House Concert vs House Party
Tue 10:38pm
Hi all,
Here's a note I published earlier this week about my desire to play more house concerts.
"Wait a minute Charlie...don't you mean house party?"
Sure don't...read the note.
Oh hello there,
It's no secret that the music industry has gone through quite a signifacant metamorphoses over the last 5-10 years. The rise and fall of the CD giving way to mp3 has resulted in countless brick & mortar distribution companies and music retail stores alike to submit into crippled bankruptcy and go out of business. Live music venues are even feeling the strain of society's change of music consumption. Many venues in the city I live in, venues that were iconic in the music circuit and seemed firmly rooted in the surrounding economy have dried up and shut their doors.
There has been a massive shift in how society aquires the music it likes as well as watching live performance and it's all thanks, in a large part, to the internet.
Now, I realize that last statement isn't any grand revelation. The internet has had both a negative and positive impact on the music industry.
I want to focus on a positive aspect and that's how there has been a sort of 360 degree return to grass roots performing. That is where house concerts come in.
Last week I posted my status to say I'm interested in playing more house concerts this year and received a number of replies from folk whose curiousity about the concept has prompted me to write this note. Some people are under the misunderstanding I'm talking about playing at a house party. This isn't quite true.
While there are some similarities between a house concert and a house party, they remain fundamentally different. As we're probably all familiar with the idea of a house party, hosts invite a crew of people. Some make it, some don't. Those who attend are scattered in different groups of conversation around the house and maybe there's some tunes blasting on a stereo or a couple of buddies are jamming on some acoustic guitars while some listen and others aren't paying attention. Good times!
A house concert, on the other hand, would be like going to see your favourite singer/songwriter at somewhere like the Rebecca Cohn or a performing arts centre, but in the comfort of your own living room. These are ticketed events and hosts work to promote the event and sell tickets. The audience that attend are there to listen to the artist. The artist can also sell CDs and guests can join a mailing list of the artist or the host. Some hosts have even developed their house concerts into frequent events, hosting a number of concerts throughout the year.
More and more music lovers are choosing to host and attend house concerts as an alternative to going to a bar or club where the atmosphere often isn't as comfortable. There is a great resource online called Acoustic Roof (http://www.acousticroof.ca) and it helps pair hosts with performers. Acoustic Roof offers a how-to guide and can be read at http://www.acousticroof.ca/archives/documents/houseconcertguide.pdf
With all this said, one of my goals for 2009 is put together a tour of house concerts across Canada. If you're interested in learning more you can contact me through facebook or at charlie@charlieacourt.com.
Happy house concert hosting!!
Charlie
http://www.acousticroof.ca
Here's a note I published earlier this week about my desire to play more house concerts.
"Wait a minute Charlie...don't you mean house party?"
Sure don't...read the note.
Oh hello there,
It's no secret that the music industry has gone through quite a signifacant metamorphoses over the last 5-10 years. The rise and fall of the CD giving way to mp3 has resulted in countless brick & mortar distribution companies and music retail stores alike to submit into crippled bankruptcy and go out of business. Live music venues are even feeling the strain of society's change of music consumption. Many venues in the city I live in, venues that were iconic in the music circuit and seemed firmly rooted in the surrounding economy have dried up and shut their doors.
There has been a massive shift in how society aquires the music it likes as well as watching live performance and it's all thanks, in a large part, to the internet.
Now, I realize that last statement isn't any grand revelation. The internet has had both a negative and positive impact on the music industry.
I want to focus on a positive aspect and that's how there has been a sort of 360 degree return to grass roots performing. That is where house concerts come in.
Last week I posted my status to say I'm interested in playing more house concerts this year and received a number of replies from folk whose curiousity about the concept has prompted me to write this note. Some people are under the misunderstanding I'm talking about playing at a house party. This isn't quite true.
While there are some similarities between a house concert and a house party, they remain fundamentally different. As we're probably all familiar with the idea of a house party, hosts invite a crew of people. Some make it, some don't. Those who attend are scattered in different groups of conversation around the house and maybe there's some tunes blasting on a stereo or a couple of buddies are jamming on some acoustic guitars while some listen and others aren't paying attention. Good times!
A house concert, on the other hand, would be like going to see your favourite singer/songwriter at somewhere like the Rebecca Cohn or a performing arts centre, but in the comfort of your own living room. These are ticketed events and hosts work to promote the event and sell tickets. The audience that attend are there to listen to the artist. The artist can also sell CDs and guests can join a mailing list of the artist or the host. Some hosts have even developed their house concerts into frequent events, hosting a number of concerts throughout the year.
More and more music lovers are choosing to host and attend house concerts as an alternative to going to a bar or club where the atmosphere often isn't as comfortable. There is a great resource online called Acoustic Roof (http://www.acousticroof.ca) and it helps pair hosts with performers. Acoustic Roof offers a how-to guide and can be read at http://www.acousticroof.ca
With all this said, one of my goals for 2009 is put together a tour of house concerts across Canada. If you're interested in learning more you can contact me through facebook or at charlie@charlieacourt.com.
Happy house concert hosting!!
Charlie
http://www.acousticroof.ca
Source: www.acousticroof.ca
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1 comment:
Just a thought...
We do know someone with an interest in music - and a huge living room :)
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