Sonic Liberation Devices was created at NYU during a time of academic suppression and political violence in 2024. Click here to watch the origin of Sonic Liberation Devices and The P.D.L (abbreviated on here due to censorship).
We are a collective based in Brooklyn, NY that designs community sound technologies. Our sonic framework is rooted in decolonial design, accessibility, open-source education and archival documentation. Through collective creation, we create sound machines as a tool for resistance, connection, and solidarity.
As this work expands, we are committed in building a cooperative business model that is equitable and sustainable, one that we can collectively own and control. Through this journey, we are holding ourselves accountable by showing our process of what it takes to create a new model for collective ownership.
To get the P.D.L into its production phase, these are our immediate needs.
Legal fees : $1,500
- This total will be covering our document submission fees for the initial paperwork to establish Sonic Liberation Devices legally along with protecting our open-source licensing.
Worker compensation : $17,000
- This total will help our core team have the ability for the next 3 months to continue investing our time, money, effort and energy into sustaining this developmental phase.
- This work includes (but not limited too): Video Editing, Content Creation for Educational Reels, Curriculum Development, Creative Strategy, Graphic Design, Programming, Fundraising, Organizing, Web + UX/UI development, Grant Writing, Labor costs, Event Planning, Research and Consulting.
Studio Space : $14,400
- Securing a studio space will give us a headquarters to continue creating and building within community, future workshops (ex: how to build your own synthesizer, S.T.E.M Education, Music Technology, and the ability to properly and safely solder with the right ventilation.
- We also want to use our studio as a place where other working class artists can use our equipment (recording, live streams, music production) at a slide scale cost.
Prototype Development: $3,100
- This covers the cost of hardware expenses including electronic components, physical materials, fabrication costs, PCB manufacturing costs, etc.
- This allows us to experiment freely with different designs and iterate on the hardware that we deliver to the community.
Contingency: $4,000
- This covers unforeseeable costs such as changes in tariffs and hardware availability, and allows us to have a buffer that ensures the feasibility and longevity of the project.
Our core members are all BIPOC and/or first gen. Here at SLD we refuse the traditional model for business and technology development. We wish to have an open organization structure that allows us to collaborate with and compensate community members. We look forward to continue making political and socially conscious musical tools that help us envision what the future can look like without labor, land or community exploitation.
As our current administration cuts funding for the creative arts, we are leaning on community to support us with our initial ask of $40,000. This is until we figure out what options for permanent funding are aligned with our work and mission.
We are a new collective starting from the ground up with big dreams, please consider continuing donation even if goal is reached!
Every donation helps us prepare better educational materials, collaborate with more artists, and host more community events.
With gratitude,
-Sonic Liberation Devices team <3
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Organizer
