Miki will play 13 concerts across Massachusetts between May 6-30, all outdoors with masks required, in places like a beloved delicious bakery on Martha's Vineyard, a mental health support group in Lawrence, and a public square in Chelsea. Gather Hear continues to present concerts for free in community gathering spaces, with the goal of finding common humanity across socioeconomic and political divides in the United States. This tour will be especially meaningful 14 months into the pandemic, as we all desperately crave occasions for connecting with one another, in-person. [all tour and program info here] 

We are excited to fundraise for a couple developments that will help with the health and longevity of Gather Hear:
 
1. We now own an instrument!!!
In the past, we've borrowed instruments from generous piano stores and organizations. The instrument Miki brings on tour is called a "hybrid" piano - the keys and hammer action are replicas of an acoustic instrument, but instead of hitting strings, the hammers hit digital sensors and digital sound comes out of built-in speakers. This means the piano doesn't go out of tune, which an acoustic instrument would constantly do with all the moving.

This time around, we had a really hard time landing a piano sponsor - hybrid pianos have been low in supply because the supply chain has been disrupted by COVID, and high in demand because you can plug headphones into these instruments and not bother neighbors during a pandemic. Miki did some research and found out that Casio makes a hybrid piano model that is half the cost of the Yamaha model she's used in the past, comparable in quality, and much less bulky. So, we decided it would be in the best interest of the project to pull the trigger and acquire an instrument.

2. We're making a documentary film!!!
We're so grateful to be joined by two local MFA students from Emerson College, Asma Khoshmehr and Amber Yang, who will be filming some of the Massachusetts concerts and also conducting interview sessions with her to create a 20-30 minute documentary film. Other photographers will be hired to document the rest of the concerts. Miki will head to a recording studio shortly after tour to make a professional recording of the concert repertoire. All of this will help with acquiring more professional and attractive documentation, which will help us to continue increasing our reach. 

If you are able to give at this time, we are grateful for contributions of any amount. Donations made through Fractured Atlas are tax-deductible. *Does your employer has a matching gift program?? If so, please contact Miki at gatherheartour@gmail.com before donating here*

THANK YOU to those of you who already donated to Gather Hear Massachusetts, independent of this fundraiser. Your donations have been used to cover other costs associated with this tour.

Breakdown of fundraising costs 

= $10,000 + Fractured Atlas (this fundraising site)'s processing fee of $800
= $10,800