Music

TODD BURGE CDS &FUNDRAISER w/ O'BRIEN & DIXON

• Authentic
• Soulful
• Fascinating

The new TWO CD project by TODD BURGE is also a fundraiser for THE FOOD ALLERGY & ANAPHYLAXIS NETWORK and features TIM O'BRIEN and DON DIXON.

BUT

TODD NEEDS YOUR ASSISTANCE and he will REWARD you for it!!! It'll be a blast.  Promise! Watch the video above or read more below! 

*Below, I’ll tell you how you can get a personalized song written just for you or a friend or family member and performed by Tim O’Brien and Myself.  More on that in a minute.

MY NEW PROJECT INCLUDES YOU!
I have this idea for a new music project that I’m very excited about, but in order to get it accomplished, I really need your help.

It is a TWO CD PROJECT entitled
Character Building Characters.

The First CD of the set I will produce myself and it will consist of songs written with and inspired by our kids, Will, 7 and Sophia 5.

This CD will be called Character Building.

The Second CD will be recorded at Tim O’Brien’s studio in Nashville and will be produced by Don Dixon (R.E.M., Mary Chapin Carpenter)!  This CD will be for grown ups mostly and will be called Building Characters.

Put them both together and you have
Character Building Characters!

The artwork will line up as one piece, but you will be able to choose to purchase them separately.

Character Building (The CD for "Kids" more on the CD for "Grown Ups" below)

I was a bit torn as to how I wanted to approach my next musical project.  You see, as I said, my wife and I have these two lovely young children and over the last few years I have written songs with them and for them. I’ve also been conducting songwriter workshops for children and playing more and more performances in schools in my region.  I felt it was time to release some music to reflect this.

I also wanted to build something here that goes well beyond the music!

Sophia, our five year is severely allergic to peanuts and tree nuts along with various other allergies including eggs, cats and dogs. When we discovered this we actually had to find a new home for our beloved dog of 10 years! But, that was not our biggest challenge.  When I say “severe”, it literally means that her nut allergies are life threatening.  The challenges involved with planning meals, going out to eat, going to birthday parties (Cakes are made with eggs) etc, seemed overwhelming when we first found out about this three years ago.  The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxsis Network (FAAN) helped us negotiate our way through these challenges, so each year we help raise money and awareness for them as a way of giving back.  

SOPHIA'S ART INSPIRES MY MUSIC (This one is of two cats with fishbowls a kitten and a diary on a skateboard) One of the songs on the kid’s portion of this project is called My Kitty and it deals with my little girl and her cat allergy.  She loves them more than anything in the world, but can’t be around them, so she draws them, creates them in her art.  She dreams them into her reality.

25% of the profits from this CD will go to the Food Allergy Network.

So, you’ll be helping us raise money and awareness which will in turn help families deal with severe food allergies.

http://www.foodallergy.org/

Building Characters (The CD for “grown ups”)

I have also been writing a bunch of songs that are, well, not for kids.  These songs deal with the darker side of life.  I’ve created some twisted characters, some fictional some historical, like the man who predicted the end of the world in May and then October of this year, Harold Camping, or the woman who buried her husband in her own flower garden. I wrote a song from the perspective of Joseph, Jesus’ father (Joseph's Prayer - You can listen to the Demo for this song on this website) and how insecure he might have felt when Mary told him about being “with Child”. I’ve also written a couple tunes from the perspective of a squirrel and a fly, and yes, these are the  songs for adults!  Ha.  So, I’ve built some characters in this music and the songs are all related to one another in various ways.

This new project will literally include some of the most sought after musicians on the planet including Grammy winner Tim O’Brien and producer and songwriter/singer, Don Dixon.  You may know Tim O’Brien’s work as a sideman for Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, or Joan Baez or Steves, Earle or Martin, or you may know him as the lead singer for Hot Rize, or simply as a Grammy winning solo artist.  Many know Don Dixon from his production work with R.E.M (he co-produced their first two records) & Marshall Crenshaw or as Mary Chapin Carpenter's current basist, or as a great performer and songwriter in his own right.

I’m am excited and honored to say that Don Dixon will be producing this recording at Tim O’Brien’s studio in Nashville along with Kenny Malone on percussion.  Google Kenny Malone.

*Rewards 
TIM O'BRIEN AND I WILL PLAY JUST FOR YOU!!
Again, to make this happen, I need your help, but I’m not asking for donations.

As you can imagine, launching a CD project is really expensive; the initial cost is sometimes staggering, when you add up the travel expense, recording, studio rental, artwork and design, paying musicians, postage (sending the CDs out to radio) and promotions.

AGAIN, I’m not asking for donations, I’m going to work hard and give you something that you believe is of real value. Okay, this is where you and I get together on this thing.

You can directly help erect this “building” along with us by choosing one of the FUN rewards listed here on this web page!

You can simply purchase one CD or both in advance from this website or you can get one of the many, and I think, really fun rewards, like a CD signed by Tim O’Brien, Don Dixon and myself, original songs written just for you or a friend.  It could even be a happy birthday song (maybe a holiday song but you must submit before dec 3).

I will write the tune and later record it with Tim O’Brien playing along.  I will post it as a Youtube video and send you an mp3 or CD.

You might also choose “VIP” treatment at the CD release party with Tim O’Brien and Don Dixon or a private concert by me in your own home!

I’m even willing to change the lyrics of one of my older tunes a bit for you at your request. 
Listen to many of my tunes here
www.reverbnation.com/toddburge

Who Do You Know That Would Get a Kick Out of This?

Think about someone in your family or a friend or child who might be really be into this.  Maybe as a surprise gift?
A fan of mine or Tim O'Brien's? 

Check out the rewards mentioned on this site.  There are many more.

Going Over Our Goal?

IF we go over our financial goal here, I’d like to use some of it for promoting the recordings to a wider audience as well as donating 25% of the monies to the Food Allergy Network!

Finally, I must tell you.  With your support, you literally feed my family and my soul and I’m forever grateful.  You allow me to do what I love and I hope I’m doing work for you that you enjoy and feel is worthy of sharing..  Thank you so much.  Let’s build this thing!  

If you are not one to use your credit or debit card online, please follow the rewards here and send a check or money order to:

Todd Burge
2139 17th Street
Parkersburg, WV 26101

We will add you to this webpage and all the other fuelers after we receive it.  Thanks! 

1. RocketHub is not an investment or charity. It is an exchange: funds from fans for rewards from me.

2. It's an All & More funding mechanism: if I don't reach my financial goal I get to keep what I raise and use it towards a scaled down version of this project. But if I do reach my goal, I get access to exciting opportunities, ALL THANKS TO YOU!!