Individual Artist Project Grant FY21

With this specific project, I want to be intentional about collaborating with artists in my direct Duluth community. For my most recent past recording projects, I've enlisted artists from the Twin Cities and from Wisconsin, but for this project I really aim to build connections with those in the arts community right here in the Arrowhead Region. Building and maintaining collaborative relationships with both Alan Sparhawk and Keenan McIntyre-Talbott not only benefits myself personally, but it is providing work and direct financial and collaborative benefit to them as well. This lifts the arts community up at a local level. It is also exciting to consider how this collaboration will draw in an audience from a national level (Alan's longstanding project LOW has received critical acclaim around the world) to place focus on the Duluth arts community. Furthermore, I believe that collaborations between regional artists such as myself and Alan can inspire collaboration and support between other artists in the community even in different mediums outside of music. All in all, this proposal will strengthen the arts community as a whole at a local level and provide selective focus on how artists from multiple levels of achievement and walks of life can come together to create, learn from one another, and lift each other's work up within their community. GOALS 1.To provide a more timely and consistent pattern of releasing my body of work 2.To create a collection of songs that stand apart sonically from my previous work 3.To collaborate with established artists that I admire in my field of work and in my community 4.To establish a visual component to my songs by experimenting with videography and film OUTCOMES 1.If funded, I will release this EP within eight months of my previous album release(in the past,I've gone multiple years between releases) 2.I will explore the use of distinct instrumentation and arrangements that differ from what I've used in the past (synths, electronic sounds, sparse percussion, etc.) 3.I will enlist the expertise of Alan Sparhawk as a producer and collaborator to craft this batch of songs in the studio. This work will be done within our own community of Duluth. 4.I will create a video for a song from the EP using found and filmed footage that will enhance the listening experience and accompany the release I have both written and verbal confirmation from Alan Sparhawk and Keenan McIntyre-Talbott that they are committed to executing this recording project and seeing it through to completion in alignment with my artistic vision. Alan and I have been in the talks about this for a couple years now, and I'm grateful that we've finally locked in a plan and am excited about the prospects of working together. Furthermore, I'm relieved to say that the songs intended to be used for this proposed EP have already been written and roughly demoed. This will alleviate any issues with the possibility of writer's block to execute this project. Most importantly, I've historically shown confidence in accomplishing previous projects that have been funded through ARAC. The grants that I have been awarded by ARAC are completed and well received by the community. Currently, my artistic work is my only work, and I will/do have ample time and commitment to dedicate to this proposal. I will know the work was a success if: -there is evidence of sustained attention of current audience as well as increased audience reach as shown by viewership online and in person, downloads/streams, well-placed shows booked, and secured press features -the collection of songs recorded and released presents itself as honest, fresh, in alignment with my artistic vision, are professionally recorded and receive regional radio airplay -the partnerships established by this proposal will lead to future collaborations and a successful collaborative working partnership with both Alan and Keenan will be maintained for the prospects of future work together beyond this