As you know, my Kickstarter.com fundraiser for my new album Long Before the Wheel was a complete success — 90 fans banded together to help me raise enough to record and release my newest creation. Thank you.

That said, I’m proud to say that the story is getting some media attention in the wake of a press release issued just a couple days ago.

This fundraiser was not an easy task in the least so I hope you’ll read this piece about the process and how I used it to fund my passion for songwriting and recording. Read the full article below or by clicking here.

Tyler Stenson on MusicBizCenter.com

THE ARTICLE IN ITS ENTIRETY:

Tyler Stenson – A Fan Funded Success Story
Ever get that feeling that you are the only person in the world who actually
believes in your music? Sometimes, when you get in that pinch at the end of the
month when you skipped work to go on tour or had to buy a new amp and your CD’s
aren’t selling, it seems like the music business may have been a bad career
decision. It’s okay. You can admit it. We all have those days.

While it may seem like giving up is the only option, there are always
alternatives and the success story I am about to share with you demonstrates
just how much the fans care about our music and why you need to keep pushing
long after you feel like giving up.

A few weeks back, I wrote a blog piece about Kickstarter.com, a website for
creative individuals like musicians to find funding for their projects. Since
that time, I’ve been watching the buzz around the Internet and the music world
for examples to show you of the site in action. This morning when I was checking
my email, I found just such a story and I want to share it with you now.

The story involves Tyler Stenson, a very prolific independent folk
singer/songwriter from Portland, Oregon who, like the rest of us, faced those
sharp moments where the cash flow wasn’t matching the time he needed in the
recording studio. He had a slew of great songs he wanted to record and deliver
to his fans but the money was hard to find. So he gave up?…. NO, I’m just
kidding. He didn’t give up. He got creative.

Tyler had heard of Kickstarter.com and their unique funding platform so he
got on board and created a project. Then he used social media and other online
networking techniques to help him advertise his project. His original goal for
the project was simple: Earn $3,500 in pledges in 60 days to fund the recording
and production of his eighth album, Long Before The Wheel.

Sixty days later, a group of 90 fans had signed on and pledged their support
to the project. What is even greater is the fact that these 90 fans exceeded the
goal of $3,500 and Tyler actually made almost $4,000 to fund the creation of his
album with the final count being $3,924. That means, on average, his fans
donated over $43 each.

How many fans do you have? Most bands have at least fifty fans. How far would
an extra $2,000 go towards helping your band be successful in releasing an
album? The amazing thing is five of Tyler Stenson’s fans donated at least $250
to the project. Does your music have that kind of effect on people? Does it
create such a powerful response that they believe in your music career enough to
put $250 of their own money down as an investment in your career? If not, why
not?

So, here’s what I want you to do. Take a look at Tyler Stenson’s “Long Before
the Wheel: Recording Tyler Stenson’s Next Folk Album” project on Kickstarter.com
(I included the link at the end of this post) and see how he set it up and the
awesome rewards he offered to his backers. Look at what worked well for him and
what things you could imitate. Then, decide if this is something you could do.

I believe that each and every one of the people reading this post, including
you, have the potential for this kind of success. I want to see how much you
believe in yourselves and how many of you are willing to put in the work to be a
success. Please leave your comments here and make sure to include the links to
your own Kickstarter.com projects so we can follow your success as well.

See the project here: http://kck.st/clPNkY

Fans Fund Recording Through Internet for Independent Folk Artist Tyler Stenson’s 8th Studio Album

Studio costs are expensive, so Tyler Stenson, an award winning singer/songwriter from Portland, OR utilized the Internet to raise funds for the recording of his eighth studio album. Through Kickstarter.com and promotion on social networks, Stenson has managed to create a fully fan-funded recording experience for “Long Before the Wheel” – a sparkling follow up to his internationally acclaimed “Bittersweet Parade” LP.

Nashville, TN – Writing songs and creating music is only half the battle of the independent artist; the other half is the financial war of funding the recordings and distributing the art. Tyler Stenson, a prolific folk singer/songwriter from Portland, OR knows the struggle all too well. Rather than wait to finance his next album through his concert proceeds, he utilized some new Internet tools to reach out to his fans. He set up a donation page through Kickstarter.com, promoted it through his social network pages and met his fundraising goal of $3,500, green lighting his 8th studio album Long Before the Wheel long before he thought would be possible through self-funding.

“As a starving artist, I have always been more prolific than my pocket book. The recording process is just as much a passion of mine as crafting the songs themselves but, when it comes to producing content, I’m often limited by finances,” Stenson says.

The fundraising goal of $3,500 was established and made public through Kickstarter.com on June 1, 2010, and just 60 days later, roughly 90 friends and fans banded together to help Stenson breach his goal to make the new recording a reality. Stenson used other Internet resources to get the word out about the fundraiser through his website and social networks on FaceBook, Twitter, etc. In the end, approximately $4,000 was raised for the project, allowing Stenson a little extra for promotion of the new album as well.

Stenson was grateful to his fans and a little overwhelmed by their response to his call.

