Filed by Trevor at 6:00 pm under Shameless Plugs

In case you haven’t visited my website yet, I’m attempting to raise $25,000 by a means I’m referring to as “The Dollar Project”. I realize this method of internet fundraising is not new (SaveKaryn.com, anyone?), but rather than panhandling to defray outstanding credit card debt, my purpose is far more substantial:

(Reprinted from trevorpatrick.com)
I am looking to raise a significant amount of money in the most unintrusive way possible. In August I will be moving to Chicago to set myself up not only as a full-time musician, but specifically as a full-time private instructor. Essentially I am once and for all throwing off the shackles of the part-time employment as a server that seems a tacit requirement of legions of artists nationwide, and as can be expected, such an action carries with it a hefty price tag. Obviously amounts of $5, $10, or $100 are always welcome, but all I ask you are two things: donate a dollar and tell your friends.

My primary goal as an instructor is to devote a significant amount of my time to pro bono work. Naturally I will be seeking a regular stable of 16-20 students, but in addition to this I will be contacting Chicago-area music directors in search of motivated students who may not have the financial means to study privately. Along these lines, I will be purchasing 10 new Yamaha student flutes for the purpose of loaning out to those students — pro bono or otherwise — that may not either have the financial means for a decent instrument or any instrument all. Additionally, I plan to take full advantage of such a large number of students by establishing a flute choir, necessitating the purchase of alto and bass flutes, which will also benefit me in my session work. Finally, I am in desperate need of a professional-level flute and piccolo; not only have I been playing on my current flute, an intermediate-level Yamaha, for nearly 14 years, it isn’t even mine — it has always belonged to my sister. My piccolo is in a similar condition: while mine, it is a student-level Gemeinhardt that I have owned for nearly the same span of time. What remains of the money raised will not only facilitate the purchase of new music for my library, to be used for the flute choir as well as individual students, it will also assist greatly in defraying the cost of living expenses during the initial shaky months while I recruit new students and establish myself professionally.

Again, all I ask from you is $1. And please tell 24,999 of your closest friends to do the same.

I will have a “Make Donation” button at the bottom of this page — a page I will have posted in the right-hand column of this blog from this point on — but I have one last thing to say about donating: you can donate whether or not you have a PayPal account, but if you don’t, it takes about 20-30 cents on the dollar off the total donation amount. Beggars can’t be choosers, of course, but I did wish to mention that.

Please help spread the word. Thank you for your help, all of you!