Overview

Hello world! My name is Lee Miller Matsos, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful Akron/Canton Ohio area.

I got started doing opera and musical theater. Then in my mid 20s, I started writing some songs on guitar. That’s when I knew for sure I was really more of a pop/rock musician. But I still wasn’t ready to commit to the rigors of a music career. After dabbling in a few different jobs outside music, I went through some difficult life events that changed my perspective. When I started to realize I was deeply driven to fulfill a specific purpose during my short time here, I reached a point where the only choice I had was to begin taking some leaps of faith to build a music career. So, I began taking those steps. And, finally…

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 first professionally recorded album with Ryan Gallagher in Boston, MA. Ryan is a Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Ryan 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 “Who Are They To Stop Love?,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "Who Are They To Stop Love?" 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. Ryan 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 on every song.

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.

One night as I was strumming chords and singing a melody, I remember coming into this very special space. Many call it “the zone” or “bliss”, that place where time seems to stop, and we feel thoroughly at peace and connected with who we are and what we’re doing. I remember thinking at that moment that I knew this is what I was truly meant to do. 

Years later, on a trip to the Smoky Mountains in the summer of 2018, I stopped at a scenic overlook gift shop. A souvenir magnet with a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson jumped out at me:

“Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

This quote has become a guide over the past several years. This musical path is a passion, a calling and a challenge. It calls for leaps of faith, one after another, that lead to results over time. This is the journey of the self-created path that I embarked on 5 years ago. As I stood at the crossroads of the well-worn path of least resistance and the thick forest of my greatest potential, this quote served as inspiration to make the choice my heart wanted to make, step into the forest, and start the journey, instead of allowing my fear to make the choice.

A fully-funded campaign would be a big step forward in the quest to carve the path forward for my full potential. Promoting a professional product in a meaningful way through this campaign will pave a path to grow my audience and gain exposure to many new listeners, and I can’t thank you enough for your thoughtful consideration of a donation today.

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.