I WAS LIVING MY DREAM AS A MUSIC PRODUCER IN LEBANON, AND THEN IT WAS TAKEN AWAY IN AN INSTANT

Hi everyone,

My name is Soha, and I’m a music producer from Ghazieh, a small town in the south of Lebanon.

Music has been my whole life for the past four years; it’s how I’ve supported myself and my parents and how I’ve stayed hopeful in tough times. When I was 19, I started building my recording studio from scratch in a rented space, between Ghazieh and Sidon. It wasn’t fancy or anything, just a 2 by 4m room, but it was mine, and the rent was cheap. I poured everything I had into it, every bit of money, time, and love. Over the years, it became more than just a studio. It was my safe space, my dream, and my way of making a living.

But this past October, everything was taken away. During the war with Israel, my town was one of the first to be bombed. In just minutes, my studio was completely destroyed. I lost over $5,000 worth of equipment: my laptop, recording gear, studio furniture, and everything else I relied on to support myself and my family. It broke my heart to see years of work reduced to nothing.

After relocating to a safer area with not much to fall back on, I started seeking out help on online forums, and that’s when Cameron stepped in. We met online, Cameron lives in the U.S. and has been a big support for me. He not only donated $300 to help me get started again but also offered to set up this GoFundMe campaign since it’s not available. in Lebanon. Without him, I wouldn’t even have the chance to share my story with you.

So far, thanks to Cameron and a few other generous people, I’ve raised $1200. Here’s everything this money has been put towards:

1. Behringer C1: $65

2. Shure SM57 (Used): $85

3. 2 used XLR cables: $40

4. Rockwool insulation (8 slabs, only 5 shown in video): $80

5. Wood beams (for the construction of the sound panels): $40

6. Box of screws: $5

7. 3 months of rent for the new space (November, October, December): 3x270: $810

I’m asking for your help to set up even a modest studio so I can get back to work and support myself and my family again. Whether you can donate or share this campaign, it would mean everything to me. Every bit of support helps me get closer to rebuilding what I need. I will be thanking each and every donor personally and listing the items that I end up buying with your donations.

Thank you for reading my story and for any support you can give. I’m beyond grateful for your kindness.

With love and gratitude,

Soha Chrabieh

MESSAGE FROM CAMPAIGN ORGANIZER

Hi, I'm Cameron DeVries, a freelance musician living in Orcutt, California.

Recently, I met Soha Chrabieh, a music producer from Lebanon, through an online musician’s forum - where I learned about his heartbreaking and painful story over the last few months.

Soha owned and operated his own small recording studio, which he began building from scratch when he was 19 years old. Through his resourcefulness, tenacity, and skill, he was able to grow his audio production business so that he could financially support himself and both of his parents. However, in October, the recording studio that he had spent years building was destroyed in a severe bombing during the recent armed conflict in that region; and he and his family were forced to flee.

In the city where he has evacuated to, Beirut, he has the chance to build a new makeshift studio, but he lacks the financial resources to buy the adequate gear and equipment he needs to produce recordings at a professional level for clients. Music production is the sole livelihood for he and his family, so every day that he cannot get a makeshift studio up and running again, and record music for paying clients, is a day he and his family fall further behind on bills and necessary expenses. In no uncertain terms, he desperately needs help at this time, and urgently.

Because Lebanon does not have access to use of the gofundme platform to raise money, Soha has agreed to allow me to organize this gofundme campaign on his behalf, with his full support. We have set our target goal at $6,500 (US), which is the amount that we’ve determined Soha will need to procure the professional equipment needed to set-up a base-level professional studio again in his new tiny space - as well as to help his business to get started again with expenses like rent, etc.

All money raised will go directly to Soha, and will be used only for rebuilding his studio, and expenses related to his audio production business. Because of Lebanon's strict banking regulations, the funds will be transferred to Soha via MoneyGram. Also, Soha will be donating every dollar that is raised over and above his $6,500 goal, back to those in Lebanon who have been seriously impacted by the war.

Every donation, no matter how small, will bring Soha closer to his goal of restarting his business, and getting his family back on stable footing. Your support can make a big difference, whether by donating, sharing our campaign, or simply offering advice. Soha is very resourceful, and is committed to doing what it takes to rebuild his business. He has already made great strides to get his business up and running again, please help him to obtain the necessary funds to get him all the way there!

We thank you for reading, and appreciate your support of Soha’s efforts to start his family’s life, and his business, over again.

If you have any doubts or concerns about Soha’s situation, please reach out to me and I can provide further documentation/verification of Soha’s story. Transparency is very important to us both (Cameron and Soha), and we are happy to provide more details. Soha and I are working together closely to orchestrate this fundraising campaign - we have come to know each other well over the course of the campaign.

Thanks so much for reading about our campaign~

Warmly,

Cameron

*LINK to PDF showing how Soha will use the funds

*YOUTUBE LINK TO SOHA'S VIDEO MESSAGE

IMAGES FROM CONSTRUCTION OF SOHA'S ORIGINAL STUDIO:

IMAGES OF SOHA'S ORIGINAL STUDIO AFTER CONSTRUCTION WAS COMPLETED:

IMAGES OF NEW SOUND PANELS THAT SOHA IS NOW BUILDING IN HIS NEW SPACE: