-house concerts!!-

WHAT IS A HOUSE CONCERT ANYWAY?
Do you like to sit up front near the stage at acoustic concerts, so that it
seems almost like the performers are playing a private concert just for you?
Do you like the kind of house party where people share good times and good music?Have you wished that someone would open a great venue right in your
neighborhood - someplace safe, clean and fun to visit?
Are you tired of having to venture to far-away or seedy venues to hear great live music?
Are you bored with the music you listen to, or are subjected to on the radio, and
looking for new great music to lift you up?
Is it a long drive (or a downtown parking nightmare) before you can hear music at
your favorite club or coffeehouse?

WHAT DOES A HOUSE CONCERT REALLY NEED?
IT BOILS DOWN TO THIS:
1) A place to play:
Your house, living room, backyard garden, barn. Many creative options!
2) A Performer to play there:
Yours truly!
3) People to come listen:
Your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers.
Your friends will thank you for the opportunity to hear great and meaningful music,
to get to meet the artist they just heard, and to connect with community!

GETTING AN AUDIENCE TO HEAR THE MUSIC!
You live and work every day with people who will surprise you by totally
digging what an independent artist has to offer in an intimate house
concert space.
When you promote the show, don't be shy - talk to your family, your co-workers,
your neighbors, your acquaintances at church, tell them you're starting
something new that you think will be fun, and ask them to give it a try so
you can have a successful show.
Chances are many of them will be curious enough to say yes. And half
of those folks will spread the word and bring friends- so your audience is on its way!
Use flyers to invite people. Just print one, fill in your concert details, and photocopy however many copies you need.

DECIDING ON A SUGGESTED DONATION & HOW TO COLLECT!
Guests put a suggested donation in a "donation hat " as they enter or during intermission. The money collected usually goes straight to the performers, with no "profit motive" on the presenter's part.
A suggested donation is posted. This can range from of $5 to $25 (the average being $10) - depends on several factors. But fear not - we can easily work out an option that is comfortable for you, me and your friends. For instance, this sometimes means a sliding scale or "no-one-turned-away-for-lack-of-funds" caveat.
Minimum Guarantee: Seth requires a guarantee of being paid $200. This simply means that you should be pretty sure twenty guests will come for ten dollars donation each. If you don't think you can get enough guests, you can either pay the fee yourself OR can wait to schedule a concert until you know you can bring enough friends. Either way, the host is responsible for the guarantee.
If you don't feel comfortable asking your friends to donate, it is always possible to pay a pre-negotiated flat fee to the performer and have the concert be a donation-free gift to your friends and family.

FINAL TIPS!
You should always get guest reservations if possible. There are two reasons for this. (Knowing how many people are coming really helps when you budget supplies, volunteer help, and chairs. Also, then every person is an invited guest.) If allowing the performer to send an open invitation to his/her mailing list, suggest that your address not be included, and have them state "RSVP for the house address".
· Refreshments, if any, are usually either a "pot luck" brought by the listeners, or provided by the hosts using a bit of the gate receipts.
· Sometimes - but definitely not always - the performers get a meal and/or lodging with the presenters as part of their compensation.
Credits: Inspired and modified from www.houseconcerts.org/hc.html which has more information about hosting a house concert!
CONTACT sethhoran@yahoo.com about scheduling Seth for a house concert of your own!

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