OCCUPY THIS ALBUM FINANCE UPDATE – 03/25/2014
EARNINGS STATEMENT – 10/13/13 – First statement from Razor And Tie reflecting breaking a negative balance – $563.44 SEE STATEMENT HERE
EARNINGS STATEMENT – 11/31/13 – First payment we should have received from Razor And Tie to Music For Occupy for the release of Occupy This Album – $837.48 SEE STATEMENT HERE – have not received payment as of update
EARNINGS STATEMENT – 12/31/13 – Second Payment from Razor And Tie to Music For Occupy for the release of Occupy This Album – $444.47 SEE STATEMENT HERE Received Payment
EARNINGS STATEMENT – 01/31/14 – Second payment from Razor And Tie, including a release of return reserves to Music For Occupy for the release of Occupy This Album – $5,747.84 SEE STATEMENT HERE – Received payment
EARNINGS STATEMENT – 02/28/14 – SEE STATEMENT HERE
EARNINGS STATEMENT – 03/31/14 – SEE STATEMENT HERE
EARNINGS STATEMENT – 04/30/14 –SEE STATEMENT HERE
EARNINGS STATEMENT – 05/31/14 – SEE STATEMENT HERE
EARNINGS STATEMENT – 06/30/14 –SEE STATEMENT HERE
EARNINGS STATEMENT – 07/31/14 – SEE STATEMENT HERE
This year (2014) we have received approximately $8,000 in funds from sales of Occupy This Album, some of which has been used for further promotion of Occupy This Album, as well as numerous actions to support the Occupy movement. Over the past couple of years our funds have been spent on:
– Created 2 benefit concerts to support Occupy Sandy efforts – which helped many Hurricane Sandy victims and produced mini film documenting our process – see here
– Brought Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiciton, along with his family to the Rockaways to visit and give assistance to Occupy Sandy efforts
– Produced numerous concerts and poetry slams to promote Occupy awareness, at The Bowery Electric, Arlenes Grocery, City Winery, Stephens Talkhouse, and more.
– Assisted with accomodations while Pussy Riot came to NYC to visit with Occupy Protestors in summer of 2014
– Co- Produced a music festival to raise awareness about Pete Seeger, protest music/movement music, and social justice at Lincoln Center, Central Park’s Summer Stage, and many other locations – see here
– Planning a $2,500 donation in 2014 to the next Rolling Jubilee effort – an effort started by OWS to eliminate debt – see here
- How exactly are profits from this album calculated?
- What are the costs for production and administration of this project and are there any other entities or items being paid for out of the revenues of this album including before dispersal to the Occupy Movement? Were there any advances that must be reimbursed before any profits will be disbursed, and if so, to whom were these funds allocated and for what were they used?
In addition there will be some legal fees that will need to be paid to Music For Occupy’s counsel, yet that # is still unknown as there is still some work to do.
- By what method and when will funds be delivered to Occupy? What entities will be responsible for the dispersal of funds?
- Please delineate the income and allocation of funds, income, publicity, or promotion from any other related activities using the Occupy name associated with the album, including but not limited to the listening party at the Gibson showroom, the $99.99 per person album launch party at City Winery, the “Occupy This Wine” bottles at the release party.
VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION – Please note that we gave away 408 tickets to this event. We spent time at a wonderful Occupy action in Central Park, as well as numerous days down at union sqaure and asked folks that were Occupying to go on our mailing list for updated information and a chance to win free tickets. We contacted EVEY SINGLE PERSON who signed our mailing list to give them free tickets. Unfortnately we got about 30 returned email address, which would have put us much closer to capacity, but not everyone has perfect handwriting.
The tickets were at a price of $99.99 because we wanted to give away as many tickets as possible for free to our firends in Occupy Wall Street and still be able to pay our expenses. The only way you can give away the most tickets, is by charging a bunch for some of them. ALSO not one bottle of “Occupy This Wine” was sold away from the ticket packages.
We know that the prices of tickets, as well as the “Occupy This Wine” bottle offended many within the movement. While we feel badly that we would offend the same movement we work to preserve we could not find another way to offer the most free tickets possible.
- I thought Music For Occupy was a corp, and not a non-profit. What happened?
Music For Occupy (MFO) began it’s journey as a corporation. Desperately wanting to shed the INC, MFO went on a journey to search for a way to become a non profit in a timely manner. MFO explored numerous opportunities for fiscal sponsorship, and eventually after months of deliberations decide that the Alliance For Global Justice (AFGJ) was the best fit for our mission. Music For Occupy is fiscally sponsored by the Alliance For Global Justice in Washington D.C. This change occurred on April 17th, 2012.
- Have any artists, or producers been paid for producing “Occupy This Album”?
NO! The folks who produced “Occupy This Album” did not get paid a penny for any of their work while producing it. All artists have agreed to gratis licensing to MFO, which means any and all royalties that would typically come in to an artist, publisher, or anyone else will be donated to our organization.
- What does the future hold for Music For Occupy?
As a non-profit record label, we intend to produce other albums in the future that will spread the idea of truth in music and further the culture built by the Occupy Movement, which we like to call “Movement Music” the music that moves you. We also intend to employ people who believe in our mission, and folks who have a history of supporting the Occupy movement in such positions as Label Managers, Audio Engineers, Marketing pro’s, and administrative positions. This can only be accomplished if we are able to raise further capital above and beyond what comes in from the sales of “Occupy This Album”. We are working very hard at doing so in these difficult times, and if you would like to help please feel free to donate here http://musicforoccupy.org/donate/
If you have any further questions please never hesitate to ask. We welcome ALL feedback, we actually encourage it! Let us know your thoughts, your ideas help us decide our next move. musicforoccupy@gmail.com.
- “Who EXACTLY is Music For Occupy?”
Music For Occupy is an organization founded and directed by Jason Samel, who also is the Executive Producer of “Occupy This Album”. Samel has built up a vast network of “Friends of Music For Occupy”, in the entertainment industry as well as the friends he has found to be indispensable to the organization made within the Movement.
Samel first visited Liberty Square/Zucotti Park NYC on 09/19/2012, and the next day he formed an idea which would quickly evolve into the Music For Occupy we are today. Since, he has relied on the expertise of his network of extremely talented and dedicated individuals to navigate his way through this industry he previously had zero knowledge of.
Music For Occupy’s Mission Statement Can Be Found HERE .