MIA: Help Bring “Stars and Distances” To Frost Planetarium

Florida Grand Opera (FGO) has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.com to sponsor the recording of Stars and Distances as a special soundtrack for Miami’s new Frost Planetarium.

The musical soundscape, composed by internationally-renowned Fredrick Kaufman, is definitely fitting for the new full-dome Planetarium. The $10 million gift donation from Patricia and Phillip Frost not only gave it its name but added to the already amazingly upgraded transformation. Here you can see some of the development taking form earlier this year.

The new planetarium definitely shows off some of its more modern features with the 250-stadium style seating and 16-million-color 8K projection system. There will not be a star too vibrant for the newly improved dome. Yet the story behind Stars and Distances is even more stellar.

Kaufman on Stars & Distances:

“Stars & Distances came to me as I lay on my back one night in Hyde Park, London, staring up at the Cosmos trying to imagine what overwhelming assemblage of specs would sound like if they indeed had a sound.

Conductor Andrew Bisantz first proposed the idea of recording the track to FGO’s General Director & CEO Susan T. Danis in 2014, from which they began to form a team to execute the project. Although Florida Grand Opera was able to cover the initial recording fees, many of the anticipated donations weren’t met, which caused the recording to be put on hold until the required funds are allocated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGli3lcNmk0

Indiegogo.com is not only the largest global site for fundraisers but also the website which has helped “Flow Hive: Honey On Tap” raise over 12.2mm. They are now striving to help Florida Grand Opera reach their targeted donation goal of $47,380. To attract more donors, the page has included a “perks” section which allow the donation amount to be valued for a gift. Some examples of what FGO has on their campaign include a thank you tweet for a $5 donation, your name on the FGO website for a $80 donation, a hard-hat planetarium tour for $1,000 donation, dinner with the Composer for a $5,000 donation. This is a strategic approach to getting to the goal amount in shorter time. The FGO donation page is currently set up to close on October 31.

Reaching their goal shouldn’t be too difficult due to the familiarity so many people have with the company. Florida Grand Opera is recognized as the oldest opera company in Florida, and the seventh-oldest in America.