This thread was started by an artist (Michael) who was interested in joining CIYH, but was smart enough to email a few members of the site before joining.

He received positive responses, (several artists thankfully copied me on their replies) and I’d like to share this one in particular because it shows a really great way for artists to get started after joining CIYH.

First, Michael’s great questions he posed to several artists.

My name is Michael and I’m an artist.

I’ve been looking at the concerts in your home website with a view to joining it and wondered if you’d be able to give me a little info about it:

• Have hosts contacted you just because you set up a profile? (i.e. without you actively contacting them first)
• Have you actually gotten gigs by contacting hosts through the site?
• Do the hosts require recommendation of you from artists who have performed for them before?

It’d be great if you can give me a little info!

Thanks

Michael

Now, Amy’s thoughtful and enlightening reply:

Hey Michael!

It’s funny that I’m receiving your email.  I am literally right now emailing with one of the CIYH guys.  

I’ve been signed up with Concerts In Your Home for exactly 5 days.  (A newbie!)  But I’m already in the process of booking two shows!
 
Here’s what I can tell you after my short time with the site:

1)  No one has contacted me cold yet.  I do have a friend who has been contacted by hosts without contacting them first.  In one case, she was recommended to one host by another.  In another case, I think they had seen her perform before.

2)  The first thing I did when I joined was find all of the hosts in my home state (New Hampshire, which is small and generally pretty unpopulated) and send them an email, just to introduce myself.  I just said hi, that I was new to the site and wanted to let them know that I was available for shows even on short notice because I am so close.  I’m booking a show for Fall 2011 as a result. 

I also emailed a bunch of places in Michigan (my family lives there and I visit a lot) and said hello to them.  I’m booked for a show in January as a result of that.  Because there are so many artists on the site, I kinda think it would be silly to wait for hosts to come to you.  I think eventually though, they will if you do it right.

3)  So far, it looks like I’ve been booked on my own merit.  No recommendations are required.  I think they help for the higher profile house concerts, but generally the hosts just book who they like.
 
If you’re gonna join, I recommend doing the upgrade.  The cheaper one doesn’t seem worth it to me.  You only get one song and no video, so the host has to track you down online and that’s not cool.

And I know I only just started, but I am really glad I signed up.  It’s been totally worth the time and effort for me.  Fran and his peeps are good guys.  You would laugh at the email I sent him…I basically said ‘I’m sick of the pay-to-play thing and I won’t sign up for CIYH unless you talk me into it’.  He obviously did.
 
Good luck!  Let me know if you visit NH!  I’ll be in Mississagua in September but unfortunately won’t be making it up to Toronto (one of my favorite cities in the universe, btw).  And let me know if you decide to join or have more questions!

Talk to ya-
AmyP

Click on Amy’s picture to see her artist profile at CIYH - the content might have something to do with her success as well. — fran

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Subject: Things you should know about hosts at CIYH

• CIYH is a free service for hosts.
• We are dedicated to helping them (and inspiring others) to put on great events and avoid mistakes.
• Hosts who join are not obligated to book CIYH artists.

How does this benefit you as an artist?
1. You can connect your fans/hosts to us without pressuring them to host other artists if they don’t want to.
2. We help hosts increase their audience so that YOU make more money when you play there.
3. We give them tips to avoid mistakes than can reduce your income when you play there.

I just did a house concert with a very experienced host, and we had a small turnout. The heartbreaker, however, was that HALF of the audience did not make the donation. If this can happen to me, I know it can happen to you. Our house concert guide (available from the resources page) gives clear and easy suggestions to insure that most guests contribute.

How can you most benefit from our free resources?
1. Email each host on your schedule, and tell them about the free host resources page. If your hosts use this information, it could easily put an extra $30-60 in your pocket at each show, and it could prevent canceled dates due to a low number of RSVPs. (I just had one of those.)
2. Make the host resources page a part of your confirmation messages from now on - include this link in your email. http://www.concertsinyourhome.com/resources/forhosts.html

Your fans can get free, helpful information, with no strings attached. We want every house concert you do to be a success.

