Melaura - New single - Paradise

So Much Paperwork!

I’ve been knee-deep in permit and insurance applications for the filming and they are ALL finally approved! Yippee!! This means we can start the filming process in some of the more exciting locations. I needed 5 permits and 2 sets of insurance. You would not believe how hard it is to find the right insurance for a music video!

I also set a recording date for the song with Silverside Sound (right) and gathered my musicians to get this song in the can. My sound engineer and the mastering engineer are both Cow High alumni, as well as phenomenal at their jobs! The rest of the guys are local gems. I am so excited to work with all of them. We have a great plan (above) for how this will sound, however even with a great plan, things change. It’s hard to tell exactly what the final version will sound like, but I'm sure whatever these guys put together will be genius!

More news on it’s way!

What’s happening?

Photo Credit: Cowichan Valley Citizen

In June, news about Cowichan Secondary (music video’s primary location) and the delay of the new school’s construction was released stating that the original school would remain in use until January 2025. Given this, I decided to push the video date back a bit and allow more time for getting the music, video, permits, insurance and crew right. With that being said, there is still so much to do before delivering this labour of love.

Photo Credit: Cowichan Valley Citizen

Shortly after, more news caught my eye: The Hockey Stick was to be removed. I arranged to film that part of the video just 2 days before removal. All of this before we even knew what the music would sound like! The new owner was very thankful that the stick will live on in film. The real thanks ofcourse goes to my amazing film crew of 3 extraordinary friends. They made the hockey stick and myself look absolutely cinematic, capturing the true Cowichan-ness of this iconic treasure for our community.

The song is being recorded in radio quality and will be completed prior to filming the rest of the scenes. I am so lucky to have the most amazing musicians and studio geniuses on this project. I know they will do a stunning job and care just as much as I do about this. Their dedication motivates me and justifies this project even more! Just knowing that SO many people care SO much and want to make this the best it can be is incredibly heart-warming. After all: we only have one shot, so let’s get it right!

Overall, I am so thankful for all the support and excitement my community has shown for this project so far. It seems everyone I talk to about this song/video is so grateful for the project and wanting to help.

Thanks everyone!

Be Part of the legacy: FUnd my Next Video

It’s amazing how trapped we feel growing up in a small town, even if you are "the new kid” and not exactly popular. You feel like you can’t move without someone watching and you just want to turn 18, spread your wings and fly away. But we always come back home, even if it's just a phone call to a long lost friend or the re-emergence of a great memory. My next single “Paradise” is a rock/country tune about just that. My little hometown is growing up and losing some of its charm, so I hope I can capture a bit of it's legacy before it’s gone. The song's video will centre around my old High School (scheduled for replacement at the end of January) and tour you around to some iconic treasures in my town: my “Paradise”.

I need help!
This is an expensive video: $5000 minimum budget! I hope to raise $2,000 to offset the video costs and I will be paying the recording, marketing and distribution fees out of my own pocket.

Why is it so expensive?
Here's some rough estimates of what is needed:

Recording studio (rented room/equipment): $500-1000
Musicians: $50-150/per person/hour x3
Producer/Studio Engineer: $500-1000
Videographer/Video Editor: $1500
School Rental: $1500
Marketing and Distribution: A lot, but we'll cross that bridge later!

Here's the Crew from Chase the Sun!

I want to make sure my community has a video reminder of our town the way it was when we were growing up, a reminder of who we are as a community and how special home is. Please help me make this happen for everyone by pledging and sharing this project page. At the end of the day the music video is my gift to you and my community. I have designed this song to inspire nostalgic feelings in communities across the globe. It references specific treasures and personal memories in the Cowichan Valley, but also has a broader message of belonging to any community or small town, world wide.

Pledge gifts:

If you give:

more than $50: I’ll send you a download of “Paradise” before it’s release.
$100+ receives: Downloads of "Paradise" and “Chase the Sun”, as well as advanced viewing of the new music video (Paradise).
If you are feeling super generous and send even more money, I'll have to come up with other gifts to show my immense gratitude. Let's see what you can do rockstars!

At the end of the day, I appreciate anything and everything you can send my way, if it’s just $2, Thank you!
If it’s a big old share on your social media, Thank you! Shares and spreading the word often help bring in the funds for me to continue working on projects like these, they are worth their weight in gold. So many of you have been with me along the way, as I developed my skills. I appreciate all the love and support that has gotten me this far, without you I would not be the person I am today.

I hope this project becomes just that for all of you: a golden memory, a video to watch when you are feeling nostalgic, that warm fuzzy feeling we all get when our community surrounds us with love, because that is what the Cowichan Valley eventually showed me, a lot of love and acceptance. I was at the socially delicate age of 7 when I made my move to the Island from a much rougher northern community with a very different culture. It took over a decade to fit in here, but once I did, I realized there was nowhere else like it, it was home. So thank you for all being there and showing me what it felt like to eventually just fit in.

<3 Melaura

Pledge Here:

To pledge less than $50 or without a gift please press the donate button. →

Thank you so much for pledging!
Every little bit helps. Keep an eye out for this amazing new track and it's memory inducing video I am so excited to be working on!
You're a rockstar! I couldn't do this without you.

So Much Paperwork!

What’s happening?

Be Part of the legacy: FUnd my Next Video

Here's the Crew from Chase the Sun!

Video updates!

Pledge Here:

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