Crowd Funding . . . social networking . . . Kickstarter are not necessarily part of the lexicon of most music fans who, with a wistful smile, recall the great times associated with listening to Chuck Negron and his Three Dog Night mates taking turns singing lead on such memorable hits as Joy To the World, Black and White and Momma Told Me Not to Come.
During the band’s heyday in the 60s and 70s – and yes I am old enough to remember those great years of music ̶ terms such as spinning the wax, 45s, LPs and transistor radios would not garner the confused looks the way they do with today’s younger generation. Back then, being part of the music process for fans meant kicking back in one’s room with the headphones on or, scoring prime seats at a concert. At the time, no one ever dreamed of being able to connect with the band and their music beyond buying the latest album.
Fast forward to the here and now and much has changed.
Instead of 45s and LP’s we have CDs and iPods. We also have something that would have made our generation’s collective heads spin called Kickstarter.
Kickstarter is a crowd funding platform that enables fans to connect with their favorite artist in a variety of ways that includes receiving advanced copies of albums and books, recognition as a contributor on the cover, and even an opportunity to appear live on stage with the artist.
Since 2009, Kickstarter has empowered bestselling authors and notable film and television stars to reach out to their fan base directly to raise funds for projects that might not otherwise have become a reality or, would have only been made by compromising the art form to accommodate a publisher’s or studio’s own agenda. In fact, critically acclaimed fan favorites such as Arrested Development or the Veronica Mars movie, would still be gathering dust as opposed to making a comeback, had their return been left up to the networks. Instead, and through a power to the people capability, Kickstarter has brought together the fans with their favorite performers outside of the traditional production process. This means that fans have moved from being mere spectators to becoming “the” determining force behind what they read, watch and in the case of the music industry, hear.
As someone who has been able to successfully bridge the chasm between the good old days and the exciting new world of social media, I was to say the least excited to discover that Chuck Negron had chosen the Kickstarter platform to launch his new album Chuck Negron ‘Then And Now.’
Featuring three never before released Three Dog Night songs, Negron has become a music industry trailblazer of sorts in that he is one of the first to reach out to his fans and make them part of the process.
With pledge amounts ranging from a nominal $1 to $10,000 – with the latter you can join Chuck on stage during a live concert ̶ Negron is offering some amazing gifts to everyone who wants to assume the role of music producer. Like those who have already helped artists to raise $581 million through 43,979 projects on Kickstarter, your pledge will “make history by playing a key role” in making this album a reality. For those of us from the LP and transistor radio days imagine how it will feel today, when you kick back with your iPod, and tune into an album in which you had a direct involvement by way of making a pledge.
Use the following link to learn more about how you can become involved with Chuck’s Kickstarter project; http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2147181529/chuck-negron-then-and-now
By the way, tune into my interview with Chuck live or on-demand on Blog Talk Radio.
Click to hear interview with Chuck Negron . . .
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