Best,

Fran Snyder
ConcertsInYourHome
My Music - House Concert Blog - Twitter - Facebook

PS - As an artist, I’m sending the free resources page to every host I book from now on - I don’t care how much experience they have.

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Getting-Your-Music-Into-Pandora-by-Michael-Zapruder

Your fan,

Fran Snyder
ConcertsInYourHome.com
ListeningRoomNetwork.com

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Although there is a good bit of variety in genres and tastes in the house concert community, it is a unique market - and one that deserves a personal, fine-tuned presentation of how your act is a great fit for these opportunities.

For example, your main website might feature your most “radio-ready” songs to impress labels, radio, and other mainstream media opportunities. Your SonicBids EPK is (or should be) tailored to the needs of festival bookers and the types of opportunities you pursue there.

Your CIYH profile, however, should feature some of your most “acoustic” or stripped-down recordings and videos, as well as a personalized bio that shows how you appreciate getting up-close-and-personal with audiences. Get it? Shape your message and content so that it connects with the intended viewer.

If you are going to spend time searching for and contacting house concert hosts, don’t you want to show them a page that shows you are part of the community, aware of their needs, and able to quickly deliver the information they most want to see and hear?

Plus, an upgraded membership not only gives you a full page with room for widgets and videos, but also allows you to pitch the most important gaps in your touring schedule. This information shows up in your profile AND on the availability pages - a new resource that helps pro-active hosts look ahead for opportunities that fit their schedules.

Upgrade today.

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House “Concerts” are what we do. CIYH focuses on non-aggressive music, mostly acoustic, usually with an ensemble that doesn’t have a full drum kit. Suggested donations and accommodations are usually enough to respect the caliber of national touring artists.

House “Shows” tend to be punk or aggressive rock, with a pass-the-hat mentality that would make it hard for a solo act to survive, much less satisfying the needs of a full band.

House “Parties” are events where music takes a back seat to the festivities, socializing, and theme of the night. We recommend a DJ, not a performing songwriter.

Now you know.

The problem with “house shows.”

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But it was a GREAT show and very well attended. We raised over $1600 for a great cause. Freebo put it on his webcast page, and it is archived there.
Watch the archived webcast.

Scroll down on the page to “previous performances” and you’ll see two that say “Wrecking Crew”… one for each set. The one on the right should be the first set. The one on the left should be the second set. (So you can view them in order.) It’s worth watching and we thought we’d share it with you.

(NOTE: We do NOT normally webcast our concerts due to concerns about keeping the evenings within the definition of private parties in our private residence. But we made a one-time exception in this case due to trying to raise awareness of the cause of our benefit.)

PERFORMERS BIOS:

On Saturday, August 14th, Russ & Julie’s House Concerts presented an “ALL-STAR” Benefit Concert in support of The Wrecking Crew Film. The Wrecking Crew was a loose knit group of world-class studio musicians who played on some of the most popular music from the late 50s to the early 70s. Songs by 5th Dimension, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, The Association, The Beach Boys, The Bryds, The Carpenters, Nat King Cole, Sam Cooke, Cher, Jan & Dean, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, The Mamas & The Papas, The Monkees, Ricky Nelson, The Righteous Brothers, Johnny Rivers, Frank & Nancy Sinatra, and many many others. The Wrecking Crew WERE Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound.

A documentary about The Wrecking Crew has been produced by Denny Tedesco (son of Tommy Tedesco of The Wrecking Crew). We believe this documentary is one of the best music related films we have seen. It documents this important and vital part of our musical history and should be seen by as many people as possible. We want to help see that it gets a DVD release.

Watch the film trailer

Performing at this benefit was the “2010 Russ & Julie’s House Concerts All-Star Band”:

STEVE POSTELL (guitar) - Steve is one of the finest guitarists around. He’s currently Jennifer Warnes’ musical director. He’s performed with Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Jennifer Warnes, John Oates, Robben Ford, Eric Johnson, Paul Barerre, Dave Koz, Pure Prairie League and many others. He has also performed live on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show with Katie Couric, The Regis and Kelly and The Regis and Kathie Lee shows.

