house concerts and 21st century touring

Sign up for this newsletter through RSS or by emailing us here.

Message from Fran:

Our video page is starting to have an impact, as several artists (and hosts) have been sharing it with their fans and friends. 3,000 views in just 2 months. It’s led to a few artist gigs, and a few new hosts joining the site.

It’s not too late to send pictures (you own) to be included in the next video. Please send pictures that “look” like a house concert. The “non-headshot” pictures in the video above will give you a good idea of what I like.

It’s time to plan for the folk alliance conferences, which are an amazing opportunity for hosts and artists to network and get to know each other. There are tons of opportunities for artist showcases (even if you don’t get selected for an “official” showcase.) This provides an ideal situation for hosts to check out a LOT of artists in one, single, amazing weekend. Stay tuned this week (subscribe to our RSS feed) as I hope to announce our conference plans (which ones we’ll attend, and showcase possibilities) very soon.

CIYH stats and developments:

Since the recent site upgrades, we now have more than 200 updated house concert presenters on the site. We’re also approaching 500 artists, and the quality of talent continues to astound me. It’s really time to poke around if you haven’t yet. We’re also working on a way for hosts to provide meaningful feedback about the artists on our site. (Who would you recommend?) More on that next month.

New CIYH Hosts: (artist members can search 2008-07 on the advanced search page.)

11 New Host Members:

McLoudLand(AU), Fifth Street Farms(CA), The Outpost(FL), Equestrian Concerts(FL), Backyard Concert Series(MI), Garfield House Concerts(MI), Real Musik(NY), MAXimize yourself(NY), Lewis Circle(PA), deLyn’s Gallery(PA), Concerts at Hill House(VA)

New Talent Agencies:

We’ve come up with some attractive packages for agents who represent 2 or more artists. We’d like to welcome Laura Thomas of Combo Plate Booking to the CIYH family. 10 of her excellent acts are listed below.

New CIYH Artists: (A big thank you for your support.)

Check out these 38 new artists!
A.J. Roach, Alyse Black, Amy Meyers, Beaver Nelson, Ben Arnold, Ben Bedford, Bruce Mandel, Chuck McCabe, Dave Nachmanoff, David Nigel Lloyd, Elizabeth McQueen, Emily Lacy, Eric Hisaw, Girls With Vices, Gove Scrivenor, Harmonic Vocals (with tibetan horn and exotic world instruments), Holly Sedgwick, Jean Synodinos, Jeff Larson, Jess Yoakum, Jim McCarty (Yardbirds), Joe Rathbone, Lee Feldman, Lonnie Knight, Marc Gunn, Marc Silver & The Stonethrowers, Mark Elliott, Matthew Clark, Megan Boyer Band, Michael Fracasso, Nathan Hamilton, Nels Andrews, Peter Lang, Pop Stars: Dads Who Rock, Sharon Bousquet/Beaucoup Shakti, Stacy Robin/Imaginary Friends, The Starlings, Will Derryberry

Renewed Artists: (A HUGE thank you for your continued support!)

Tom Rawson, Clarke Buehling, Sarah Pierce, Jenn Franklin, Sam Pasco, Bill & Kate Isles, Jill Jack,

Schwag of the Month:

Our new Welcome Pack: A great deal to help you spread the word about house concerts. A nice black short-sleeve shirt, 20 postcards, and 2 instrument case/bumper stickers. Have a look!

Artist of the Month: Molly’s Revenge

Celtic music gets an update, a facelift, and a shot of adrenaline. This tight 4/5some can light any room on fire with their enthusiastic delivery of a wide range of almost traditional music. Here’s our fun interview with links to their website and latest CD.

Host of the Month:Hillbilly Haiku

Denise Williams’ recent “House Concert Primer” (O.K. - it’s more of a declaration of house concert love) inspired me to name her Host of the Month.

It’s nice to see someones’ dedication complemented by smart enthusiasm. Go Denise! Read her piece called “Music from the heart, not for the charts.“

Welcome to our home
Music that always pleases
Hillbilly Haiku

Tip for Artists:

I seriously believe everyone can benefit from these:

Is Your Mailing List Working for You?
Another Great House Concert Pitch for your Fans

and for you helpful, ambitious types: help me pick the best 3 tips:

Tip for Hosts: House Concert Contract

Are contracts typical of house concerts? No. However, more and more exceptional, reputable artists are being drawn to house concerts, and a healthy percentage of these artists are used to working with agents and receiving guarantees.

Fact is, it’s all good news. As a host, you always have the option to work with any artist you choose. If they need a contract, you have the choice to consider it, cancel out clauses you aren’t comfortable with, or move on. If you prefer to work without contracts, there are plenty of great artists available who will not require contracts - especially if you’ve established a good reputation as a host.

Here’s an informative post on house concert contracts, and a sample agreement that you can use to make sure everyone has realistic expectations.

Letters From Ned

This month, Ned shares the events of the first Earth Day, back in 1970, with a star-studded cast and “crew” including Robert Redford, Pete Seeger, Manhattan, a disjointed symphony orchestra and a heckuva rainstorm.

This website is sponsored by: D’Addario, Artist Direct, and our Member Artists!

Please share this information with people you like. — fran

1 Comment »