Into the Music Radio Series Development

We are seeking funding to continue expansion of the Into the Music radio series library and establish a marketing campaign to recruit 50 radio stations around the country to air this program.

The Into the Music series chronicles the artists and events that have shaped the evolution of popular music. Over 200 hours of radio programming has already been produced on topics ranging from B.B. King to Radiohead, Bonnie Raitt to Woody Guthrie, Santana to Tracy Chapman. Throw in some Led Zeppelin, Wilco, The Woodstock Festival, Howlin' Wolf, Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell, and you begin to get a glimmer of the depth of this series. Writer, producer and host Al Neff has created an interwoven path to the musical crossroads that have enriched our culture and personal experiences.

The series is produced by Hwy. 61 Productions. That name is a nod to the classic Bob Dylan album, and the actual Highway 61 which connects the Mississippi Delta to the Great Lakes. The story of American popular music is intimately tied to this highway. Our belief is that all musical roads are ultimately connected, which is reflected by the diversity of the Into the Music library.

The Into the Music series illustrates these connections, currently bringing the rich history and inspiring sounds to listeners of 5 radio stations. (KQMT-Denver CO, KVSC-St. Cloud MN, KRPR-Rochester MN, KSRQ-Thief RIver Falls MN, WBSD-Burlington WI) With GoFundMe financial support we intend to dramatically increase that number of radio outlets, the selection of programs, and to explore other methods of program delivery and listener access.

Into the Music has continued to expand on a shoe-string budget for well over a decade, produced part-time as time permits. It is a labor of love, but this method of operation is limited and unsustainable. The success of this GoFundMe campaign will allow a dramatic expansion of program production and connection of the genre components (blues, country, folk etc.) in the existing library. This will allow us to serve the needs of more radio stations and bring Into the Music to a much larger audience. While copyright laws do not allow us to provide digital delivery or sale of the program to individuals, on-line streaming from more stations will also add much greater listening flexibility for everyone regardless of their geographic location.

Into the Music host and producer Al Neff has the knowledge, insight, voice, commitment and love of music to accomplish this mission. The GoFundMe financial infusion we seek will sustain his full-time focus on the project. Each hour of completed programming requires between 30-40 hours of research, writing, voicing and production. While we're proud of the series library assembled so far on sheer determination, we also realize that the current approach will not allow the project to reach its full potential.

With the success of this GoFundMe campaign, Hwy. 61 Marketing Director Kevin Ridley will actively pursue the addition of more public and commercial radio affiliates. Our goal is 50 stations by the end of 2014. With this expanded audience we can then attract appropriate sponsors to support the program into the future.
This goal is challenging, but it is simply a product of having the time to communicate with radio program directors around the country.
You can help accelerate the process by recommending appropriate stations and advocating for Into the Music. If you have an appropriate station you'd like us to contact, please visit our website and click on the contact link for Marketing Director Kevin Ridley.

Please become familiar with the current Into the Music library at www.intothemusic.com through the Archive page.
Also, please check out our Into the Music Facebook page and hear an audio sample at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Into-the-Music/131297067008801?ref=hl

New programs will include episodes suited for both public and commercial radio stations, strategically selected to connect and complete existing Into the Music genre sections (Classic Rock, Classic Pop, R & B, Folk, Country & Blues). As a tease, we have artists like Elvis Costello, Miles Davis, Black Sabbath, Gordon Lightfoot, Frank Sinatra and Pearl Jam in our musical sights. Make a donation and a suggestion. The canvas is being painted by all of us.

Finally, if we can exceed our basic goal, we can look into the creation of a unique Internet Into the Music channel. We are very excited about this next step to make it much easier for listeners to access the Into the Music library. By exceeding our 61K goal we can pay the performance fees associated with starting and operating an Internet station. Just think about this...at any time you could log on to the Into the Music channel and access a continuing rotation of the Into the Music library to suit your listening schedule.

Your contribution is essential to bring the Into the Music series to as many people as possible, and to ensure that the spotlight continues to shine on an incredible variety of key musicians, record labels and significant musical events. Our long-term goal is to adapt the series content and incorporate the series to educational applications, passing on this unique popular art form to future generations.

The intended result of this campaign will be to bring this series to a potentially immense audience. We thank you for your consideration.

Additional Info on Special Donation categories:

(Adopt A Musical Highway)
We thought this would be fun to have a category where a group of kindred spirits could join forces to support Into the Music.
We like the idea of an organization or business or family or a bunch of Martians teaming up to support a sub-genre of music for an Into the Music theme, i.e.--if you like Americana music you could have your team leader take suggestions for artists from this category. The same could be true for "Grunge" etc.

The minimum contribution to qualify for this level is $150. Based on the amount contributed, your group would receive the corresponding level of rewards. Expect a call from Al Neff to your team leader to discuss feedback and suggestions.

(The Stairway To Heaven)
This contribution may send Al into Rock & Roll orbit, but eventually he will return to our regularly scheduled programming.
Al will pick you up in his 1968 Mustang (weather permitting) for a night of tailgating and story-telling before attending a concert of your choice. (For Mustang delivery the event must be within 500 miles of either Denver, Colorado or St. Paul, Minnesota) In addition you can help Al research and write a mutually acceptable Into the Music episode and consult on series development.