I often perform small, private performances called “House Concerts”. These are often a glorified (perhaps less-glorified) party with a score of friends invited.
I’ve had some requests for more info, so I thought it prudent to publish more general information on house concerts. If you are interested in details, and possibly hosting a house concert, you can contact my management at “krysta at jonathanramsey dot com”.
This info is also available from my press/venues page.
What is a House Concert?
A house concert is a small, performance in a private gathering, usually in a host’s home or other private space, such as a barn or tent. It is usually not a for-profit venture for the host, but with appropriate planning, licensing, etc, it could be. Money collected is usually collected as a donation to the performer, and sometimes a small portion is kept to cover certain costs, such as refreshments. Audience is typically between 12 and 30 people, with common donations range from $8 to $15. The host may offer refreshments, or listeners may bring pot-luck refreshments. Occasionally, the host may provide dinner and/or lodging to the performers. The performance is almost always acoustic with no sound system. Keyboardists and bass players are the most common exception, using only a small instrument amplifier.
The audience is usually invited by the host. This avoids issues raised by common local zoning laws, and helps control the audience size. Often, a house concert venue will develop a “series”, and keep a mailing list of people interested. Invited listeners may bring guests, who may, in turn, sign up on the house concert’s mailing list. These new correspondents will receive invitations to future performances hosted in the same house or facility.
Needed
Stage/Performance Area
- End wall of a reasonably sized room
- Solid wall behind performer with no doors or hallways nearby.
- Performer placed 5-8 feet (1.5 to 2.5 m) from wall behind.
- No glass, metal, or other hard surfaces near performer. Only wood, plaster, drywall, or other semi-soft surfaces and walls near performer.
- Avoid books, paper, bookcases, and other soft surfaces near performer that would absorb sound.
Audience Seating
- Folding or stacking chairs are available from local party rental companies, often for less than a dollar per chair.
- Avoid upholstered seating (sofas, sectionals, divans, davenports, couches, settees, chaises, fainting chairs, end chairs, armless chairs, etc.) for any but the back row. Even then, they usually sit low and won’t allow a good view from behind folding chairs. Upholstered seating will absorb too much sound.
Performance Fees
- All of, or the bulk of, the donations received.
- Expectations can be established between the host and the performer, and negotiated. Performers accustomed to house concerts will be flexible and may help manage expectations by helping select the day of the week, a date between shows in nearby cities, and other factors.
Tags: house+concert folk+music
