The Seven Year Scratch

An in-progress cd of love songs written by Randy and Mackenzie Chester, spanning the course of our relationship--three and a half years dating and seven years as husband and wife.

*Although our indiegogo fundraising campaign is officially over (we raised nearly $4000!), we still welcome all donations to this project as we try to meet our goal to record this album over the summer. Making a contribution is easy. Just hit the donate button below. Thank you so much!

 

Our Story

My name is Mackenzie Chester.  I am writing this at the kitchen table while my two girls are napping, knowing any minute I will put down my pen and begin anticipating and meeting their needs from now until bedtime tonight.  My husband, Randy, is sitting at the computer, recording a guitar part for one of our songs.  I hear my voice singing the same words over and over in his headphones.  He will be working on this song late into the night.  We are sharing the same pot of tea.

Randy and I are husband and wife, happily married for the past seven years.  We are Mommy and Daddy to Rosie (3), Paloma (18 months), with our little boy, Kells (due in June) on the way.  We are songwriters, musicians, performers.  We teach music lessons and art classes for the bulk of our living income.  We take turns staying home with our children, so life is a juggling act and our weekly schedule is nearly hilarious.  We live frugally, and often on the verge of a small miracle, but by God's grace we are pulling it all together, raising our children and keeping our creative voice alive. 

Which brings me to this project...

The Project

The Seven Year Scratch is a collection of songs we have written to/for/about one another over the course of our relationship--three and a half years dating, seven years as husband and wife.  For us, falling in love and creating a musical partnership happened simultaneously.  I believe  this is one reason our music is special.  For The Seven Year Scratch, we want to create an album of songs about that relationship--everything from falling in love to breaking up, getting back together, wedding bells, first anniversary, the quiet years of marriage, having and sharing children, the way things change, etc.  These are the real issues we have experienced living together for the past seven years. 

The Impact

We believe this album is important because it honors marriage and commitment.  The songs are honest and heartfelt, written by and for two people who have been in love for many years.  We have watched how love changes and grows, how it multiplies and divides.  This album speaks a hopeful voice for love, marriage, and family.  Plus, we think the songs are really great...


What We Need To Make It Happen

So we are asking for help to make this recording.  If you believe in our music or connect with the heart behind our music, please consider helping us to bring this idea to fruition.  There are a few things we really need to boost the quality of our recording--better mics and good monitors being the most important.  We also need money for the actual printing of the cd and booklet.  (We are currently researching the best option/prices for printing.)  We have been (and will continue to be) recording our own music from the home studio we have been building for over a year.  Randy will be doing the bulk of this work, as he is the recording engineer/producer/genius behind most of the music we make.  We expect the album to take about 3 solid months of full-time recording work to finish.   As part time teachers and private music instructors, we have very little business/job commitments in the summer.  We also have very little income in the summer months.  So our dream is to spend the entire summer producing this album as a full-time job.  This will require a budget of $2500 per month for our family of 5 to live on.  If we meet our goal, Randy will be free to spend 40+ hours each week recording, editing, performing, creating some of the songs that we have been singing for the last 11 years.  A good studio would charge at least $350 a day to record us.  $2500 would pay for 7 days in the recording studio.  We are asking instead that you would help us to build our own studio, tailor-made to suit our needs, and then allow us to spend 4 times as much time in the studio for the same amount of money.  This is not just an investment in The Seven Year Scratch, but in every song we write and record for the rest of our lives.  So if we meet our goal, Randy will be free to record to his heart's content all summer long, without getting a mindless job that sucks away his life and his hours, leaving no time for creativity or his most important work.  I will be free to mostly be a mom of two small children and a newborn, as well as singing, playing accordion and piano when I'm needed, and the design and artwork of our finished album and website. There is a chance that the project could take longer than 3 months to record.  If so, we will continue steadily on weekends, during naptimes, on holidays, late nights, etc. until it is complete.  If we finish before the summer is out, we will continue recording other songs.  We have a long list of songs we have yet to record.


Other Ways You Can Help

You may be interested in helping but unable to give any money to the project--which we totally understand at this season in our lives.  There are still ways you can help!  Share this info with friends, family, coworkers, church members--anyone who you think may have an interest in the music or the cause.  Share this link on facebook, myspace, blogs, etc.  Be our word of mouth.  That is an amazing way to help us.  

We also welcome any prayers for this project--for its completion, its impact, and the heart behind it.  We want to make a meaningful mark in this world.


More Info About Us

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your interest.  If you would like more information about us and our music, visit our home page.  

You can also follow this project and our family adventures by checking out our blog.