Earl Scioneaux III Fund Raises For A Musical Adventure

New Orleans Musician to Write a Song with a Little Help from His (Kickstarter) Friends

New Orleans producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist Earl Scioneaux III (aka The Madd Wikkid) announces the launch of his Kickstarter project, Crowdsource a Musical Adventure, the very first interactive songwriting experiment that allows fans to participate in the step-by-step process of creating a song with Scioneaux from start to finish.

Scioneaux will compose multiple creative possibilities and his backers will then vote to shape the song’s structure. By repurposing the Reddit engine to facilitate mass creation in a new way, Scioneaux will guide his co-songwriters along this unique journey as they help choose melodies, lyrics and ear-grabbing hooks that will grow into a musical composition.

“Crowdsource a Musical Adventure is a bit like the Choose Your Own Adventure book series, where the reader chooses the character’s actions and the plot’s outcome,” said Scioneaux. “I will collaborate with the project’s backers via the website Reddit.com; as I post each part of the song – say, different variations of the guitar track – with specific multiple options, backers will vote, post their opinions and collectively choose the song’s direction every step of the way.”

Scioneaux’s innovative tech experiment is an attempt at what he calls ‘guided crowdsourcing’, allowing large-scale groups to participate in a creation process never before used, and if successful, Crowdsource a Musical Adventure may inspire a new wave of collaborative songs, games and manner in which artists engage their fans.

A professionally trained jazz pianist and composer, The Madd Wikkid, has plenty of experience with collaborative efforts, having recorded albums with Dr. John, The Preservation Hall Jazz band, George Porter, Jr. and John Boutte. Additionally, Scioneaux has worked alongside artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Mos Def, Tom Waits, Pete Seeger, Del McCoury, Jim James, Paolo Nutini, Pretty Lights, King Britt and JJ Doom, to name a few.

Scioneaux notes that he’s looking forward to the interactivity that will shape the song. “Crowdsource a Musical Adventure may take some unexpected twists and turns, but that’s what makes it an adventure. Hopefully lots of people will join this journey, and together we can explore and enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience.”

Scioneaux’s most recent projects include Electronola and Brassft Punk, which combine his love for electronic music and traditional New Orleans jazz; the latter in tribute to popular electronic act Daft Punk. As The Madd Wikkid, Scioneaux will be touring this summer, playing festivals such as British Columbia, Canada’s Pemberton Music Festival July 17th.

Crowdsource a Musical Adventure will be funded if at least $10,000 is reached by the Adventure’s goal date of August 10, 2014 at 3:00 PM PDT.