help flight of harmony keep going and growing

Hi, thank you for your time in looking at my project.

 

This is Kevin, aka flight, of flight of harmony. I have been creating unique electronic music gear since 2008, but I need help to keep going.

 

The full sob story is further down the page but, in short, after managing to stay on top of all the upheaval of the past two years, and even starting to revive f(h), I am suddenly faced with a combination of physical and financial problems that kicked everything I had built out from under me and left me with no option but to ask for your help.

 

I am looking to raise enough funding to keep myself and flight of harmony going through summer until I can complete a number of new product designs that I have been developing and get them to market. After that, the market will decide whether or not I should keep going (and my injuries will have healed so that I can at least get a job if I need to).

 

My plan, of course, is to grow and expand flight of harmony beyond what it has been in the past and bring in many others to collaborate and grow as well. Along with expanding the product lines offered, I have been working with several colleagues on establishing a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) school/collective organization dedicated to the exploration of experimental music, with a focus on improving the accessibility for, along with the education of, new musicians, through workshops, contests, and concerts, both online and in-person.

 

I have always loved creating unique gear for you all to use and hearing the creations you all make with them in turn. With your help, I can continue making more to keep the cycle going.

 

Thanks again,

 

~flight

http://flightofharmony.com/

 

All donations are converted 1:1 to credit with flight of harmony, to be redeemable for merchandise after July 2022. You will also be eligible for advance promotional merchandise and product testing. I am also always open for customization requests and other random one-off things, just ask!

The sob story, as promised:

I was one of the many sent home during the 2020 lockdowns, and I decided to use the time to focus on getting flight of harmony up and running again after the five-year hiatus. During the lockdown, the eurorack version of the Infernal Noise Machine was developed and released, and I then began work on the new desktop version of the INM, as well as expanding production capability by building a woodworking shop for making enclosures and housings. In between all of this, I was also developing a number of smaller modules and desktop/portable products.

 

I was called back to work in September; just as my unemployment ran out and right before development was complete on the INM-D prototype. I continued working on the INM-D in my free time and, having the security of a job again, put more finances into the resurrection of f(h), as well as starting work on a not-for-profit 501C(3) school/collective for the exploration of concepts and implementation of experimental music, A Perfect Swarm.

 

On November 1st, I finally had health insurance again (coverage ended mid-2020), which meant I could finally go in for surgery to correct the painful condition of trigger finger that had returned in my right middle finger (of course). I went in to set up the appointment, but the operation was postponed due to a lack of nurses. The earliest would be in December, but most likely not until January. So I waited for the notification.

 

While waiting, work slowed down. On November 3rd, I was told I had the rest of the week off, so I was able to continue working on the INM-D prototype. I was getting nervous about work by this time, since upcoming jobs kept getting pushed further back. The endless resurgence of COVID-19 had forced our main client, a very large and universally-known OS and gaming console developer, to delay bringing their employees back into the office even further, which meant there was no need for us to continue working on their rooms and equipment.

 

By November 14th, I was really nervous. Work had called me back right as my unemployment ran out, and I cannot file a new claim until I have worked 680 hours; 17 weeks, or four months and one week. I was so nervous I did something stupid: I allowed my thoughts to distract me while using the table saw and ran my right index finger into the blade while it was on (Warning, graphic image: picture link ). A quick trip to the emergency room (yay, insurance!), one stitch and a fat bandage later, I went back home, extremely frustrated with my idiocy and now doubly-limited dexterity. You can see the bandage in one of the INM D demo videos on the flight of harmony youtube channel. (I was very lucky, by the way, as it only removed a large chunk of flesh from my finger but nothing more serious.)

 

On November 18th, everyone at my company was laid off due to lack of work. No work expected until February, at best. I am still ineligible for unemployment insurance and my health insurance may run out before I can get that operation. I can get new health insurance after 90 days if I get a new job, but my right hand has the index finger in bandages, the middle finger unable to grip, and a childhood injury (severed tendon) that left the pinkie unable to grip tightly or straighten fully, all of which makes me unable to apply for any jobs I am qualified to do. I have already been out of work, unpaid, for two weeks, and have used up what little savings I had left. That, and, if I do find a new job, I'd have to put f(h) back on the shelf and focus on the new job for quite some time.

 

~flight