Feeding Your Artists

Am I responsible to feed the artists who are staying with me?

Good question. Artists experience quite a variety of hospitality on the road. Some hosts are a bit overwhelming and doting. [Some even like the challenge of catering to vegans and gluten-free acts and use it as an excuse to try new recipes!]

Others are more casual and even sometimes a bit aloof.

The important thing is communication. What might serve you best is telling the artists what you intend to have available day of show so that they can let you know if they’ll partake.

“We’ll have lasagna, salad, and veggies for dinner at 5:30pm – please let me know if you’ll be joining us for dinner or making your own arrangements.”

or

“We’ll have a pot-luck buffet during the show and a pepperoni pizza available. Please let me know if you want us to set aside a few slices for you if you prefer to eat after the show.”

Statements like this offer food (always appreciated) but allow artists to bring their own without fear of offending the host.

Many hosts cherish the opportunity to cook and cater to their guests. Some even create little care packages for a lovely send-off the next morning. However, artists are grateful for even minimal tokens of hospitality, and you should not feel like you have to be Martha Stewart (at home, not jail) to be a great house concert host. Communicate well, and artists are happy to adapt and appreciate your underlying generosity of being a concert host.

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House Concert Lighting Solved

House Concert Lighting Solved

Perfect for you?

Artists – need something compact and ultra useful for those concerts that need a touch of lighting?

Hosts – need something to spice up your living room shows without wires, stands, or permanent installation?

The Micro PLS is an improvement on the lights we used to sell a few years ago. I’ve been a fan of these lights for a long time (See demo video of the original model.)

These have four adjustable 1-Watt LED lights, several hooks and straps, and a rechargeable battery (no wires!). It is not a spotlight, but great ambient lighting to direct attention toward the performer. (see the video!)

$249 plus shipping from your friends at ConcertsInYourHome.com.

Email Fran via the contact page at ConcertsInYourHome.com, or call 727-280-6208

Fran Snyder at Folk Alliance, 2016

 

I owe much in terms of thanks to Folk Alliance, a music conference that helped me get traction when I first aimed to serve the house concert community in 2006. Along with occasional stops at regional conferences, my annual weekend visit to FAI is like a fun and exhausting trip to visit family.

And the family is growing.

I really enjoy catching up with past and present members of ConcertsInYourHome, as well as the hundreds of cool acquaintances I’ve made. If we get a chance to meet this weekend, here are just some of the things we can talk about.

ConcertsInYourHome – the largest and most vibrant house concert community on the web. 2000+ events per year, globally.

Listening Room Festival – our 5th annual house concert festival is coming up in March, and we’re about to start accepting artist applications for LRF2017.

House Concerts and Public Listening Rooms – learn how they can work together to grow the audience for live music.

Office Concerts – a wellness program that gets applause. Thrill the team at work with an afternoon shot of culture to rejuvenate their spirits and make them appreciate where they work.

What are you up to?

See you soon.

Fran

#FAI2016 #CIYH #LRFest

CIYH Booking Inquiries – Improved

We’ve done a few things to improve the ease with which you can contact hosts at CIYH, by simplifying the form and giving you a little more space to write.

1. No more choosing house concert format [HC, DNS, Any]
2. No more Key Month – something that sometimes frustrated artists and confused hosts.
3. (Potential) Dates section is now free form, with more space.
4. We’ve added 75 more characters to the message box. Some of you want tons more text, but we know from experience that you want them to click to your profile ASAP.
5. Last and most important… a reminder that your best link (See Profile) is already included in the inquiry. There’s no need to waste text on adding a different website. Let them start at CIYH, where you profile already has outgoing links to your personal website if they want to see or hear more.

Although this will allow you to move more quickly, please be sure to read the host’s booking information before inquiring. I make it clear that I only book 6-8 weeks out, yet many artists still approach me for dates that are 3-6 months away. Please follow directions to make everyone’s experience better.

More improvements soon!

 

Fran