Project Ikigai Virtual Concert

Hi friends, 


Amy and ManMan here!


Our show is going ahead in a new form. It’s ever changing, ever shifting and the nature of this situation is providing new challenges and opportunities to expand ourselves creatively. 


I’d like to quote our original concert description:


“Featuring handpan, taiko, voices, songs and stories, Amy and ManMan are passionate about creating work that reflects and responds to the venue, audience, and musicians that join them. No performance is the same.”


Keeping true to the spirit of Project Ikigai, we are responding to this new digital avenue of concert production and using it as an opportunity to explore the breadth of what we can do. We’re using this time to make the project even bigger than we had originally envisioned, and we are so excited to see where this journey will take us over the next two weeks. We decided to go ahead with the "performance" because this avenue for creativity is needed more than ever. Project Ikigai has been the space for the two of us to process difficult emotions and life challenges through music. We are passionate about making this happen because we want to reach out to our community, so that we can support each other. 


So, what is this show going to look like?


This digital concert will feature a series of videos in a series of locations with many different combinations of musicians. Some of us are collaborating remotely, some of us are playing together as smaller groups in open and outdoor spaces. The safety of all participating musicians is the most important thing to us, and it is proving an interesting challenge to represent the original setlist we had planned. It has also opened space for us to capture moments that would never be seen on stage in a rehearsed setting, and we are really excited to share our process with truth, authenticity, and vulnerability.


We will be hosting a live stream on Sunday, March 29th where we will broadcast those videos and talk about the songs and our creative process. The live stream itself will be free to view, but there are many other ways that you can support us and our work if you would like to do so. Our work as independent musicians and facilitators is taking a huge hit amidst this crisis, and so anything you could offer in support of this project would be so gratefully appreciated. 


We love the concept of the "honesty box" and inspired by this, we would like to suggest a minimum donation of $5 to watch the show for those who are able to pay. If you can afford to pay more, your contribution will work as a subsidy for those unable to make a donation. Originally, our live concert was at a ticketed price of $20, with this unable to go ahead we are potentially losing money and so are trying to be realistic about how much we need to raise, while being mindful of the community's current financial situation. This is one project amongst many that has unfortunately been cancelled for us, meaning things are going to be difficult for the foreseeable future. As you probably know, this is true for the entire artistic community. We believe it is so important at this time of crisis for everybody to have access to the community space we are trying to create, and we are putting in a lot of work to make this event viable. To make this work as we envision it, we are relying on your kind donations. 


Here are some recommended donation price points, and the gifts we will offer in return for your support. Each gift is in addition to those offered at the lower prices.


$5 - Virtual Ticket
$15 - Videos of songs and music that didn’t make it into the concert.
$40 - Selected demo tracks from our upcoming album ahead of release & blooper reel.

We can’t wait to share this with (and collaborate with) the wider community. We encourage all of you to continue to be creative, to find new ways to connect with each other, to support each other emotionally and financially, and to use this as an opportunity for growth.


Thank you so much for your support.


We hope to see you on Sunday, March 29, 12pm PDT.