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A house concert is exactly what it sounds like: a get-together of friends in your living room, on your deck, or garden, with live music, and often food, drinks, and conversation. Personally, I prefer these evenings over public concerts because they are cozy, intimate, and allow me a chance to really get to know the audience while exposing my music to new ears - your group of friends, community, network of music lovers…etc!
Here are the most Frequently Asked Questions…
1. I don't have a big house. Can I still host a concert?
Yes! The cozier the better. You don't need a gigantic living room or one of those houses on the Fresh Prince of Bel-air :) Many hosts are currently doing lawn concerts and outdoor events on their back deck or garden.
2. How many people are you expecting? I don't think I can get 50 people to come to my house.
The average house concert has 30-60ppl. The beauty of a house concert is that it is purposely more intimate and focuses on quality over quantity. A good rule of thumb is to invite twice as many people as you want to come b/c not everyone can or will say yes.
3. Does it cost money to host a house concert?
Yes and no. There is no outright cost to host a concert, but as a traveling artist I request that hosts ask their guests to come expecting to give a suggested donation. Many house concert hosts have a basket by the door with a sign. They often "interrupt" the performance near the end of the evening, and intentionally invite guests to contribute into the hat that is then passed around the room. A typical house concert has a suggested donation of $12-20 per person. Other hosts want to cover the cost themselves and not ask the guests to do anything, which fits better for certain occasions. I do have a minimum total amount I would like to leave with (we can chat about that). Some people cannot afford the fee but still see value in the music. If that’s you, please mention it. If you’re interested in sponsoring a house concert for someone else, we can talk about that, too!
4. Would you be playing solo for the house concert?
If you're interested in hosting a house concert, chances are you've heard me play, and maybe with one of my musician-friends. I typically play house concerts solo because the atmosphere is different - more intimate, acoustic, and unaffected by anything extra. At the same time, I have done several house concerts with other instrumentalists. The biggest variable is availability of the other musicians.
5. How do I plan this thing?
The beauty in house concerts is that they are low stress(!!). Once we agree on a date, we can talk about a start time. Then you can setup a Facebook invite, Evite, and/or shoot out emails or smoke signals to your network of friends to let them know about it. Have them bring a blanket or lawn chair if you’re hosting outdoors. If you encourage them to bring a dish, it becomes a potluck (awesome)! Whatever happens, don't stress! It's just like hanging out with your friends! You can clean your house if you want though :)
6. But I really don't want strangers in my house.
This is usually a homeowner's primary concern. They're interested in hosting something but don't want it to be listed as a public event. No problem. Simply keep the Facebook invite private or limit the Evite to your network. If someone I know in your city asks if they can attend the show, I will ask you first if it is ok to pass your address on to this interested person. If you'd rather keep it a closed event, then no problem. It's your house :)
7. What exactly is the order of events for the evening?
The order is pretty laid back. It's usually great to give folks 1 hour to arrive, get comfortable, and chat it up before getting into music. Music typically goes for an hour but sometimes as long as 2. the audience gets restless after 75-90 minutes. Sometimes, depending on how long the music is planned to go, there is a break in the middle to allow people to stretch their legs, get more food, and talk.
8. What are your personal expectations, Hannah?
I enjoy the storytelling aspect of live music. I think the most enjoyable and memorable house concerts occur when a space becomes a ‘listening room’. As a performer who has played in many types of settings, my least enjoyable experiences involve playing in a noisy room where there is no connection to the audience and the music takes a backseat role. “Background music”. There is nothing wrong with music that exists to set a mood for an event, but if that is what you're looking for, that is not a house concert.
9. Do You Need a Place to Crash?
Awww, thanks for asking! A spare room for a night certainly cuts down on expenses and is one less logistical piece of the puzzle to figure out while on tour. If you have an extra room, I would love to take that off your hands :) I typically do not bring this up with house concert hosts b/c I know everyone has different comfort levels with house guests. In any case, if you are comfortable with hosting an overnight guest (raises hand), please let me know! I will most likely be very grateful!
10. Ok, I think I can do this!! What's next?
Great! Send an email to hannah.jean@startmail.com. Ask me whatever additional questions you have or let me know if you are looking to book a specific date. Let's do it!