For a few years now, my husband and I have hosted house concerts. Touring acoustic bands come through and perform an intimate show in our living room while all of our friends drink wine and snack on different appetizers. A suggested donation is offered to the guests, but it is at their discretion that they put as much cash as they want into the tip jar. All of this cash goes to the musicians, and sometimes it is their most lucrative show on their tour. I have been to other house concerts, and everyone does it differently. Sometimes a friend will sit at the door and collect the cash before guests walk in. Sometimes there will be a jam session at the end of the evening. Sometimes the host will open the show. It is a great way to bring live music into your home, and the creative possibilities are endless. One way to incorporate the house concert into your business is to invite some advanced students to open the show. You friends will probably love to see what you are doing in your work and who doesn’t love seeing a talented young person perform and impress? You can also invite all of the parents to a house concert as a “Parent Appreciation Night” type of thing. Make a bowl of Sangria, put together some Spanish style Tapas, and tell the parents that it’s their turn to enjoy music for a change. Have a local acoustic performer play a show, and afterwards mingle with the parents. It’s a great way to build community, network, and build customer loyalty. On top of that, it should be a lot of fun!
About the Author
When I was just a college Junior, I started teaching private guitar lessons in order to support myself. I was in a rock band, writing songs and performing on a regular basis, and I certainly did not plan on becoming a teacher. My plan was to graduate, get a job in social work, and just continue writing songs. Teaching surprised me. I ended up falling in love with the act of guiding a student from point a to point b. To watch someone go from knowing nothing about a subject, to simply performing in a recital, is such an awesome thing. I ended up scrapping that social work idea. I was doing more good as a teacher, minus the intense stress that most social workers go home with. I currently have a busy program that teaches private guitar, piano, and voice lessons in Los Angeles homes. I am also the creator of the music and service blog 38 Ways to Change the World Through Music.
