Overview

Hello world! My name is Alex Otey, and I'm a pianist-singer here in the beautiful State of New Jersey.

I’ve been making music and performing between Philadelphia and New York City for years at a variety of conventions and events. After pouring everything I’ve learned into songwriting, into stories, into harmony, the only thing left is to share the sounds in my head and my heart with all of you.

The material is ready, and the musicians are waiting -- this campaign is the final step toward creating my professionally produced Plaid Dog Recording studio album.

This campaign is raising funds for my professionally recorded Plaid Dog Recording studio album with Mike Davidson in Boston, MA. Mike is a Boston-based producer and engineer with 15+ years of experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Mike and I are digging into my original material, writing arrangements, and reaching out to local musicians to bring the songs to life.

We’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing one song, which is ready for you to check out right here on this page. This first song is called “Abbey Road,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to get funding for the recording process for "Abbey Road" from some of my fans and supporters, to create an album of songs of this quality, studio costs add up quickly. With that said, this campaign can give us a unique opportunity to collaborate and make great art together. Your donation will cover the following costs of my project:

1. Pre-Production: This is where everything starts. Mike and I will start crafting the arrangements for each song slated for the album. We’ll hold rehearsals to fine-tune the songs and arrangements and talk through new and exciting ideas for how to approach the recording process.

2. Recording: This is when we enter the studio and start capturing the music and where the songs become what you'll hear on this album. This campaign will play a huge role in making sure we have enough time to capture great performances for every member of the band.

3. Mixing & Mastering: Each track will get mixed to create the right balance between instruments, texture and color that make up a track. As a final step, the album will be mastered from beginning to end so that the listening experience is cohesive and carefully choreographed from start to finish.

And what will you get for your generosity and support? So many awesome things!

We are so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. In exchange for your generosity, we’ve put together a really exciting group of gifts that are available exclusively through your participation in this campaign.

Check out some examples below and a full list to the right!

It's hard to express how much this project would change my life.

Music has an incredible ability to heal and unite people, to express feelings that help us stay connected in fundamental human ways. I am, for the first time in my life, feeling enough momentum in my original work to offer my music up to those around me as part of that bigger picture.

Music is, for me, fundamentally a collective process--incredible musician friends that have pushed me to be better, my classmates in high school that were there for all my earliest performances, my family for giving me such a wide perspective on different types of music when I was young, my brilliant and wonderful wife for listening to all the creative attempts and mistakes I make when I'm working out a new vocal part or song idea. Music is about community and connection, and I've shared musical experiences with so many people in my life. One of my hopes is that this project helps me find new collaborators in my networks to make more music together.

While I've produced several professional works, I’ve never made a music project of my own compositions as a solo artist to this caliber before. I have managed and developed many creative projects of all types in collaboration with other artists and studios, forming innovative approaches to musical ideas. All the while, I've been deepening my musical focus and practicing, practicing, practicing. With your support, I will channel that dedication and experience into something new, beautiful and personal that we have made together.

If you're ready to contribute, just click the "Back This Project" button on the top right of this page! Every little bit counts, and I’m so grateful for all your support.

If you have folks in your network that would be interested in supporting me, please feel free to share with page with them.

Thank you so much for checking out my campaign page. I can't wait to share this music with you.