I just backed my first Kickstarter project. Kickstarter is crowd-sourced funding for projects. Someone has a great idea but needs funding to realize it, so they make a short video about their idea, set a funding goal and create a Kickstarter project. Any one can back the project by pledging money (as little as $1). When the funding period (usually 30 or 60 days) is up, if the project has met their funding goal through the pledges the money is collected and given to the project owner. If the funding level isn’t reached no money exchanges hands.
The project I’ve backed is a series of cello technique videos by Abigail McHugh-Grifa. Ms. McHugh-Grifa is a doctoral student at Eastman School of Music in Rochester NY. She already has a large collection of excellent repertoire videos on YouTube and this project will allow her to create a companion set of technique videos. I have made excellent use of several of her videos covering Suzuki literature (I’m currently learning the Bréval Sonata and preparing Allegro Moderato for an audition next month) and I am looking forward to exploring her technique videos.
Here’s her Cello Technique Videos Kickstarter project page.
I hope this project is quickly and completely funded so that we can all benefit from Ms. McHugh-Grifa’s excellent videos.