Replacing Stolen Music Gear

UPDATE:

First, THANK YOU to everyone who donated to help me get to the Interlochen Stick Seminar. Thanks to you, I am going! Awesome! I am very grateful to each and every one of you.

(If you feel moved to share this update with your circle of contacts and friends, that would be terrific, and my gratitude to you would be increased boundlessly. And please don't feel obligated. You've done plenty!)

Now about this update, which is a slight change of direction: It has been such a good fundraising campaign, and successful so quickly—again thanks to all of you!—that a few people (including the guiding lights at GoFundMe) have recommended that I raise my goal, and keep going.

Here is why I am extending this GoFundMe:

As many of you know, my van was broken into in early March, the interior was trashed, and some gear was stolen: my better cameras, some small tools, a couple of pieces of music processing gear including my laptop's MIDI interface, and my pair of AKG microphones that I use for both live and studio recordings. I'm sure they stole what they knew they could pawn easily, beacuse they ignored my musical instruemnts that were still in the van. Through the generosity of friends, and an anonymous donor, the main camera has been replaced, as has the MIDI interface.

And I still need to replace the microphones. I keenly feel their loss, and I will need some kind of microphones soon. When I get settled in Ann Arbor for the summer, the plan is to set up my recording studio gear, and work on two albums I have been thinking about recording for several months now. One will be an album of mostly Stick pieces, and the other will be an EP of original songs that I've written over the past few years. I've been playing and arranging my song "Shine," for example, since 2013; it's time to give it a studio treatment. 

I had a pair of AKG C1000s microphones, versatile mics that served me well for both live and studio recording for many years. So I would like to get the same kind of mics, or a newer version of them. I have looked on eBay, and seen a few possibilities, but mostly pretty scuffed up, so I don't have a lot of confidence in their quality. In the past I've gotten a lot of my gear from Full Compass in Madison, WI, where I might get a frequent buyer discount. (Full Compass is awesome. Great people, and they really know their stuff.) 

Therefore, to replace the stolen microphones, I need about $400, give or take $100, depending on where I can source them. Cost includes new XLR mic cables, and peripherals that come with the mics such as stand clips and wind socks.

So on the advice of people who know about fundraising, including folks from GoFundMe, I am continuing with The Ask, just changing directions. 

On a personal note, between the van break-in and a few other things, I had a rough few months. There were some times that I was pretty down and out. But now, thanks to all of you, my attitude has turned around and I'm feeling good about my music, my possibilties, and about humanity in general. All thanks to you. I can barely put into words how much it means to me, to have good reason to be grateful and thriving. 

THANK YOU!

P.S. If you would like to see more about what I am doing musically, and creatively in general, here is a link to my Patreon site:

https://www.patreon.com/ArthurDurkee


ORIGINAL: 

I created this GoFundMe, on the suggestion of a friend, to ask for help to attend the 2017 Interlochen Stick Seminar, at Interlochen Arts Academy in northern Michigan, beginning on July 13, 2017. Attendance is limited, to maximize personal attention between instructors and students, so I would like to register sooner rather than later, to reserve my place. Therefore this is a near-term one-time ask.

Any funds raised will be used towards registration fees and other required expenses for the Seminar. I set the goal at $600, to cover the registration fee of $425, plus partial travel expenses such as food and gas. Even if we do not meet the goal, ANY amount raised will help, and receive my immense gratitude.

I ask for help because recent events negated my previous plans for getting to the Seminar. My van was broken into and music gear and cameras stolen, and replacements and repairs had to be made. Covering these losses and repairs pushed me over-budget. I had given up any thought of being able to go, until my friend suggested I ask for help via GoFundMe.

This is why I really treasure my friends: you help me remember these obvious and useful solutions to problems, when I get tied up in worry-knots and doubts. Thank you!

I want to go to the Stick Seminar because it is one of the best musical events I know of. I’ve gone twice before, and each time came away not only with more knowledge and skill about my chosen musical instrument, but with new friends, lots of great memories, laughter, and even a wine-tasting or two. It’s a wonderful learning environment, in a great setting. There are guided lessons, master classes, a performance showcase, and lots of great conversations about music, and more. The entire event is inspired, and feeds me creatively for months to follow.

I am working towards recording a album or two of new music. I have written about five songs so far, with ideas for several more that I need to get down. The Stick Seminar is a shot in the arm creatively and in terms of performance skills, that I could really use, right now, to get to work on new music projects. (Although I still need to replace my live recording microphones that were stolen during the van break-in; I feel hopeful that will happen soon.)

Thank you very much for supporting the arts!