CD SALE | HOUSE CONCERTS | GIMME A JOB | BACK HOME
I made the unwise decision to develop cancer right at a time when I had just given up my insurance in Charlottesville, and before I had picked up new insurance in Austin. If I was to do the whole thing again, I would probably try and plan it differently.
Rather than put this whole thing on my credit cards and file bankrupsy, which I'm told would involve lawyers and shame, I'm gonna hammer my way out of this rather deep and rather steep hole. And I could sure use your help. Here's a couple things you might be willing to do . . .
Buy up gobs of CDs from me
I'm throwing a big CD sale. I'm not asking a specified amount for a specified number of copies. Anything helps. If you want one CD for $10 bucks, well then God Bless you big time. If you want 5 CDs for $500 bucks, well then God Bless you even more than that other person. Seriously, though, I know everybody is in a different situation financially -- and I'm honored and thrilled to have anybody buy any albums from me for any amount. I will only respond in gratitude for your support of my music and my self.
Also, besides my three commercially available albums, I'm making a collection of recent home-recordings available for sale. These contain an album's worth of new songs that I just haven't gotten around to recording in the studio yet. The songs are good and the recordings, while certainly not studio quality, are pretty decent. There's no packaging involved at all -- but, soon as I can get to it, I'll post all the lyrics on my site. [Note: The lyrics are now posted. Click here.]
If you wanna buy any albums, here's what you do -- just make out a check to me, and drop me a note saying how many CDs you want, and where to ship em. My mailing address is:
DANNY SCHMIDT
(since removed)
Host a House Concert!
Another way you could help support me is by hosting a house concert. House concerts are all the rage on the folk circuit these days. They're a lot of fun, and they're relatively easy to put together. Basically, you throw a party at your house and invite your friends, or whoever you want in attendence, and people nosh on snacks and sip a little bit of wine and mingle for a short while, and then everyone settles down in the living room or on the back deck and gets treated to a small intimate private concert.
Every house concert I've participated in has been pretty different in character -- so there's not a right way or a wrong way. I've played in a very small living room, completely unplugged, for a dozen people -- and I've played in a backyard with a full sound system for 75 people. I've played house concerts with one long set that took up the vast majority of the evening -- and I've played nights with a couple shorter sets that split up the evening. I've played shows where everyone there knew my music, and ones where only the host knew my music.
So while each experience has been very different, I will say this: my very favorite nights playing music have been in house concert settings. They're much less like playing shows than they are like just simply sharing my music -- and connecting with people personally -- before playing, while playing, and after playing. It can make for a very special setting.
As for payment -- well, that has varied a lot, too -- both in the total amount, and the way in which it is raised. Most house concert hosts ask a door price of their guests for the musician. Some don't feel comfortable asking money of their friends, and just pay for the whole thing themselves. And my own asking price varies quite a bit, too. I'm an egalitarian. I know some folks (and their friends) have more money than other folks. So really I just try and work something out, case by case, and find something that everyone's comfortable with. I don't recall ever turning down a concert over money. I'm really pretty easy. Maybe that's why I'm in debt?!
Anyway -- that's house concerts in a long-winded nutshell. What I'm hoping is to try and draw some more folks out of the woodwork who might be interested hosting me for a concert, and inviting all their well-to-do friends over to try and raise some money. Cause just like with the CD sale, every little bit helps a lot. Hopefully I can put together a little tour of these things in late winter or early spring.
If you think you might be interested, drop me an email. I'm at:
(since removed)
Lookin' for work
There's not that much I'm terribly qualified to do. I feel like I'm a really good hack at a zillion things -- and professionally qualified for almost none of them. And the things I'm best at, and love doing, I pretty much hate doing for money. Hell, maybe that's why I'm broke?!
But obviously, now that I need more income than I used to, I'm lookin' to pick up some extra work. I'm a good writer -- and I can do layout and graphic design. And those can both be done from afar. So, if you need any writing or layout work done -- or if you know someone that might be in need of someone with those skills -- please lemme know. Or if you're in need of some other kind of work that might suit someone like me, especialy if it can be undertaken at odd hours, lemme know. I'm a conscientious hard-working sort, when motivated. And I'm generally competent. At least to stand trial.
If you've got any ideas, drop me an email. I'm at:
(since removed)
If you really read all the way down to the bottom of this page -- through ALL that. Well, gosh, you rule! Thank you for your interest in my well being, and your concern for my financial health. And if you're not in a position to be able to help in any of the ways I've suggested as possibilities, well I don't care about that. Just thank you for taking the time to look into it and for thinking of me. I really appreciate that.
All the best --
Danny