“Over the years there’s been many charities I’ve wanted to support but never have had the time to give them much. This way. I get to spend 5 minutes on stage having great fun, the audience take part and experience the Heap creative cogs in motion and witness the performance of a piece of music that will only exist once. The local charity gets recognition, promotion and some cash from the downloads. Everyone’s happy! — Imogen Heap on her improvisations for charity.
The Grammy award-winning musician, Imogen Heap, has come up with a way to connect with her fans and to benefit the causes they support. The songstress is committing to playing a tune each night while on her North American tour that will benefit a local charity.
The piece will not be anything you’ll find on her albums, though. She will be improvising the song with suggestions for key, tempo and melody from concert-goers. The newly created piece will then be made available for digital download soon after the performance. Fifty percent of the sales from the download will be donated to the charity of choice in that locale. The other fifty percent will be combined for one mega donation at the end of the tour going to the organization voted upon by her fans.
According to Look to the Stars, Heap’s idea came to her when asked to perform an extra song at an event a couple years ago. Without any other songs rehearsed, she decided to take a stab at it freestyle. She recalls, “Later, a man from the conference asked me if he could use this piece I improvised as a song for his charity. I thought why should it go to waste if it can find a loving home?”
Aside from contributing musical suggestions, fans become involved on yet another level in Heap’s charitable work. She is asking them to take photos of her announcing the charity of choice for that location. One photo will be chosen to be the cover art for the digital download.
Catch Imogen Heap on tour throughout the end of June to help create a musical tribute to good deeds!
Photo by BarnyardBBS via Flickr.