People who love live music and a low-key, chill atmosphere are bringing singer/songwriters into their homes for House Concerts across the nation. Here’s how to get started hosting live living room music.
Step 1: What Home is Right for a House Concert
A host will want to fill at least 20 chairs for a show and more would be even better. People who host house concerts regularly are able to seat 20-50 people, though House Concerts can be much larger if a home is big enough to accommodate more. Before moving forward with a House Concert, a host should feel confident that they can not only set up, but fill at least 20 chairs for the show. Listening bodies are important, because the artist’s pay depends on donated tips from a happy audience.
Step 2: Find an Artist
House Concerts can be done by any musician, but those who are actively performing shows in homes are usually tagged as a singer/songwriter of original music in the folk, bluegrass or Americana genres. For a first show, a host should try to find a local singer/songwriter. Singer/songwriters are everywhere, just ask around town or hit the Web and run a search for “singer/songwriter” and the name of the city nearest the host location. Chances are, the search engine will pop up a Web site or MySpace page of several different artists.
- A host should always pick a singer/songwriter whose music they like.
- Another place to look for artists is the Concerts In Your Home Web site. They have a list of artists who regularly play House Concerts.
Step 3: Contact the Artist
A House Concert host should contact the artist and tell them they'd like to host a show in their living room. Artsits will know what they're are talking about. Singer/songwriters do not usually charge a fee for playing a house concert, but depend on tips collected from “suggested donation” jars and CD sales as payment.
Step 4: Set a Date
When picking a date for a House Concert, a host should keep in mind that the artist books in advance and will need at least one, if not several, months notice. Hosts should choose some dates that work well for their schedule, but be sure to ask the artist if there are dates that would work better for them.
Step 5: Get the Word Out
Remember, a hosts goal is to have at least 20 people show up for the concert and ideally closer to 40 or 50 people. So, they need to get the word out about the amazing opportunity they're offering. Start with e-mail. Send out an e-mail buzz to live music-loving friends telling them about the show and the artist. Include a picture of the artist and biography information, too. If a host feels comfortable opening their home to the public, they should contact local media and tell them about the event. If they would like to keep the concert to family and friends, skip the media and focus on word-of-mouth advertising to get people interested in the show.
Hungry for More Information?
Visit Concerts in Your Home or go to related article: Rule of Hosting a House Concert.
