Overview

Hello world! My name is Michaela Godding and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Arlington, Virginia.

I’ve been singing since I was seven years old and have been studying voice since I was ten. After learning vocal pedagogy at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, I went on to my undergard where I co-conducted Hampshire College’s chorus, sang with Mt.Holyoke’s Vocal Jazz group, and eventually became the director of the acapella group The Gin and Tonics. After leaving college with a degree in vocal performance, I became a music teacher and vocal coach after going through the hard but rewarding experience of getting vocal surgery and through it needing vocal therapy. Now that I’ve helped hundreds of other people prepare to perform out in the world, I’m ready to give my own music and voice the same attention and love.


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 Ryan Gallagher  in Boston, MA. Ryan is a seasoned Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together,  him 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 “Midnight Snack,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "Midnight Snack” 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.  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!

Music has this incredible ability to heal people and unite people, and for the first time in my life I have the chance to share my music with my city and my community.

It’s important to acknowledge that music is a collective process. Everything I write about comes from feelings and experiences that day to day words and conversations can’t fully encompass. Without the heartbreak, hard times, success and losses, relationships and adventures of my life, I would have nothing to share with you. And without the incredible musicians and music-lovers who raised me – like Jeff McQuillan who taught me the basics of playing six different instruments in high school, like Miriam and the way she sometimes made me play a violin song 27 times to get it right, and even my mom who has taken me to over 100 concerts in my lifetime – I wouldn’t be half of the singer and songwriter that I am today. 

I have taken all of the lessons and knowledge that I have to teach music to over 1,000 students, but with your support, I can channel all of that consistent heart work into something new and beautiful – something that we will make and share 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.