STEVIE GURR (guitar) - Another highly respected studio guitarist who has performed with Dr. John, Elvin Bishop, Otis Clay, and Don Henley among others. Stevie is currently part of the duo “emith”.

FREEB0 (bass) - FREEBO is an award-winning singer/songwriter (2008 Posi Award… “Best Song”, ‘07 L.A. Music Awards “Best Folk Artist”, Winner ‘07 South Florida Songwriting Contest, finalist ‘09 The Great American Songwriting Contest, Finalist in 5 different categories of JPF Awards), but he’s best known as a Folk-Rock-Blues Icon. For 30 years, Freebo played bass & tuba on recordings and toured with some of the great artists of our time– Bonnie Raitt (10 years), John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, CSN, Maria Muldaur, Ringo Starr, Michelle Shocked, Neil Young, Loudon Wainwright III, Dr. John, and many others. He has also appeared on Saturday Night Live, Midnight Special, Muppets Tonight, and in concert with the legendary Spinal Tap.

DALE LaDUKE (accordion/piano) - Award winning singer/songwriter and former member of Five Wheel Drive. Originally from the Detroit area, he has for many years made his living writing, teaching and playing music in Los Angeles. Dale regularly adds his accordion parts to many local artists here in the L.A. area.

RICHARD MARTINEZ (percussion) - Richard is a local musician whose stage credits include The All Night Strut, Cabaret Verboten, Five Guys Named Mo and Ain’t Misbehavin’. His television credits include The Dolly Parton Show, Baywatch Nights and Sienfield. He has performed with Sam Harris, Jason Alexander, Bebe Neuwirth and many others. He has also recorded with Julian Lennon, Dan Hill, John Jones, Rick Nowels and others.

The concert also featured special GUEST PERFORMANCES by:

MARI WILSON: Mari is an British singer based in London. She is best known for her sometimes quirky, early 1960s-influenced pop music songs and her (former) trademark beehive hairdo. Recording on the Compact label she scored six UK hit singles in the early 1980s, including her biggest hit, “Just What I Always Wanted” (UK #8) in 1982. The following year she scored a top 30 hit with a cover of “Cry Me a River” and released her debut album Showpeople, also a top 30 hit. Wilson’s fourth studio album Emotional Glamour was released on her Beehive label in October 2008. She has also performed in musicals, and has been a feature on a BBC TV series about celebrities and their health.

JOHN BATDORF: Best known as one-half of the ’70s band Batdorf & Rodney, which was signed at different times by Ahmet Ertegun to Atlantic Records, by David Geffen to Asylum Records and by Clive Davis to Arista Records. They headlined many shows, and were an opening act for America, Seals & Crofts, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, Bread, The Youngbloods, Hall & Oates, Harry Chapin and many others. In the ’80s, John was a staff songwriter, writing songs for America, England Dan, The Curry Sisters and Kim Carnes, and as studio singer singing on hundreds of jingles, movies, and TV shows. He also sang background vocals on recordings by Rod Stewart, Motley Crue, Dave Mason, The Jefferson Starship, Berlin, Donna Summer, and David Lee Roth to name just a few.

AMY RAASCH: Winner of the 3rd Annual GINA/LAWIM Singer/Songwriter Contest. Named one of Music Connection’s “HOT 100 Unsigned Artists” for the third year running. Don Was says about Amy: “She’s got her own inner groove; nothing tentative about it. A force to be reckoned with.”

—

All of the money raised at the concert went towards expenses (such as licensing fees) to get The Wrecking Crew film released on DVD. You can still send in a tax deductible donation with a check payable to “International Documentary Association” (write “Wrecking Crew Documentary” in the memo line) and mail to:
Russ & Julie Paris
638 Lindero Canyon Road, Box 142
Oak Park, CA 91377

All of the evening’s artists donated their time and we are forever grateful.

Enjoy!

Russ & Julie
Russ & Julie’s House Concerts

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“I just played a house concert in PA that I was able to book solely on the fact that the host found me on the CIYH website. Success story!” — Robby Hecht

Fran’s Message :

What an amazing summer so far. I’m very excited to report that we are making progress developing ListeningRoomNetwork.com and we’ll start reaching out to like-minded venues very soon. Thanks to our hosts for the kind hospitality I received in 6 states and 11 cities on my recent west coast tour.

