Musical-abolitionist collective Sound Off: Music for Bail is dedicated to supporting civic groups that prevent crime and harm with police/prison alternatives, rethinking notions of public safety as they relate to real-life communities, and playing great music. After its founding in the summer of 2020, packed chamber music and orchestral shows, and meaningful connections with public educational institutions, grassroots groups, and traditional classical music audiences, Sound Off is embarking on its first album release project, Neutral Objects, slated to be recorded this August at Corner Store NYC. Featuring the music of Yaz Lancaster, George Walker, Florence Price, and Dorothy Rudd Moore, this project brings together familiar colleagues and repertoire championed by Sound Off for an opportunity to both document these works and to share them with the world.

We could use your help to make this project happen!

Sound Off is committed to fair compensation to performers, speakers, and other collaborators. Our admin team's volunteer hours this year number in the hundreds. With that being said, the full cost of this project, including performer and recording engineer fees, rehearsal and recording studio rental, and copyright is about $15,000. (Rough budget available for perusal upon request).

After funding for our programming this fiscal year from grassroots donors, New Music USA, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the YoungArts Foundation, the Copland Fund, the Puffin Foundation, and the Surdna Foundation, and critical support from other organizations such as Talent Unlimited High School, Exquisites BK, and The People's Forum, we are confident that our project in its current form will take place if we have some more community support. With this fundraising campaign, our goal of $2,000 will take us from nearly-there to a completed and distribution-ready album!

Donations in excess will be saved to support a potential physical release and a potential album release party.

All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by US law.

We know that our community is one that has many ways of showing support. With that being said, here are a few that we'd especially appreciate:

We would love to have the chance to show all supporters our gratitude. Every person donating through this campaign will be credited upon request in our electronic liner notes (as possible). In addition, donors will be updated about plans for a potential release-party pending funding.

There are also opportunities to endow specific personnel in the liner notes -- please check out the "Rewards" tab for more info!

Thank you so much for supporting Sound Off in whatever way you choose to. We couldn't do this without our community!