house concerts and 21st century touring

Why would you want to play in someone’s home, instead of a bigger, more impressive venue?

1. The bigger venue is not impressive unless it’s full.
2. The bigger venue is not profitable unless it’s full.
3. The bigger venue is not fun unless it’s full.

If you can fill a bigger venue, then you should.

There is no substitute for playing a full room - no matter what the size. A full room symbolizes a fulfilled potential. Empty seats symbolize a missed opportunity.

For many artists, house concerts present the best opportunity for a full room.

However, there is something more important than a packed house - a listening audience. A respectful, engaged audience helps you develop self/artist-esteem, and it helps you notice which songs have the ability to connect deeply.

If you want to grow as an artist, seek venues that encourage (or insist on) a listening atmosphere.
i.e. House Concerts

Write on,

Fran

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Message from Fran:

And the winner of the Cayamo Contest is…

but first, I want to thank all the hosts and artists who participated. I was surprised at how many expressed gratitude to be a part of the judging process. It’s a real testament to the spirit of house concert hosts.

One of the coolest things about this project is how many hosts were inspired to contact the artists they saw and heard, and that several bookings were made as a direct result.

This contest also helped a few artists finally take the advice I’ve been slinging for years - make an easy “house-concert-like” live video and put it up on YouTube! I believe these videos will serve you well beyond this contest.

Congratulations to all our finalists, especially to Roy Schneider, who had TWO videos voted into the top 5. Wow. There were so many great performances. See the Top 10 finalist videos.

And the winner of the Cayamo Contest is… Sarah Sample!

As the winner she’ll get:

• a cabin-for-two ($1936 value)
• to perform a 30-minute opening set during the cruise
• to be featured on the CIYH website
• $300 cash, and 2 CIYH T-shirts

Sarah’s Video of “Mercy Me.”

Upcoming Events and Deadlines:

• 12/15 $100 Cash Rebate on Booking Cayamo - the next 2 folks who book their cabin aboard Cayamo get $100 cash to spend aboard the cruise. Check out the photoshow from 2009 and get additional details here. You must email Fran to take advantage of this offer.
• 1/15 CIYH Discount for Folk Alliance (FAI) - Only $200! Folk Alliance takes place February 17-21, and is one of the most interesting things you can do all year. So much talent, so much fun, and a great opportunity to connect with artists and hosts.

Major CIYH improvements:

Behind the scenes, we’ve launched the “Host Neighborhood” and we are testing it in California. This allows hosts to connect with other hosts in their state, to collaborate, share ideas, block book, and anything else they care to try. I’d like to encourage our California hosts to test this area out, introduce themselves to the community, and provide feedback so that this new part of the site can be incredibly helpful and fun for you. Login as a host, and click on “Neighborhood” in the blue bar.

12 New CIYH Hosts: in ON, CA(3), CO, GA, IL, MD (2), NM, PA, TX
CIYH artists can search “member since 2009-11″ using the advanced search.

Also, we’ve removed about 12 hosts that are no longer active or taking an extended break, including Music on Magnolia, Melinda’s Home, Moveable Feast, Echo Park, Port Royal, ThinMan, The Outpost, MyBack Porch, Kikos, and Topp-Line. There is no minimum number of concerts a host has to schedule to be on this site, but we do ask them to update their status at least a few times per year, and to let us know if they’ve lost the desire to be a part of this community.

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

Allison Downey & John Austin, Amy Joleene Sullivan and the Whiskey Darlings, Barton Carroll, Brian Gordon, Carrie Clark, Dave Rowe Trio, David Berkeley, Double D Wranglers, Freedy Johnston, Garrison Doles, Jason Harrod, John and Rachel Nicholas, Jordan Tarrant, Liz Fohl, Louise Mosrie, Mark Duval, Mark Dvorak, Mighty Medicine, Rick Di Dia & Aireene Espiritu, stacy robin/Imaginary Friends, The Iveys, The Potter’s Field, Travis Linville. See them all here.

Featured Artists:

Check out this month’s featured artists, Peter Cooper, Bill & Kate Isles, and Anna Coogan.!

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

prattle on, rick…, Coco and Lafe, Joe and Vicki Price, Doug Spears, Brian Ashley Jones, Jeff Pearce, Wes Weddell, Mason Douglas, Drew Nelson, Tracy Jane Comer, SisterMonk, Tori Sparks, Jack Brown, Greg Trooper, Sonia Lee, Sky Nelson, The Stellanovas, Michael and Carrie Kline, Claire Roche, Red Peralta, Siobhan Quinn & Michael Bowers, Jason Wilber, John Batdorf

Schwag of the Month:

It’s a great time to thank your supporters and volunteers. Lots of color options and designs available.

Tip and Reviews for Artists and Hosts:

Artist Search Playlist: harmonies
Hit the play button on the first song, and enjoy!

Bulletins and Recent Posts:

• House Concerts Threatened in Raleigh, NC.
• Further restrictions on Visa apps for U.S. touring
• Dear Singer Songwriter

Artists log in here | Hosts Log in here

Please share this information with people you like. — fran

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Folk Alliance International is thankful for the continued support of Concerts in Your Home. 

As a note of thanks,  FAI would like to extend a conference registration discount to CIYH members for the upcoming 2010 FAI Conference in Memphis, TN.  Members of your organization may register at www.folk.org to receive a reduced rate making registration $200.00 per individual.   Discounts may not be combined.  If you are registering as a group, please contact the FA office and we can assist you.  The group registration will receive 50.00 off total registration not per individual.
 
The 2010 event promises worthwhile experiences through workshops, panels, showcases, trade show, private showcases, outreach concerts, etc.
 
Event Details:  22nd Annual Folk Alliance International Conference
                              February 17-21, 2010
                              Memphis, TN
                              www.folk.org
 
Needed Information to register: 
Registration Type - Individual Member
Folk Alliance Membership ID (use 888888 if not a member)
Discount Code - House10
The discount deadline is January 15, 2010.

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