Jeff and I are working up different programs and ideas to create more opportunities for our artists and hosts. “Dinner and Song” is something we’re very excited about in terms of filling off nights for artists, and creating events that hosts can easily do on weeknights. We’re grateful to those of you who are suggesting improvements and alternatives.

Join us at a music conference this fall!

Folk Alliance International provides 5 regional opportunities each fall to allow us to get our hosts and artists together under one roof. It’s great time, very inspiring, and a great way to make new friends and hear new artists. Many hosts attend these conferences to collaborate with other hosts, and to experience artists first-hand so they can book their house concerts with more confidence. Check the link for your area… Let’s meet up!

SWRFA (southwest regional folk alliance)
conference dates September 30 - October 3 in Austin TX
FARM (folk alliance region midwest)
conference dates October 7-10 in Bolingbrook, IL
SERFA (southeast regional folk alliance)
conference dates October 14-17 in Mountainview, AR
FAR-West (folk alliance region west)
conference dates October 21-25 in San Jose, CA
NERFA (northeast regional folk alliance)
conference dates November 11-14 in Kerhonkson, NY

“I really really like the Personal Light Show… It makes the music sound even better! — R. Poole, House Concert Host

**Order the Personal Light Show by August 31st and get free shipping!

New CIYH Hosts: (artist members can search “member since 2010-07″ using the advanced search.)

3 New House Concert Presenters in DK, CO, PA
Due to the extra attention now given to new hosts, we have a bit of a backlog in activations right now. We want to give each new host the best chance at early success, and to educate them on the importance of using the “booking lights” effectively, as well as the courtesy of responding to artists who make personal, professional, and kind inquiries.

New CIYH Artists:

(A big thank you for your support.)

Allisongsmith, Barbara Lamb, Bill Chambers, Corinne Chapman, Darlene Koldenhoven, David Nigel Lloyd, Dirty Dishes, Elizabeth Devlin, Fishtank Ensemble, Frank French, Gail Sparlin, Heather Maloney, Heidi Winzinger, Humble Tripe, Jacqui Foreman, Jason Myles Goss, John & Tanya, John and Julie Pennell, Judy Coder, Luke Rackers Plays Original Solo Piano Works, Madeleine, Mark Dignam, Mark Muretisch, Matt and Shannon Heaton, Matt Turk, Music Without Walls Project, Sam Willoughby, Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart, Tori Gee Jazz Revue, Trees Leave, Troubaduo, Tumbledown House

Our Audio 6-Packs (free downloads) are back! This month, download 2 tracks from each of our featured artists. Lovely music!

Look for these new artists here!

Renewed Artists:

(A HUGE thank you for your continued support!) Cady Finlayson & Vita Tanga, Darlene Koldenhoven, Davey O., Jeni & Billy, Jesse Terry, John & Tanya, Julie Christensen, Julie Delaney, Kenny Edwards, Lonnie Knight, Matthew de Zoete, Pi, Tom Richardson, Trees Leave

Schwag of the Month:

“Part Time Artist, Full Time Broke” It’s not humility, it’s just funny. As touring songwriters, we are a beacon that inspires so many new artists to a life of poverty. There’s no greater “job security” than not having a real job. Join us as we tour with our life’s belongings - 2 pairs of pants, a laptop, and a “Ask Me About My House Concert” bumpersticker.

Choose your style and size shirt here!

Tips for Artists and Hosts:

• ListeningRoomNetwork.com now in development
• Dinner and Song - new format creates mini house concerts.
• How Artists should promote upcoming house concerts on the internet.
• Empty Chairs are now Illegal at House Concerts.
• The fake front row.

Artists and Hosts log in here

Please share this newsletter with people you like. — fran

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Dinner and Song

midweek music, food, and rejuvenation.