“I’ve always felt a warm support from my fans but watching them rise to this occasion in such a tangible manner – knowing that my friends and fans have enough faith in me to blindly fund my creations – that is the most inspiring piece of the plot.”

Slated for release on October 2, 2010, Stenson’s Long Before the Wheel EP is well under way and already a special creation because of the shining efforts to make it possible – a true labor of love by the artist and the fans alike.

###

Tyler Stenson is an award winning singer-songwriter from Portland, OR that is currently based in Nashville, TN. As the pioneer of his genre “elegant folk,” Stenson’s lyrical music is catching on internationally and attracting a train of followers that find a piece of themselves in the sincerity of his words.

Press Contact

Monique Roy
310-569-9401
mroy@regimeentertainment.com

This January during my Bittersweet Parade album release tour, I had the opportunity to sit down with the fellas at Acoustic Conversations and chat about my move to Nashville — I even got to play a couple songs! Curt and Peter are good guys and I always enjoy our little talks. I hope you do to.

LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION: HERE
SEE MORE PHOTOS: HERE
RE-VISIT THE FIRST CONVERSATION: HERE

photo by pete wright

GO TO iTUNES TO DOWNLOAD THESE EXCLUSIVE LIVE TRACKS:

1. Welcome the Change
2. Leave Oregon
3. Blush
4. That Moon
5. Roderigo (Cover, Seven Mary Three)

I was asked to teach a songwriter’s workshop during a festival I recently played and although I was initially apprehensive, I was relieved to find how long-winded I became when I spoke on the subject. By no means do I claim to be the authority on songwriting; however, over the years I have accumulated a number of tips, tricks and unorthodox ticks that makes my process a bit more calculated.

Below is an outline of my discussion with the workshop audience — I think it will give you some things to think about as you approach your future songs. Good luck.

1.) KEEP A JOURNAL and/or WRITING BOOK

EXAMPLE: Many times I’ve stumbled upon a line or a word that made no sense when it was written; however, a year later, within the new context of my life, it made all the sense in the world. Whistle Stop, for example, was simply a cool word that I wrote down in my journal and it was a full year before it ever made sense.

When I first heard the word, I tried and tried to write a song but nothing in my vault of life experiences would support the theme. HOWEVER, a year later when I read that phrase in my journal, my brain immediately snapped into focus because of a current circumstance: my great friend had recently lost his mother. Even though Whistle Stop meant nothing to me a year prior, in that moment it screamed “life is a train … and since you never know when the next whistle stop will be, don’t whisper softly the things that you want loudly to be.” This delayed inspiration was a result of keeping a journal and re-visiting it often with a fresh perspective.

2A.) IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING FOR IDEAS, USE “A TECHNIQUE FOR PRODUCING IDEAS”

I studied advertising in college but because I knew songwriting was my call, every time I heard the word advertising, I would subliminally substitute it with songwriting. That said, I read a book called “A Technique for Producing Ideas” and even though it was about scheming ads, here is how it applies to the craft of songwriting.

Amazingly enough, upon reading this book, I realized the steps it described was how my brain was already working. It’s a 4 step process that is more natural than you might think:

STEP ONE – Gather Information
The goal here is to find a word or an idea (aka Whistle Stop) and collect every scrap of information that could support it. Collect nouns, read research papers, use wikipedia, interview people, etc.

STEP TWO – Grind and Explore
This step involves taking all of the raw information that you’ve gathered in step one and simply grinding it into the ground. Yes, stretch it, molest it and attempt to connect all of the dots while exploring all of the possible combinations. In this incubation period, you may not have the major break through; however, the goal is to leave no stone unturned and become overly acquainted with your information — to the point of exhaustion.

STEP 3 – Move On
It may be hard to do at times but step three suggests to simply walk away from the train wreck of thoughts in your head. Move on to the next project or song and clear your head. The argument here is that once you’ve collected all of your information and ground it into the ground, even though you’ve walked away from it consciencely, your sub-conscience has not forgotten about the task. While your conscience is away, your sub-conscience will play.

STEP 4 – Revisit with a New Perspective
Once you’ve completed the word jumble of steps one and two and then walked away for a time, come back with a fresh head and revisit the material. Again, even though you aren’t aware of it, your sub-conscience has been connecting dots without you even knowing it. You will find that upon your return, the idea has matured and your words will fall with much more precision.

NOTE: Even though I claim that I rarely write a song in one sitting, this process is the caveat. I have certainly schemed and schemed, walked away for a few months then returned to write the song in one sitting.

2B.) IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A SONG IDEA

If you’re lucky enough to already have a song title, theme or idea, here are a few very basic ideas that will help them reach their full potential.

3.) LISTEN TO THE SONG BEFORE IT’S WRITTEN

Most of my songs start with a chord progression on the guitar or piano and then I retrofit words afterward to fill the spaces. To me, fitting words into music is much easier than the alternative.

It may sound odd but when I have my chord progression established, I sit in my room, guitar in hand and play through the song about 10 times — filling the space with ad lib, mumbles, oooohs, aaaaahs, random lyric and whatever else decides to come out. I find that keeping an open mind and simply letting the sounds flow can be VERY telling.

