Back my Single Release and World Premiere of my Symphony

Dear family and friends,

I hope all are doing very well. I am reaching out to share two exciting milestones in my musical journey—and to ask for your support if you are in a position to help.

This spring, I will be leading two major projects that I am incredibly proud of:

1. A studio recording of Bachigulem, my original composition inspired by the music and culture of Afghanistan, to be released as my first single on Spotify and Apple Music.

The recording features Bridge to Everywhere, a group that weaves together musical cultures from around the world showcasing some of LA’s most prolific and versatile performers. The composition was an extremely gratifying process to make—I took classes on the history of music in the Muslim world, enrolled in tabla lessons, researched Afghan instruments, attended online music tutorials, and grew a ton as a composer incorporating more Afghan elements into my music. I am extremely excited to share it with the world very soon!

2. The world premiere of Symphony of the Sun, I. "Totality," the first movement of my first full-length symphony, UCLA dissertation, and orchestral debut in Los Angeles.

I will be conducting this piece for the first time for a live audience at UCLA on Tuesday, May 13th with a 48-piece orchestra. This is by far the biggest project I have ever worked on—involving hours of organizing rehearsals, contacting players one-by-one, buying food for the performers, editing and printing the sheet music for each player and the conductor's scores, and conducting the rehearsals and the performance.

In total, between musician's fees, food, labor, and printing costs, I will have invested over $3500 into these works—highlighting my motivation to create this GoFundMe.

My goal with these projects is to bring to life music that is meaningful and thoughtfully-crafted, share the fruits of my composition studies at the PhD level, and announce myself as an emerging professional composer in the Los Angeles music scene. Any contribution to this fund is the most direct way to help me achieve these goals and launch me into the brand new chapter of my life as a professional composer—all while sharing this music together.

As a token of my thanks, I will be sharing early access to the recording and behind-the-scenes photos/videos with all supporters.

I am beyond grateful to be living a life full of music and collaborating with such awe-inspiring colleagues. Thank you for your generous support for me on my mission to share the gift of music.

Sincerely,

Austin Ali