramatic, but it’s how we make music for a living now. Kickstarter refers to itself, as “Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects. Everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology. Kickstarter is full of ambitious, innovative, and imaginative projects that are brought to life through the direct support of others.” But I call it a bet. A bet that you people, who—though your gracious support have allowed me to have a career for the last four years—will show as much faith in me as I have in myself. Does that seem a little dramatic? Well it is. But I have gotten as far as I have because of…and solely because of…your support. Kickstarter is a bet on that premise; if I don’t make my goal (probably in the neighborhood of $4,500.00) you don’t pay a penny. It’s all or nothing, and frankly, I’m fine with that.

There are different levels of giving, with different perks at each level. These include: exclusive T-shirts, a pdf of lyrics and track notes, Vinyl (that’s right I’m making a RECORD), online access to works in progress, and THE CASSETTE: a usb jump drive housed in an old cassette case with which you will receive every record I’ve put out (including “Friction” and the two {and eventually three} Christmas CDs) as well as EVERY CD I WILL EVER RECORD FOR AS LONG AS I CHOOSE TO DO THIS (which in all probability will be until I die). Plus house concerts and whatever else I can dream up. Also, even at the lowest levels of support you will be able to download the CD on the day it’s finished; no waiting on me to mail it to you.

I do all of this because it’s how records get made these days. If we’re being honest, it’s how records have always been made, at least at this level. This just cuts out the middleman. 

The Kickstarter campaign will kick off next week, and the details will be available on my Facebook page(s) as well as this here mailing list. 

Thank you for reading this far.

Those shows again.

Wed. May 1, 2013 – 7pm Free (eat something)
JK O'Donnell's
121 Wayne St. Fort Wayne, IN
www.jkodonnells.com

Thurs. May 2, 2013 – 7pm  $20 per person
Prussia Valley Dulcimers Acoustic Music Shop
122 Main St. Waverly, OH
Workshop: Beatles tunes for Dulcimer

Thurs. May 2, 2013 – 8:15 or so $8 (free to workshop attendees)
Prussia Valley Dulcimers Acoustic Music Shop
122 Main St. Waverly, OH
Mini-concert

Friday, May, 3rd Potluck and Jam @ Grandview Park – Free
Contact Doug Snapp for more information (dmsnapp at wowway.com or phone at 313-6424).

Friday, May 3 - 5 2013 - all day $10 to $30 depending.
Central Ohio Folk Festival
Battelle-Darby Creek Metro Park
Galloway, OH

Saturday, May 4, 2013 – 8pm (tip jar)
Taffy's of Eaton
123 east main street Eaton, OH

Sunday, May 5, 2013 – 6pm - $3
Leo's Coffeehouse
@Zion United Church of Christ
2301 Indian Mound Ave.
Norwood, OH 45212

And a workshop at 5:30: Rock Rhythm Primer

C-ya out there.

-Br
www.butchross.com