Individual Artist Project Grant FY21

I'm hoping the new music will have many tangible and intangible positive effects on the community similar to my recent 2020 holiday single, "Christmas Bells, Holiday Drums (Jingle, Jangle)". Visit Duluth made a video for "Christmas Bells" comprised of submissions from the community emphasizing happiness around the holidays in Duluth. "Christmas Bells" was played on local television stations WDSE and WRPT, radio stations KOOL 101.7 (Duluth), MPR's The Current (St Paul), MPR's Radio Heartland (St Paul), KFAI (Minneapolis), KUMD (Duluth), KUWS (Superior), WELY (Ely), KAXE (Grand Rapids/Brainerd/Bemidji), KTWH (Two Harbors) and WTIP (Grand Marais). Heidi Feroe's artwork for the ?Christmas Bells? single was used as the cover of The Reader's Annual Holiday Local Gift Guide. "Christmas Bells" was also featured in WDIO's Have a Heart, Help a Neighbor Fundraiser, The Bluebird Foundation's Annual Christmas Fundraiser and Holly Days Zeitgeist Fundraiser. I'm hoping the community feels a positivity conveying through the music. I hope the community is inspired by the consistent improvement in my art. I hope the community is inspired by my hard work and sacrifice shown in my steady artistic output and willingness to tour. I am trying to achieve my greatest work as a singer-songwriter. The pandemic has forced me to embrace recording in my own home studio. I have been studying the technical aspects of recording to go along with my experience as a musician in order to achieve a better overall project. When my Minneapolis musician friend Molly Maher heard what Erik Koskinen and I had started in Erik's Cleveland studio, she said, "this sounds like the next level for you." I have been repeating Molly's encouraging words to myself and everyone else who is working on the project. The goal is "the next level" that Molly mentioned. Measurable outcomes are things like Spotify plays, radio play, concert bookings and other subsequent opportunities. Measurable outcomes will also be the personal connections these recordings create. I have a track record of consistently releasing albums. I have built strong relationships with some of the finest musicians, producers and engineers in Minnesota and proud to have earned the opportunity to work with some of them on this album. I have also built strong relationships with venues in and outside of Minnesota, and proven a willingness to go on tour to promote my work. I feel young, healthy and am constantly improving at the craft of songwriting, performing and the art of making albums. I feel as if I have been working towards this album my entire life and am excited to put all of myself into the project.I will know if the project is a success directly from the people of our community that I will continue to play for at every type of music venue in Duluth, all over Northern Minnesota and beyond. 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.