Heart in the House - House ConcertsThis house concert platform came together very quickly in response to a request to provide a house concert for the artist shown in the header image. That artist is Gerry O'Connor who is the fiddle player for the Irish Rovers. I had been a huge fan of them and always remember how much my grandmother loved them. That moment where I was sitting with him having dinner the night before the concert going over some details was like one of those surreal moments in life that you have to pinch yourself. The concert it self was so moving and wonderful sitting by the fire in this old 1904 farmhouse being transported with the notes of the fiddle wafting through the rafters.
There were many more concerts over the years at many different home of the various music loving hosts. I carried more chairs and equipment that I can even comprehend right now and sat through more moments of blissful music appreciation than I ever expected. The artists were local, they were touring artists and there was a few high profile ones along the way as well. As I scrolled through all the photos that I have of these times I was struck by how many of them there were and that I can remember each one and its unique experience. Scrolling through all of that I feel the vacuum the emptiness of a world with so little music in it right now and long for the days when we can again gather and listen to the stories and music created by so many great performers. |
Sandy McAfee - Booking AgentOnce you get to know so many musicians and people know that you not only know them but know the right musicians for the event that you are creating it is pretty natural for people to contact you. People contacted me ALL the time for awhile and all too often wanted me to recommend musicians for events that were not paid gigs. I already knew how hard these people work and how dedicated and generous they are so I promised myself and them not to pass on their names to people unless they actually had a budget to pay them. And so suddenly I had people that wanted to pay them sooo I started booking them as an agent and showing up to the gig to make sure that the client got the best from the artists and the artists were treated well.
I am a firm believer in win/win/win scenarios and these gigs created the perfect opportunity for them. So much fun. |