Struggling Productions / WNYMusic.com Launches a Patreon Campaign

April 1st, 2021 is the eight-year anniversary of when I had to stop working because of my illness (I have mitochondrial myopathy). The first two years were absolutely miserable. No one tells you what to do when you’re sick. I watched a lot of TV and did what I could to be productive, but that wasn’t much. I thought I would no longer matter. I didn’t think I’d do anything important for the rest of my life. I was, figuratively speaking, a dead man walking.

I went on to start a peer-to-peer support group/game night for people with physical “invisible” illnesses like myself. It taught me that I could still do something useful. I could still contribute. But I also saw people with illnesses like my own and how hard it impacted their lives. I thought, if I’m going to lead this support group, I better start setting an example.

Shortly after, AllWNY.com‘s Scott Leffler contacted me about writing reviews. Four years later, we’ve got a podcast and a video game YouTube channel. I’m coordinating the music for Buffalo Infringement Festival, booking shows on my own, and running WNYMusic.com. I feel like I came back to life. And that’s why I push myself the way I do. I saw The End. I need to do what I can with the time that I have.

The thing I am most proud of is when, in Spring 2020, I was approached by SUNY Fredonia students looking for internships. COVID wiped out a lot of music students’ internships. Since then, we’ve had eleven official for-credit interns, mostly from SUNY Fredonia, but also from SUNY Geneseo and Buff State, and countless other non-credit interns and volunteers getting involved looking for experience and connections.

That being said, money doesn’t grow on trees. The more projects we take on and the more interns we get, the more expensive things get. That being said, we are launching a Patreon. And it’s a crazy Patreon. We have 28 different tiers, that span from WNYMusic.com, The Struggle is Real, and my new video game channel Side Quests During the Apocalypse. Tiers include some really interesting stuff, including our returning segment “Asking for the Hurt”, where for $5, I’ll mock you and/or your band on the podcast for a minute”, private concert experiences, merchandise, all the way up to changing my last name to FitzMonster. So, please consider joining in and helping move what we’re doing forward. We can make a huge change in the Buffalo music scene. Be a part of it. patreon.com/StrugglingProductions