Grassroots Supporters Are New Financial Patrons For Nashville Songwriter

A Wisconsin mom, a small-business owner, and an ad agency exec in the Midwest. These and 37 other average folks make up a modern-day Medici family, putting financial backing behind music-making in the form of Jesse Rice, a Nashville songwriter.

In early January, 2010, a consortium of 40 investors—mostly from the Midwest and none of them in the music industry—each committed $4,000 a share over the course of three years to support and invest in a brand new songwriting and music publishing venture named Artist Revolution. Artist Revolution was launched by Nashville-based singer-songwriter Sam Brooker as a means of raising capital to promote talented songwriters.

The consortium’s investment pays Rice an annual salary through the end of 2012. The result is that Rice can devote himself full-time to pursuing his craft and marketing his songs. Under the group’s support, he has thus far written and added 72 new songs to Artist Revolution’s catalog.

If sales, fees and royalties are generated, the 40 investors are then paid back and subsequently participate in a proportional percentage of the net profit return on their investment indefinitely.

The consortium embodies a novel approach to securing capital to further artists’ music careers. Although “crowdfunding” has become a popular online fundraising tool using social media to raise “any dollar” contributions from a universal pool of potential supporters, the consortium is a focused, grassroots, face-to-face endeavor whereby patrons make the investment, develop the contract, and represent the driving force behind an artist’s output.

“I think each of us saw this as a way to liberate creativity while supporting the art of music-making in a very real and meaningful way,” said Jim Rivett, a shareholder in the consortium and president of Arketype, Inc., an advertising and design firm based in Green Bay. “I believe in Jesse’s extraordinary talent, but for me, this represents a grassroots philanthropic movement more than it is just big expectations for ROI. When sales or licensing happens, it will be icing on the cake.”

Businessman Kurt Voss who serves on the consortium’s board and manages the financials agreed.

“First for me, it is fascinating to watch the blend of entrepreneurial spirit with magnificent talent and creativity. It’s the collective power of a group like this to potentially influence the Nashville music scene that’s truly the rewarding part,” said Voss, CEO of AmeriLux International.

Jesse Rice is a singer-songwriter and producer in Nashville. Raised in low-country South Carolina, his Southern, small-town roots inspires his writing. Rice moved to Nashville in 2002 where he began working for EMI Music Publishing. Since 2007 Rice has been a staff songwriter at Artist Revolution Publishing. Earlier this year Rice released a collection of his songs entitled “Somethin’ Strong” available on iTunes. He has also worked closely with “Survivor: Nicaragua” runner-up Chase Rice producing his debut EP “Country As Me,” as well as co-writing songs on the record including the first single, “Buzz Back.”

Sam Brooker is president of Artist Revolution and a Nashville singer-songwriter originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin. A talented artist in his own right, Brooker often performs in the duo Sam & Ruby whose 2009 album “The Here and the Now” was named Album of the Year by the Associated Press in its top-10 albums of the year list. Brooker is also part of The Collective, the nine-member a cappella group competing on this season of NBC’s “The Sing-Off.”

Arketype is an award-winning creative agency delivering high-concept advertising and design solutions through video, animation, online and print. The firm is the recipient of the 2009 BCA TEN Award honoring the top-10 companies in America supporting the arts. To learn more, visit www.arketypeinc.com.