Emergency Working Artist Project Grant

This grant program would allow me to complete my new album. I consider the new album to be a culmination of twenty years of experience as a professional musician and songwriter. In the past I had been focused on operating under a certain code as an American roots musician, or playing Irish or reggae music in a way I considered authentic etc. Now, with all those projects as educational tools, this album will be the first time I am making an album that will be searching to sound like myself - a culmination of my music and life experiences up to this point. The musicians working with me have put their hearts and talent into the recordings and I have my home studio to arrange and fine tune the project. The funding will give me every opportunity to make the best album possible. I have a proven track record of releasing more than a dozen albums on my own record independent record label. I have built strong relationships with venues in and outside of our region and proven a willingness to go on tour to promote my work. This pandemic has enabled me to become more efficient with computer-related promotional tools such as live streaming that I can use for promotion when the album is released. I feel young, healthy and am constantly improving at the craft of songwriting and the art of making albums. I feel as if I have been working towards this album for my entire life and am excited to put all of myself into the project.I will consider this project a success if it resonates in the community. I want to contribute to a local chain reaction of positive thoughts and ideas. If the new album inspires someone to be a better artist or a better person - that will be success. If someone becomes more conscious of the community and world around them after hearing a certain song or lyric - that will be success. If people want to talk about a feeling or an idea they had when they hear the new music - that will be success. If the music draws people in deep enough so that they derive an unspoken truth at the heart of the song - that will be success. If I am still a working artist two years after the release of this new album - that will be success.