Panhandling for pennies on the Internet is not just common; it’s the new way to raise money for new inventions, good causes — and new music. One of the most ambitious musical efforts to date is led by composer Vincent Ho, Dame Evelyn Glennie and the Winnipeg Symphony to raise $85,000 by the end of Feb. 1.
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Symphony orchestras are already crowdfunding machines par excellence, relying on annual donations from a wide base of individuals and businesses in their immediate community.
Internet crowdfunding lifts the physical barriers on that community to include anyone with access to the Internet.
For this, the Winnipeggers have chosen Indiegogo — “the world’s funding platform — as their base of operations. If they raise the $85,000, they will record The Shaman — a concerto for percussion and orchestra written by Canadian Vincent Ho for Scots master percussionist Evelyn Glennie — in the first week of May, right before their May 8 slot in Carnegie Hall’s Spring For Music festival.
The Shaman, premiered by the Winnipeg Symphony and music director Alexander Mickelthwaite in 2011, has been heard in Toronto as well as Taipei.
Ho has his fingers crossed that the recording can happen, so that the concerto is available for listening to anyone in the world.
It’s a wonderfully atmospheric piece rooted in First Nations symbolism and rite. Ho wrote it for Glennie as part of his six-year composer residency in Winnipeg — a productive collaboration that netted another fine orchestral work, the Arctic Symphony.
At 33 minutes, The Shaman is not enough to fill a CD. Ho says the balance of the album will consist of either the Arctic Symphony or some chamber pieces premiered by members of the Winnipeg orchestra. “I want this album to be about my Winnipeg years,” he says.
Because orchestras need to crowdfund daily in order to survive, there is a little twist to this particular Indiegogo campaign: Usually, if the fundraisers don’t reach their stated goal in the time allotted, the people who pledged money don’t have to pay up. In the case of The Shaman, the organisers are keeping the Indiegogo money even if they fall short of the goal.
“If we reach $80,000 and only have $5,000 left to go it would be silly to just give up and give the money back,” says the composer. If there is a shortfall, the orchestra, Ho and Glennie will see what they can do to make up the difference. Only if those efforts fail will donors get their pledges back.
Right now, the orchestra is not actively involved in the Indiegogo campaign. As Ho explains, their development people are busy raising money to cover travel expenses to Carnegie Hall. Once that is done, they will turn their attention to the recording.
Also, maestro Mickelthwaite has promised to talk up the fundraising campaign at the orchestra’s popular annual new music festival, which coincides with the Indiegogo fundraising deadline.
Because it’s being done on the Net rather than through the orchestra, there are no charitable receipts to go with a pledge. Instead, in typical crowdfunding fashion, donors get a thank-you package in return for their support.
Ho is keen on the project, especially given that it has Glennie’s enthusiastic backing. The excellent new classical music station in Winnipeg — Classic 107 — has also been supportive, with host Bill Richardson inviting Ho into his studio to chat during the early days of the project.
“It if doesn’t work out, we’ll learn from it. If it does work out, it’ll be a huge success,” concludes Ho. “The only regret we’d have is not trying it at all.”
And, regardless of the outcome, he will still get to hear The Shaman in New York City’s most famous concert venue.
“It’s one of those things everybody dreams about, but when it happens to you, you don’t know what to say,” he says, laughing. “My first visit to Carnegie Hall will be a for a performance of my piece.”
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You can find out more about the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign here.
It’s not clear whether Ho and the Winnipeg Symphony will be able to get the rights to the CBC’s 2010 recording of the Arctic Symphony. But it’s well worth hearing here, on the Canadian Music Centre’s website.
This is the first of four promotional videos prepared for the Indiegogo campaign:
John Terauds
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
