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Joseph Herbst Sextet Debut Album

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Who is this guy?
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Joseph Herbst, but you can call me Joseph. Or Joe. Or Herbst. Or Yoseph. Or Herbie J. Or really any other variation you can think of. I’m a jazz composer, arranger, and saxophonist who just recently graduated from Michigan State University with a jazz degree, moved to Asheville, and I’m now working on recording my first album. You can check out a live performance of the opening track below.


 
I’ve been playing music since I was 8, debuting with my take on Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star on piano. I picked up saxophone for the first time when I was 11 and proceeded to put it down for the first time when my parents told me I couldn’t take it to bed with me. Needless to say, that process of picking up and putting down the horn has been repeated many times. A year later, I took my first stab at writing music when I composed a piece dedicated to our cat, Ashes. I even arranged it for band while I was in middle school, and in classic Joseph-style, it was too hard for us. Although in retrospect, there’s a good reason no one outside of my house has heard that CATastrophic piece.

Picture Credit: Studio Misha Photography
 
I thought this was about music, not about bad puns…
For those of you who want more high quality puns, you can give me a call. But to continue on…
 
Between that first piece of “music” and my (second) senior year of college, I continued writing music on and off as I gradually realized the power of music and composition to tell stories. It is through these stories that I’ve always believed music makes a difference in the world. Though much of the music I wrote I’ll happily never listen to again, through attempt after attempt and struggle after struggle, I began to find my voice.
 
My music grew as I grew. At first, I was telling stories about our pets. Then it was about storms. Then it was about school. Once college came, though, things got heavy. Like many of my friends, college was an incredible period of my life, but I also went through some of my darkest times. Though I resisted and resisted time after time, there were many instances when I was forced to face who I really was. Halfway through school, I began to get involved with our community working for a better campus, environment, and world. Through the help of many friends and teachers, my eyes were opened to the injustices of the world, and more importantly, how I can make a difference, both through my life and music.
 
Then, during my final year of college, things began to take off musically.
 
A couple weeks into this last year, I called on five of my good friends - Evan Taylor (trumpet),Liany Mateo (bass),Luther Allison (piano), Peter Martin (guitar), and Zach McKinney (drums)- to read a couple of my original compositions. You can listen to the first chart we ever read together below.


In my mind, this was just a reading session, but once we were through, they all asked me when the next rehearsal was. And that was the spark that set-off this sextet. I quickly finished writing a handful of other charts as we continued playing together. In March of 2018, alongside four spoken word artists and a handful of community and student organizations, we put on our first concert, titled “This is Our Environment.”
 
This is Our Environment
What is the environment? Too often, this word is taken for granted, with little time spent thinking about what it truly means. To many, the environment refers to the separated natural world filled with wilderness. However, at the first National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, the environment was described as encompassing “all aspects of daily life-where we live, work, and play.”

The key word in the title is “our” – meaning that which we belong to rather than that which we control. One cannot draw a clear line between environment and people. Rather, every day, people interact with and are affected by their environment in different ways. For some, the environment is an escape from society, while for others the environment serves as a stark reminder of the injustices that persist throughout our world. Even though it may be taken for granted at times, the environment provides all of us with countless necessities, including breathable air, drinkable water, nutritious food, storm protection, and climate mitigation. A threat to the environment, then, is really a threat to people. 

The intent of this first concert was to challenge the way many of us view the environment by offering new perspectives. The emphasis was on the effects the environment has on communities and the important role we all have in protecting each other and our environment.
 
You can read more about this first concert and watch videos here .
 
Picture Credit: Studio Misha Photography
 
Great, but what are you doing NOW?
Fine, fine. I’m assuming you want to know what this is all about. Following that concert, we realized something powerful had happened, and more importantly, that was just the beginning. In June of 2019, we will be convening in Michigan to embark on a week-long tour, then proceed to lock ourselves in Solid Sound studios for two days to capture this music in an album, also entitled This is Our Environment.
 
And, if you know me, you know of my ambition and all-out nature. We will record nine of my original compositions, each with a powerful story behind it, that will be interwoven into a larger story about coming together to stand for a better world. In the spirit of collaboration, we will work with a number of spoken word artists, adding their art and stories to the record. This will not be a handful of individual tracks, but rather, this album will be one full work, one that I hope will change the way we view our environment and our world.
 
And how do I know you won’t use the money to support your hummus habit?
That’s a real question. I do love my hummus. But, I definitely don’t love it too much. Mostly because that’s impossible.
 
Recording an album is not cheap, and I want to be sure everyone’s hard work is rewarded. Your donation will help cover the cost of the studio time, a label, musicians, spoken word artists, travel, video recordings, and mixing and mastering.
 
The goal for this fundraiser is to cover a portion of these costs, as I am also applying for grants now to cover the remaining costs. Any extra funds will be donated to organizations and frontline communities working on these issues.
 
Gifts
Who doesn’t love gifts? As one way of showing my gratitude, I’m offering various gifts for your donation.

         $20 = A digital download of the album.

         $30 = Your very own, real-life, physical CD, plus a download of the album. I’ll even throw in the case and liner notes.

         $50 = A download and CD, BUT I’ll sign the CD and have the band sign it, too, if you want all of our autographs.

         $100 = In addition to all of the above, I’ll give you a shout-out on my social media channels (Facebook and Instagram) showing my thanks for you! I will take requests for this.

         $500 = I’ll write a song dedicated to you – or to anything you want (within reason). Plus, you get everything from above, and I’ll mention you in my liner notes.
 
Many, Many Thanks
I would not be here without so much support from my family, friends, and mentors. From constantly pushing me to be my best, encouraging me to reach for the stars, and opening up the world of music to me, I owe everything to those that have believed in me. Now, I turn to everyone again for support. Recording this album is a dream of mine, one that I envision will be the start of life’s next journey. A donation of any size will help me turn this dream into a reality. I am sincerely grateful and appreciative of all of your support.
 
Much love,
Joseph
 
P.S. If you would like to mail donations to me, please contact me, and I will pass along my current address.
 
P.P.S. The unofficial name of this band is Herbie J and the Earth Tones

Organizer

Joseph M Herbst
Organizer
Asheville, NC

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