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A $10,000 CASH treasure waits to be claimed in the Charlie Porter CIPHER treasure hunt! Nine secret messages are hidden within the music – but Charlie says you do NOT need to be an expert to solve any of the clues. These clues will lead you to a proxy item to claim the treasure. This hidden somewhere in the United States! Who will find it?
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After getting back from a tour in Europe, Charlie generously took his time to answer SIX QUESTIONS! (Thanks so much, Charlie!) Let’s learn more about this clever musical hunt.
Six Questions with Charlie:
- 1Q) Congrats on releasing CIPHER! Have you worked on previous treasure hunts? What inspired you to create your own?
Yes, I worked on solving the Fenn treasure off and on for a couple of years. Ever since watching Indiana Jones as a kid, I’ve been fascinated by the idea of hidden treasures and the thrill of discovery. Fenn’s decision to embed nine clues within his poem sparked the idea for me to create my own treasure hunt—this time hidden within music. I thought, “How cool would that be?” and set out to figure out how it could actually work.
Beyond the puzzle itself, I wanted to inspire people to listen to music more deeply—beyond the surface—and to reimagine what a music album could be.
- 2Q) In your introductory video on your website you say, “you don’t have to be an expert cryptographer, composer, or musician in order TO START having fun cracking these codes”. But do you have to be one to finish or find them all?
No, you don’t need to be an expert in either field. This journey only calls for some basic knowledge, but more importantly, imagination.
Think about how you would hide nine clues within music. I’ve mentioned ciphers and codes, and even created a physical cipher wheel that comes with the CD for those who want a bit of extra help. The sheet music is also available for anyone who wants to dig deeper. Without it, listeners will have to figure out the notes by ear from the recording, which takes more effort—whereas the sheet music lets them get right to the clues hidden in the notes.
- 3Q) What did you enjoy most about creating the hunt? How long are you expecting the hunt to last? If not solved by a certain date, do you plan to give any clues?
The most enjoyable part of the hunt was figuring out how to embed the clues into the music while still keeping the music organic—not just something mathematically constructed. I see it as a test of both wits and imagination, and it took quite a bit of each to design this puzzle. It was definitely work, but also a lot of fun—and I imagine the same will be true for the treasure hunters. There’s a real sense of satisfaction with each clue that gets cracked.
It’s hard to predict how long the hunt will last—it’s anyone’s guess—but I can say that some folks are already hot on the trail and have solved several of the clues. At a certain point, I’ll release hints to help people along. It’s not impossible to solve all the clues, but it will take some effort—I’m not giving it away, as Forrest Fenn said.
- 4Q) You say there are nine hidden messages to crack. Will you need all nine messages to solve for a location? Are these messages like riddles to then crack either separately or together to solve for the hidden location? (like poem lines or something)
Yes, you’ll need all nine clues. Together, the messages form a kind of verbal map that leads to the secret location. No single clue is specific enough to stand on its own—they’re meant to work collectively, guiding the hunters step by step toward the final answer.
- 5Q) Are there any additional clues on your website, social channels, or other media/cds that searchers should be looking for?
Yes, there are subtle hints hidden in the album artwork, as well as in occasional posts I make on social media. Every detail was created with intention, so those paying close attention might catch something others overlook.
- 6Q) When going BOTG to search for the item to claim the $10,000 cash – is there much hiking involved? Is the location accessible 24/7? How exact of a location do the clues give? Will we learn what object we are looking for?
There’s not a terrible amount of hiking involved, no. And as Forrest Fenn said, it’s not hidden in a dangerous place—you won’t need to cross a river or scale a mountain. The location is in nature, so it can be subject to weather conditions that make it more or less accessible at times.
It’s not a 24/7 spot, but it is publicly accessible during regular hours. I wanted to make sure the place felt meaningful and safe to visit—somewhere that fits the spirit of the hunt. I wouldn’t recommend going boots-on-the-ground until you’re confident you’ve solved each clue.
AND SOME BONUS QUESTIONS – that Charlie was so generous to answer!
- B1) Where is the best place to get contest updates – Instagram, or somewhere else?
You can find updates, hints, and answers to questions on my website—either www.charlieportermusic.com or www.cipheralbum.com—as well as on my social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. I’ll be posting Cipher-related content across all of those platforms.
- B2) When working on this contest with the cipher wheel and trying to find clues, every now and then a few notes in a row will make a three or a four-letter word. It’s hard to know if short words like these are a real clue or just due to chance. Are you able to say what the length of the smallest clue is in the contest…how many total letters? Is a clue ever just a single word?
The clues will vary in size—I can’t say how long—but each one plays an essential role in completing the verbal map.
Join the Adventures : CD and other hunt materials on Charlie Porter’s website
