thefluteboy

If you ever visited the web address www.fluteboy.co.uk in the past, it would have taken you to a site dedicated to my 2010 album Radio Anyone. That old site can now be found here. As for www.fluteboy.co.uk, that is now dedicated to the YouTube series that I began back in March. So far there are six episodes and two minisodes for you to consume.

One thing that YouTube creators tend to do is set up a Patreon account, so that fans of the channel can contribute financially to its upkeep and its growth. My favourite channel currently has over 120 patrons who together raise him over $650 per month. Another terrific channel has over 2000 patrons. One thing is for sure - these two guys truly deserve their success. That a 20 minute video can take over a week to complete says so much. It is devotion, and if that devotion brings entertainment to people, then it is right and proper that these creators are rewarded.

When I started recording these videos, I truly thought it would be easy. It jolly well is not. Especially for someone whose every move is hindered by arthritis! There is much needed for a successful shoot:

• A reliable camera (mine is an older iPhone)
• A reliable microphone (see above)
• A tripod (mine is a selfie-stick tied to the handle of a carpet sweeper, plus a mini phone tripod from Poundland)
• Camera lighting (mine is a £13 three-colour LED disco light, plus a living room lamp)
• A digital audio recorder or laptop for capturing audio (mine is an old, slow netbook)

All of these things cost money, and there is no harm in asking your fanbase to contribute. One channel raised an astounding $30,000 in a week, and with its first payout, bought an $8,000 sofa for the set. I am not after a sofa. I am not even after the thousands. Just anything that my fans can afford.

So how much have I managed to raise thus far through my Patreon account? As yet - zero. Not one patron has signed up. Clearly I have a lot of work to do! People need to discover the videos, and most of all, like them. I create and I wait. Let us face it - I have been a stay-at-home carer since 2012, and am therefore unable to go out and work like a normal person. Someone advised me to funnel my creative juices and try something at home. Well this is it guys! This is my brave attempt!

So I ask of you the following: visit www.fluteboy.co.uk - this will allow you to view my YouTube channel, where you can like, comment and subscribe. You can also visit my Patreon account and set up a monthly pledge to help assist with the time, effort and potential cost of recording the episodes.

Thank you.