JORDAN RUDESS, the keyboardist for Grammy-nominated prog rock/metal icons DREAM THEATER, has teamed up with PledgeMusic to launch his next campaign. Through PledgeMusic - a music company offering artists a new music model to take control of their work through their online, hands-on, direct-to-fan music platform -and the support of his fans, Jordan will release brand new music, technology and videos while encouraging fans to participate in the creative process in exciting and unique ways.

In the Artisan News video report below, Rudess talks about why he's asking for the public's help, and he added he has a very good reason to go this route:

Rudess has designed a tailored fundraising campaign to raise money to help release his upcoming projects. As a pledger, you will gain access to exclusive content and experiences and PledgeMusic will keep you informed of the project’s status every step of the way.

"It’s been a few years since I recorded my last solo album, Notes On A Dream," comments Rudess. "The inspiration has been flowing ever since and I’m now ready to set forth in recording my orchestral piece, Explorations, as well as my solo piano album, Explores. You know that I am not one to sit back and drive on the traditional path so we are going to explore some cutting edge technology options.

For Explorations, we will be creating an entirely virtual orchestral experience. We will bring virtuoso instrumental players into the studio and not only make an audio recording but also capture them on film with the goal of creating a unique, visual experience.

My solo piano album, entitled Explores, will be created as a completely interactive iOS app experience in addition to being made available in a CD and digital download format. You can sit back and simply enjoy the album or add your personal touch or play a duet with me and share your version with your friends.

Things have changed so much in the music business in recent years and now we have the possibility of coming directly to all of you, the fans, to get involved and to be a part of making this happen. No longer are we subject to what was, rather, what is possible!!

By enlisting YOU and working through PledgeMusic, the pipelines will be running with unfiltered Jordan Rudess creativity! As a member of my team, you will be able to follow along with me as these projects come to life – sharing the journey and the inspiration to explore new musical and interactive frontiers.

Your pledge will pre-order the new album." Click here to pledge and/or for further details.