Hey everyone, Robin here! 

As you likely know, I've been a musician most of my life. 

I started out drumming in the womb, learned piano throughout elementary school, guitar in middle school, wrote my own songs in college at UCSC, and performed as a singer/songwriter for the next 10 years. In the last few years, I've learned how to DJ and make electronic music (and have been organizing music education retreats since 2019). 

The journey of being a musician in the modern world can be extremely challenging financially, with highs and lows, and often the costs are greater than the returns at first. That's why I'm reaching out with this crowdfunding campaign for community support, as I'm in one of those economic low points, and I know the power of community can help launch me out of it. 


What have been my major 2022 music costs that I need financial support with?
⦿ I have been working on a song in my friend Andy McEwin's studio in Elderado Springs. He has top quality equipment and is great to work with. He's been ensuring that I get the best vocal and guitar takes possible. I'm REALLY excited about this song, as it's my first one that combines electronic elements with my guitar and voice. The studio time is $70/hr, which is totally worth it, yet, it ads up. Because he's committed to getting the best sound possible and knows that takes time, he's willing to let me pay less than the total amount of accumulated hours we've put into this. So, even though I owe him closer to $2k, he's willing to accept whatever I can come up with. This is the first thing I need funds for, as soon as possible. The song is ALMOST done, and I even have a music video to go with it! Here's a sneak peak of what I've been working on (not the final vocal take or mix!) bit.ly/wellspringdemo

⦿ My two everyday essentials: Laptop & Car. My old laptop from 2016 was slowly breaking, with two of the four USB-C ports fried, and a lot of lag with music and video production despite my efforts to constantly clean it up. I tried to order an M1 Macbook Pro in January, but my car overheated and the head gasket blew out, so I had to buy a new car (from a friend which I love and has been functioning great) for $6,500, and when Apple charged me for my Macbook (3 months after ordering it), the payment was declined due to insufficient funds, and the transaction canceled. So, about 5 months went by, and I finally saved up enough to buy a macbook. I knew I needed one that could handle the music production and high quality video editing that I need to do for my livelihood. So I went for the best one I could find, which was about $4,500.. 

⦿ In addition to the larger payments, my rent in Boulder is the highest I've ever paid, partially because it includes my at-home music studio that I share with my housemate. So I'm paying $1,400 (plus utilities) a month. Now, as someone who makes his primary income from DJ gigs and small odd-jobs, it takes a lot to make that amount every month. At first I was playing multiple gigs a week, sometimes 3, sometimes even more than that. Sometimes I was playing multiple gigs in the same night. But that was when I would accept $100-$300 gigs. Now I've raised my rate to $500 minimum, meaning 3 gigs a month covers my rent. Occasionally I'll get a high paying miracle gig, but with various additional expenses like car insurance and food, I'm typically just scraping by every month. 

The big music education retreats that I put so much time energy and passion into are sometimes lucrative and have been a big part of why I was able to afford my laptop and my car. But the last two retreats that I organized ended up taking up 4-5 months of my life to organize, with a return of paying for... just one month of rent per retreat. There's many factors that went into this result. This put me in an especially challenging financial position, especially as much of the month I was paying rent for was time that I was at the retreat (before, during and after). 

So, that's where I am now. This month it's all caught up to me, and I actually don't have enough money to pay all of my rent, plus studio time, plus the various additional life expenses that continue to build up. 

Ideally, I will have funds for:
⦿ Paying for studio time when I need it

⦿ Covering my rent, utilities & auto insurance each month so I don't have to hustle hustle hustle and always put my music projects to the side. I have SO much music just waiting for me to finish, but I'm constantly balancing music production time with life obligations like covering basic living costs. 

⦿ Paying visual artists for my album and song cover art (such as Charlie Orellana who made the art for my Bloomurian song "Inner Vision" and my upcoming song "Beacon," and Ariana Jaguar who made the art for my singer/songwriter songs!) 
⦿ Paying for proper mixing and mastering of my tracks so they can sound as clean, polished and pleasing to the ear as possible

⦿ Paying for promotion and marketing my songs so all the energy and effort that goes into them can make a ripple and reach as many people as possible 
⦿ Paying for video editing. Currently I have multiple videographers with footage from my DJ sets who I would like to be able to pay to edit videos of (such as John Bailey who filmed my set at High Vibe festival). 

⦿ Ideally more musical mentorship, and music business mentorship. We're all always learning, and it's important to reciprocate to those who guide us. I would love to be taking consistent vocal lessons, guitar lessons to improve my skills, and more technical music production 1 on 1 sessions. 

⦿ Actually maintaining a savings account. I'll be an elder one day, hopefully with a family, youngin's and land to tend to. 

I am COMMITTED to (by the end of the year)

⦿ Finishing my first Bloomurian electronic music album

⦿ Finishing and releasing at my two electronic/singer/songwriter fusion songs

⦿ Properly releasing the last two singer/songwriter songs of my Bloominous EP that have been finished for a while 

⦿ Finishing editing the music video from the VIBES retreat (and releasing it!) 

⦿ Making progress on a remix album I'm working on with singer/songwriter music from many of my extremely talented friends

⦿ Finishing and publishing all of the filmed classes from all of my music education retreats and turning them into an online course

⦿ Sharing more depth of my story & journey of the last 10 years through writing, photo and video and publishing it with Into The Mythica

SO

I'm asking for your support! A little goes a long way, a lot goes an even longer way. Any donation means the world to me and truly will help make my musical dreams into a reality. I have so much to share, and am struggling to get to a place where I can consistently finish and release the music and video content that I've been sitting on for so long. 

It's all about Giving. What can I give you in return?

⦿ For supporting me in any amount, I'm going to give you massive gratitude, a digital copy of my first CD "Earth Child," with a 50 page e-booklet, and you'll be the first to know when I'm releasing new original music and DJ sets.

⦿ $25+ I'll send you a copy of my first CD "Earth Child" (while supplies last) 

⦿ $100+: Access to listen to all my unreleased DJ sets. 
⦿ $300+: I'll hop on a zoom call (or in person if we're in the same place at the same time) for an hour to talk about anything, answer any of your questions, give you guidance and mentorship, or whatever you'd like to chat about (plus all previous perks).

⦿ $500+: Access to listen to all my unfinished songs, and to give me feedback which will shape the final outcome (plus all previous perks). 

⦿ $1000: I will write and record a song for you, about anything! (plus all previous perks)

⦿ $2500: Access to my next FULL BLOOM music education online course (4-6 weeks in a 4-6 person group).

⦿ $5000+: I will hang out with you for a day. We can make music, I can serenade you during dinner, we can hike, just chat about life and talk story, whatever will feel most valuable to you, let's do it! (plus all previous perks)

⦿ $10k+: You call the shots on this one. Dream big. Want me to skydive into your wedding and start DJing while doing funky dance moves? Want me to be your personal life & music coach for a year? Want me to follow you around for a weekend serenading and narrating your life? Let me know and we'll find out what the most exciting possible perk could be! 

And it's about Sharing
Whether or not you can financially donate at this time, a share goes a long way too. On your social media, your email newsletters, and best of all, in direct messages to friends and family. I appreciate the support. 

Thank you, thank you thank you, and thank you again. 

With all the love in my heart and all the creativity in my soul,

Robin Liepman (Bloomurian)