Description:

Brief, relaxing dinner gatherings that feature music and conversation with a traveling artist. The host gathers 6-10 attendees for a low-effort dinner, followed by a short, unplugged concert in the living room. Attendees donate $5-10 each for the artist and also have the opportunity to purchase CDs after the performance.

The host provides dinner and overnight lodging (guest room, etc.)  for the artist. The artist delivers a personal, up-close performance for the lucky guests, as well as good vibes and points of conversation for the evening.

Dinner and Song is perfect for you if:

1. you love the idea of house concerts but feel your space or number of friends is too small.
2. you’d like to have dinner parties but need a “Wow!” reason to do it.
3. you’d like to support traveling musicians and see them perform in a special environment - your house.

These events are designed to minimize setup and preparation, so that you can have a wonderful, low-stress event on a weeknight - lasting only 90 minutes from start to finish.

More reasons for Dinner & Song:

1. You’re a host that has struggled with attendance numbers, and could benefit from “going small” for a while. Imagine turning people away for a change! Take a few months to rebuild interest with DNS before trying another full-sized house concert.
2. You’re a host that would be interested in doing more events if they didn’t take as much effort as the typical house concert. Dinner & Song would allow you to stretch yourself a bit in terms of genre, and possibly use it to “audition” artists for your bigger events. For example, there are a few artists I love, but I’ve not hosted them because I didn’t think I could gather 30 people for their style of music.
3. Burnout: You’ve been tempted to take a break from house concerts for a while, but can’t stand the thought of not doing music in your home. DNS events allow you to lighten the load, try something new, and keep the music and good karma flowing.

Timing: Approximately 90 minutes
Dinner = 35 minutes
Transition = 5 minutes
Concert = 35 minutes
Wrap up= 15 minutes

Notes:
Some artists will prefer to play first, and eat afterward, especially if they have to sing - this is a reasonable request and should be honored if possible. As a compromise, some might be willing to graze a bit with the guests and eat more after the concert.

We recommend dinner before the music when possible, for the following reasons:

1. If someone arrives late, it’s better to be late for the food than the performance.
2. Dinner provides a built-in opportunity for introductions and “how are yous” that might interrupt the performance.
3. Dinner builds anticipation for the performance.
4. Guests could be truly hungry when they arrive, and snacks or appetizers can add more effort and distractions from the music.

I would love input about the order (dinner vs show) from the point of view of artists and hosts, so please email me with your comments. (or create a separate login/password for this blog to make comments.) Artists, would you be willing to have dinner first for the reasons stated above, or does the idea of going straight from the meal to the performance totally put you off?

Thanks!
Fran

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Imagine this:
Someone posts house concert information on the Facebook Fan Page of a public venue down the street. The venue flips out, and decides to build a campaign to shut down house concerts in their area because they think it’s hurting their business.

As house concerts gain in popularity, it’s important that we are careful about how they are promoted, especially with all the new promotional avenues (Facebook, etc.) that are now available to artists and hosts alike. Although there’s great potential for public venues and house concerts to work together, some public venues feel threatened by the thought of a successful house concert series.

Artists! 4 Rules for Promoting House Concerts on your websites and social media.

1. ALWAYS STATE that this is an invitation-only, private event.
2. Do not publish host names, numbers, addresses, or even email if you can help it. Instead, require an email to you for information about location, host email and/or number, and RSVP.
3. Do not promote the event using resources that would conflict with other venues. (i.e. don’t start a conversation about your house concerts on the fan page of another venue.)
4. Do not mention “tickets” or “charges” anywhere. The correct language is “suggested donation,” but why even put that in your calendar? Make people curious, and fill in the blanks (like the suggested donation) when they ask for info.

Here’s an example of what works great on an artist’s website.

Fran’s Touring Schedule:

July 27th, 7pm
Lakeview, FL - House Concert
This is a private, exclusive event for friends and a few select fans in the area. Invitation only. Email me for details and we’ll get you an invitation.

Final thought: Some people (your fans) could feel weird about going to the home of someone they don’t know. However, you can turn that to your advantage if you make it feel like a VIP event. Have another look at the entry above, and notice how the words make the event feel special, and put the reader in your “inner circle” by having a direct connection to you.

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