Overview

Hello world! My name is Kayla Garabedian and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful town of Cheshire, MA.

Since I was a little girl, I’ve always been someone who expresses myself through writing and music. At the age of 8 I began putting my woes of “tragic” love stories (lol) and heartfelt admirations of friends to music with a rinky dink pink guitar I got for my birthday. (The next birthday I bedazzled it with a sparkly, beautiful temporary body tattoo to further paint the picture). Even as my priorities changed as I got older, with school and sports, music has always been a love that I continually come back to. 

I love how music can connect strangers in a room. Despite coming from different backgrounds and stories, people are drawn together singing the same words that they love. Music can be a powerful force of healing, from getting lost in a fun bop that takes your worries away, to a ballad that releases pent up pains through uncontrollable tears. (I know I’ve collapsed a many songs pouring out my heartbreak to the words, or belting a fun tune at the top of my lungs in my car with the windows down). No matter what language you speak, the way a song sounds and the emotion in the way it is played or sung is a universal language of sorts, communicating our human experiences. This album is merely my little slice of humanity I’d like to share that others will hopefully relate to - or at least deem it soothing enough to the ears to throw the music on as background ambience while folding your laundry! I’ve kept these words and stories to myself for a long time now, and I’d like to finally take the plunge and share them.

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 in Boston, MA. Carter is a seasoned Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Carter 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 “Slow Burn,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "Slow Burn” on my own, 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. Carter 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!

f I’m honest with myself, I fear I’ve lived a lot of my life in my head, shackled by perfectionism and settling for imagining the seemingly unattainable goals my heart desired. Reaching out to Plaid Dog and getting the opportunity to work with them is a first step towards having the courage and audacity to create before I feel ready or knowledgeable enough. 

I think all too frequently in our modern world, we get this sense that we feel we have to do things alone in order for them to be worth any merit, or to shoulder things by yourself to not be a burden to others. This process has been a unique challenge for me to allow myself to lean on others, to fill in gaps that I do not know, and be okay with admitting it out loud. It opens up a whole new door for collaboration and creating something beyond what you could’ve come up with on your own. It has also served as a little reminder, at least for me, that we’re all simply faking it til we’ve made it.  

Nothing is ever really perfect, and no one is ever truly ready. It’s been a journey learning that one must just create and take it one step at a time. There is power in showing up incomplete and messy, still giving it your all, and acknowledging you are still just as worthy as the times you were able to show up “perfect.” Messy can mean you’re growing and you’re trying. In today’s world, I think honoring our messies, and uplifting one another is what we need more of. So here’s to this silly thing we call life and the beautiful messes we make along the way that we clean up 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.