Help BHW Kickstart a New Server!
Words by Dina Al-Ziab Big Heavy World (BHW) has supported and promoted local Vermont musicians since 1996 and continues its drive to keep expanding and creating an even bigger community. BHW is a non-profit organization that is completely volunteer-run and many of the people who contribute their time to working at BHW are very passionate about what they are doing. Now more than ever, the Vermont music scene is booming with diverse sounds from all over the musical spectrum. Teenagers and college students have always been getting involved and helping in any way they can, but now there is a way in which you can get involved too!
This Kickstarter Project is BHW’s newest effort to raise money for new servers. Right now, BHW is using servers that are around eight years old and lack the power needed to implement streaming music on the scale we're planning for. With better servers, BHW can share recordings of historical concerts that took place locally in Vermont. Thanks to volunteers from the community, interviews with musicians and bands are being taped for people to view with the goal of being put on the servers. In order for the public to benefit from this content, the servers need to be upgraded and it cannot be done without help from the community.
The Kickstarter Project will only be funded if $1,000 can be raised by May 29th at 5:00PM EDT. Any and all contributions are appreciated and in the long run they benefit the community. BHW does is best to serve the people and musicians of Vermont and everything we do is gratis because the resources are pulled together from the community, sponsors, and grants. For people who are not familiar with the local music scene, there are many things BHW does to bolster the music community in Vermont. Some accomplishments include:
• Produces compilation CDs of different themes • Has a public library of around 3,000-4,000 titles • An online music shop with more than 600 CDs for sale • A community radio station called “The Radiator” • Holds a musical conference for all ages called “IndieCon” • Created the “Vermont Jukebox Project” that puts digitized Vermont-made music into the states welcome centers on freeways and airports to gain more exposure
The crazy thing about all of this is that BHW world has managed to go strong for fourteen years because it is run and staffed by music-loving folk who also happen to be volunteers. Although BHW strives to promote the future of music, the past should never be forgotten. With new servers, music in the Green Mountain State can be documented and kept alive for future generations to hear. Music is an art that should not be pushed to the side because there isn’t enough money to support it. All it takes is a little bit of help from a lot of different people. Make a pledge and help a great cause. Every little but helps. Let’s keep expanding and promoting music by talented Vermonters and support an organization run on passion and the love for music!
For more details and background on the project, you can access the Kickstarter Project at: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1699726140/a-new-server-for-vermont-made-music