After winning first prize in the ASCAP/Lilith Fair Songwriting Competition, Carla moved from her hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania to New York City, where she became a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.

After much success in the musical theatre world, Carla is now looking to crowdfund her music into television and film. Carla spoke with us about her project and the important career jump she is looking to make.

These songs represent a new direction in my songwriting, which over the years has gone from me-as-artist pop songs to musical theatre to now focusing on the songs themselves (which are now lyric-driven pop) for placement in film and TV. Getting my songs licensed for use on the big and small screen would be a dream come true, because movies and TV shows have helped shape who I am.

When I'm watching a movie or a show and there's a moment in the soundtrack that truly elevates the scene, it rattles me in ways that might not have been possible had music not been present. I want these songs to move others like that. It's a demo I've been working on for years, and I'm using this campaign to see it through. I know that in this digital age pressing CDs is not so common, but these aren't for sale; they're to be used to pitch my tunes, and it means a lot to me to be able to hand a copy to someone and say, "This is what I do."

Well I wouldn't go as far to say I'm a pioneer, but the response to the project has been wonderful, and I hope other budding songwriters find it encouraging that I'm 81% of the way there and still have 6 days left! What's great about RocketHub is you can set your rewards to accept contributions of as little as a dollar, so it makes it much easier for people in today's economy to support the arts. The whole concept of my campaign, "Send a Hamilton to Harrison," is that 10 bucks, or even 5 bucks, can make a difference. The response to the songs on this demo has been thrilling as well. So many of my supporters are friends and family, and they're so excited to see me make headway in my career. One song in particular, titled "Go On" (which will be on the 7-song EP we're printing as part of a short run), was written in response to a friend's grieving over the death of a parent. The song has helped her cope, and I know that if I can get it placed in a storyline that has to do with loss or recovering from loss, those lyrics can help others, too.

I can see how you've build such impressive support so quickly. What advice do you have for Creatives looking to crowdfund a similar project?

My biggest advice is to not be afraid to put yourself out there. Knowing that a video makes a big difference in getting Fuelers on board, my good friend Sheldon Senek and I made a silly video about the frustrations of making a video! I'm not technologically inclined when it comes to editing software (luckily, Sheldon is), so I decided to have a sense of humor about it. That meant being myself on camera and getting over any qualms I had about unflattering camera angles or what I was wearing that day (it all came together so quickly, I didn't have time to really plan that out). So you'll see in the opening shot that I'm wearing a "Forza Blu!" T-shirt, which is Italian for "Go Blue!" -- the cheer for University of Michigan athletics. I've been a Wolverines diehard since I was a kid, and that's what I happened to be wearing the day we suddenly decided to shoot, and I didn't change outfits because college football is a big part of who I am.

I'd also advise crowdfunders-to-be to thank each Fueler both privately and publicly, so that you get to express your sincere thanks through the former, and then possibly draw more attention to your project through the latter. Social media is great for this, but don't assume that just because you post about your campaign as a status update on Facebook that all your friends will see it. Status updates are fleeting, and some people don't scroll through them all, so your friends could miss it. I took time initially to email close friends privately, then I branched out with social media (creating an event on Facebook for it) and posting on my page and my profile, then sent a mass email to friends and colleagues (which got a great response). But don't forget about posting a link to your campaign on your Web site or blog, and even including it in your email signature, which 20 days into my campaign I'm just now doing -- such a simple tactic, but one we overlook. Lastly, be sure to follow RocketHub on Twitter and Facebook and tag them in your posts. You never know when the staff may give you a big "Like" or share it themselves!

You guys are so incredibly supportive and I can't thank you enough for not only helping promote my project, but also for providing a platform for musicians, artists and makers to find a way to fund what's in our hearts.

Thank you Carla for your music and passion. Check out Carla's project, because you'll be hearing her tunes on some of the biggest film and TV shows in the very near future.

-Vlad