Overview

Hello world! My name is David Stone, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Chicago, IL.

I’ve been making music and performing around Chicago most of my life: Since my early piano recitals, first high school band played at parties & school events and through college in an original band that played local bars, clubs and festivals, musical performance has been a part of me. Taking a hiatus from band gigs to focus on family and career, I am now back at it and playing out with several bands once again. Songwriting has continued to be a passion for me through it all. 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 Plaid Dog campaign is the final step toward creating my first ever, professionally produced studio album.

This campaign is raising funds for my professionally recorded album with Carter Sanders in Boston, MA. Bryan is a Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Bryan 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 “See Me,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "See Me" on my own and with a small group of 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. Bryan 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!

I am so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. In exchange for your generosity, I'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 ability to bring  people together in a very powerful way. I am, for the first time in my life, feeling brave enough to offer my music up to my city and my community as part of that bigger picture.

Music has, for me, not only been a way for me to express myself, but offers an incredible way to engage in a collaborative process with other musicians. Many of which I call friends and that have pushed me to be better. I want to thank those that were there for all my earliest performances, my family for giving me such a wide perspective on different types of music, my brothers who have always shared this passion for making music with me, my wonderful wife, Yvette, for always giving me space to follow what’s in my heart  and for tolerating all the repetition and odd experiments I make when I'm working out a new idea. Music is about community and connection, and I've shared musical experiences with so many people in my life.  This project has already helped me find new collaborators and expand my network in making more music together. Getting back into a studio, I am reminded of how much talent and positivity there can be in this world. So far it has been an honor and a pleasure working with so many wonderfully gifted people exist in the music space.

While I've never made a solo music project of this magnitude before, I have managed and executed many projects of all types. At this stage of life I am seeing and approaching music from a perspective that has given me renewed confidence and ability. With your support, I will channel that consistent work and passion and turn it into something new and beautiful that we can say that we 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 this page with them.

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