Would like to host a house concert in your home?

Shirley will be starting to do intimate House Concerts for people who love her music
and want to share with a minimum of 20 adult friends for a wonderful night of music.

It's a great night out with friends and something "different" & easy to do !


How Do You Host a House Concert? ...   Here are some ideas !

As a host, you will need a physical space where people can gather for the event. Traditional home spaces work great: living rooms, backyards, even garages. But if you don't have a house, alternative spaces can work really well too - like a community room in an apartment complex, a photo or art studio, or even a church meeting room. Some other ideas if the host had to pay a fee to use the space, could be a "house" concert in a winery, a small theater or a gallery.

The only criterion for the performance space is that it should allow all the guest to be seated as a group directly in front of where I perform. This keeps the event intimate between me and your guest.

THE STEPS :

1. The Guest list : We've learned that there is a 50% "yes" rate for invitations, so try to invite double the number of people you hope to have at the concert. It would be more successful if you asks your guest to RSVP.

2. Adults only please : I love children, but having kids talking or moving about during the performance will distract you guests and highly diminish their experience. Of coarse, children are welcome to be around during the pre-concert and post-concert mingling times, but showtime is reserved for adults only to relax and focus on the music. What age is the dividing line you ask ? If someone is old enough to act like a grownup for 60 uninterrupted minutes, then they're welcome at my show.

3. This is a "donation-based concert" : Please let all your guest know that the even is a "donation-based concert". This should be written into your invitations you send out to your guest, so that everyone comes prepared to make a donation to the artist after the show. Reason being is it will allow your guests to come to the show without the pressure of a set price.
It will allow them to decide how much a generous expression of their appreciation of the concert experience.

4.What if I want to pay for my quest ? : Please write to me or call and we can go over how that works.

5.Setting up the space : Please remember, you are setting up a house concert and not a house party or a gathering of friends with background music. This means that everyone should have a place to actually sit down for the entirety of the show. This could mean blankets on the lawn in the backyard if there aren't enough chairs for everyone, or maybe carpet seating inside a packed living room; but there should not be anyone standing for this part of the night. REMEMBER you want every on of your guest to be able to fully engaged in listening to and participating in the show. :)

6. When should my guest arrive ? : it would be good to have your guest to arrive one hour before the concert is scheduled to begin. So if you plan the show to start at 8PM, then your guest should be invited to arrive at 7pm. This will allow your guest to get inside, say hello to their friends, pour a drink and much a few snacks, and get comfortable.

7. Showtime : About five minutes before the performance is scheduled to start, someone should go around to all the quest and give them a 5-minutes warning to take care of things like going to the bathroom, refilling their drinks, and finding their seat for the show.

8. Introduction : This is where it's a good idea for you to give a brief introduction to who I am, and why you invited your quest to your home for the evening. ( This also gives the last few people a chance to settle into their seats )

Sample schedule
6 pm: I'll arrived at your house to set up
7 pm: Your guests will start to arrive & mingle
8 pm: Show time!
9 pm: Show ends, and I will mingle with guests. ( CDs will be available for purchase)
10pm: I'll start packing up the equipment
11pm: Say final goodbyes to everyone.

 

As you can see, a house concert tends to be somewhere around a 5-hour experience.
It's jam-packed, but it's a wonderful way for you to socialized with your friends from an evening through music!


You can email me with questions directly at
shirleycasonmusic@gmail.com

NOTE: If you do not hear back from me in 48 hours,
call me at 973-214-4005
There is a good chance that your email message,
( or our reply back to you), got caught in a spam filter

CONCERTS & PERFORMANCES

~ What to expect when you come see me & listen to my music ~

* I tell stories about my life & about each song.
* I am an emotional performer, so expect to see something interesting to watch as well as to listen to.
* I strive to be very vulnerable when I'm telling the stories behind the songs.
* I try to speak to everyone in the audiance, as I would a close friend.
* I let the audiance see & feel my heart so they can better relate to the music they are hearing.