What you’ll find is certain vowels poking up in the same place each time. You’ll find certain lines beginning with the same alliteration each time. You’ll find that amongst the chaos, there are constants. Embrace those constants and listen to them as if it’s the song revealing itself to you piece by piece.

After I’ve made a fool out of myself a dozen or so times and noted the revelations, I plot out the constants in a sort of road map and then back-fill the other information. It’s somewhat difficult to explain but when you know your anchor points, the rest of the content is immediately less random. If I know my second line wants to end with an “eeee” sound and the third line wants to start with a “B” alliteration, rather than pulling random thoughts from the air, the thought process is now: “What line can I think of that ends with an “eeee” rhyme while introducing a “B” alliteration?”

This step takes some confidence; however, I guarantee if you open your mind and let the unwritten song flow through you, you’ll find that it speaks to you — ultimately revealing little pieces of itself. By listening to the promptings, your song will assume a more natural feel because nothing was forced or contrived — on the contrary, it’s meant to be.

4.) LITTLE THINGS THAT WORK IN BIG WAYS

5.) GENERAL RULES, DOS, DON’TS, TOOLS, ETC

My record Bittersweet Parade was recently featured on The Music Critic UK as the August 2010 Album of the Month! These are some of the kindest words I’ve ever heard toward my music and much needed at this time. Please read the review below and feel free to leave your own here.

Tyler Stenson: Bittersweet Parade – Album of the Month – August 2010

Every so often you get an album through to review that kinda takes you by surprise. In Tyler Stensons case the surprise is that he is not a bigger name than he is. The singer songwriter from Portland is a well known face on the cities local music scene but Stenson comes equipped for bigger things. The music is simple yet mesmerisingly beautiful and the voice distinctive, full of warmth, expression and with an aching sorrow in it at times. I’ve never heard of Stenson before this album but he has been a productive boy with a clutch of albums and ep’s before this release with some glowing reviews to boot.

The music is primarily acoustic and flirts with folk, Americana and bluegrass but it is none of these. Instead it takes on a pop element without being poppy. Confusing I know but suffice to say that the songwriting is of a quality that the like of Ryan Adams and Jackson Browne would struggle to match. This is beautiful, heartfelt and honest music that is performed with a conviction and passion that is simply irresistible.

Straight from the start you are in no doubt that you are listening to something very special. Opener Welcome The Change introduces a confident voice comfortable with intelligent lyrics that draw the listener in rather than patronising them and all set to a deceptively simple melody that is underpinned by driving acoustic guitar and flashes of mandolin. The Road is no less of a masterpiece, in fact there is nothing on this album for anyone to remotely dislike. The production is equally as impressive as the music, enveloping the whole album in a warm glow with space to allow the instrumentation to breath.

On an album of this quality it is hard to pick out individual tracks for praise but if pushed I would have to say that As The Crow Flies is a particular favourite. In fact I am struggling to think of when I have ever heard such a beautiful and mesmerising piece of music as this. It is a remarkable song and quite breathtaking.

This is by far one of the most accomplished and beautiful albums that I have ever heard and Tyler Stenson has produced something that he should be justifiably proud of. I seriously can’t believe that this man is not a star as he has proved with this album that he is in every sense of the word. I can’t recommend this album enough. Seriously…. buy it.

Read more: http://www.themusiccritic.co.uk/2010/07/tyler-stenson-bittersweet-parade-album.html#ixzz0upVEVE91

I just finished designing a new promo poster that I plan to make available for purchase in the near future — need to get them printed of course. These will be full 11×17 prints on heavyweight card stock, a true-blue poster to add to my merchandise offering. Stay tuned.

2010 promo poster

LADIES, my sweet sweet friend Emily sells beautiful jewelry for Stella & Dot and in an effort to help me out with my fundraiser, she has offered to donate 100% of her commissions toward my album for all trunk show purchases from now ’til August 1st.

Yep, it’s a double score of goodness: by buying some lovely jewelry here, you can support my upcoming album. Can’t go wrong with that.

I just discovered that out of 700 submissions, my song The Road has made the top 84 as a semifinalist in the Zac Brown Band Sailing Southern Ground Contest. The next round gets whittled down to 25 finalists and then who knows what happens after that — I don’t really care. However, that said, I am proud that my horse made the first cut and we’ll see what happens in round two. Stay tuned.

It’s official — 76 of my friends and fans have banded together to raise the money I needed to record my new album Long Before the Wheel. As of June 1st I set a goal to raise $3,500 in 60 days through a fund raising website called Kickstarter and while it was a slow start, the goal has been met and my project will be funded in full. Thank you, thank you. That makes me smile.

Those that donated are the greatest people on the planet and will receive a reward based on the tier in which their amount falls — at the very least everyone pre-purchased their copy and will get a free album when it’s done.

That said, any funds that come in from this point forward will be gravy but don’t let that stop you. I am planning to record another EP this winter and all money donated above and beyond this $3,500 goal will roll-over into that project. Help me blow the roof off of this fundraiser and keep the music flowing for a long time to come!!

THANK YOU EVERYONE — FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.