Hi, Everyone,

Thanks to all of you who have made donations to The Big Chant Project! In less than three months we’ve had 112 gifts for a total of $13,500! To recap, The Big Chants Project is a mostly live recording of multi-part chants and short songs. With adult and children’s choirs from the Church of the Heavenly Rest in NYC, dir. Mollie Nichols, and a quintet from the Jazz Ministry at St. Peter’s Lutheran in NYC, led by Ike Sturm, this has been an amazing experience. Mollie and Ike are beautiful humans who’ve built loving and creative music programs. They understand the power that chanting and improvisation bring into the world and are excited to collaborate in bringing these chants to a wider audience.

Here’s where you come in. Your support continues to mean everything as we forge ahead with this new project. We will work with whatever we raise, and no gift is too small! I’m excited and deeply grateful to hear from each one of you.

The Big Chants Album combines the joy of group singing with the ever-expanding devotion of improvisation. We will blur the lines of genre and bring people into closer relationship (you too!) through the art of musical reflection. Now is the time The Big Chants Project is needed in the world, because slowing down, setting time apart to nourish ourselves, and nurturing our relationships with beauty and one another leads to deeper listening and more attentive perception of our place in the world.

For a tax deductible gift, please give through the Church of the Heavenly Rest. Here’s the link for an online donation. You may also send a check made out to Church of the Heavenly Rest, Attn: Mollie Nichols, Music Dept., 2 E. 90^th St., NY, NY 10128. Write Big Chants Project on the memo line.

If you prefer PayPal, use the donate button on my website. One-time or recurring donations are most welcome. You can also write a check and send it to me directly: Ana Hernández, 11 Dyckman Dr., Mohegan Lake, NY 10547.

I’m truly blessed to be part of a generous network of friends and colleagues, and I invite your prayers for the project. Your ongoing support of this work will continue to have a deepening impact on our hearts, the church, and the world.

Thanks, blessings, and peace from my heart to yours,

Ana

The Big Chants Project
Draft Budget

Artist fees (rehearsals, recording sessions)
 soloists, conductor, instrumentalists, adult choir, children’s choir                                    $ 9,500

Arranging fees                                                                                                                      $ 2,500
Recording day provisions                                                                                                     $    500
Production
Producers, engineer, recording, overdubs, editing, mixing, mastering                              $41,900
Post-Production
Manufacturing, printing, packaging, shipping, artwork, website                                        $11,000
Marketing
Publicist, publicity, radio promoter, travel                                                                               $10,250

________

Total                                                                                                                                                 $75,650

Do you think this looks like a lot of money? In a 2011 National Public Radio story, the cost to record one hit song was almost $79,000. This album may be an incredible bargain!