Hi, dear socialmusic.network people,
I need your help 
Today I woke up and I had an epiphany about how I could actually finish an album that I have been working on for the past 5 years and which I’ve been forced to put on hold indefinitely.
And I think it was a really good idea. The only problem is that it’s not feasible on any of the platforms I know of.
A little background: After fighting depression for a couple of years, I’ve begun voluntary work at an animal sanctuary in 2020. This sanctuary, and its inhabitants, are the whole reason I’m able to do music again and recording under the name “Schall und Stille”.
During those years, I’ve recorded a number of songs directly inspired by my encounters with the many souls I’ve met there, and the things those encounters brought to resonate in me.
(a first concept for the album cover of “Sanctuary”)
I originally wanted this to be my next official album, but the rather lackluster reception of my last release made me realize that I can’t do it.
I admit the only thing keeping me from finishing and releasing this album is a very personal problem of mine. It’s my fear that the music will be ignored and won’t make a difference in the world.
Please bear with me. You don’t need to tell me that download numbers and recognition don’t matter and music should be a cause unto itself etc. etc. pp.
I know all that, and so far I’ve managed to live by it.
But it’s different with this project, because I simply know it would destroy me if I eventually released this album to the public and the only reactions to all those songs about all those souls and experiences that have touched my life in such a profound way would be two dozen people downloading it and then it’s crickets all the way.
Please don’t ask me to explain it, I can’t. I know I can release any other thing and people ignore me or they don’t and it’s ok, I can manage – but it wouldn’t be for those songs. It simply wouldn’t. I have battled depression before and I know I must protect myself from certain things.
But today I woke up with an idea.
Let’s say I do a beautiful kickstarter campaign for the album.
And let’s say in this campaign I make it known that I’ll release the album once we get €500 in donations for the animal sanctuary. I have photos, and films, and stuff, and I know a little bit how to write, it would be a beautiful campaign.
If I’d manage to raise €500 I would know my music made a difference. It would help those animals I’ve been caring for. It wouldn’t even matter if people listened to it or not, I’d release it anyway! It would simply put my soul at ease.
That’s really all I would need. And if I didn’t manage to raise the money, no problem, then I wouldn’t release the music and keep it to myself, which is what I’m doing at the moment which is unfortunate but I can live with it.
And it would even be easy for me to advertise the campaign, because I wouldn’t advertise my music (which I f**ing hate doing!) but I would advertise our work at the sanctuary, which is totally ok with me.
Yeah, beautiful idea, only that it isn’t possible. Kickstarter explicitly forbids raising money for charity in its terms and conditions.
So I guess what I’m asking is: Do you people know of any platform that will allow me to do this? Or do you maybe have an idea how else to do this?
Any ideas or thoughts?
I can’t believe I’m doing this, but it certainly seems so.