The Dandelion Report ([info]dandelionreport) wrote,
@ 2004-08-10 12:52:00
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Poll for all filk concom (answers to be put in FilkFAQ): getting concerts
If you've had any experience in programming for a filk con (or a
non-filk con that supports filk), I would appreciate you taking a few
moments to answer the following question. I'll be compiling the
answers into a new section in the FilkFAQ, which is intended to help
both new and experienced filkers:

--------------

Filker question: "How do I go about getting a concert at a
convention?"

- Do you prefer filkers to wait to be invited?
- What's the right way and wrong way to ask for a concert?
- Any other advice?

------------

Thanks for your help! You can add it to the comments below, or post it directly into the FAQ at:
http://www.filking.net/columns/filkfaq/archives/002562.html

You can see Dandelion Report's current FilkFAQ at:
http://www.filking.net/columns/filkfaq/

(Post a new comment)


[info]braider
2004-08-10 10:11 am UTC (link)
Ask for a concert the year before. Don't wait until only three months before the concert to ask. I may make my schedule before other people, but due to Ren Faire, I like to have my schedule for OVFF pretty solid by early August at the very latest (and to me, that's really pushing late - unless I'm really tempted to cram something in, I want scheduling done by the beginning of July).

Give the person in charge of programming a CD - a burned-on-your-computer copy is just fine - with at least three songs of you performing to show them what you sound like. Remember - they may never have heard of you, or even if they've heard you, they may not remember due to con-induced sleep deprivation. Make sure appropriate contact information is included with the CD (Name, email, phone number, address).

Important: once you've been offered a concert, be gracious and helpful. DO NOT:
  • Complain about the time slot you've been offered.
  • Tell the programming coordinator that no one in their right mind would schedule things the way they have, and that you would do it much better.
  • Attempt to make special demands.
  • Complain that your concert is too short.
  • Demand the programming coordinator take care of/find out for you things having to do with the hotel, registration, or anything outside the realm of programming.

While none of these will cause you to get the offer of a concert retracted, it will cause the coordinator to regret giving you a concert - a regret which will, most likely, be expressed to concoms of other conventions.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]dandelionreport
2004-08-10 10:15 am UTC (link)
Thanks SO much for this useful answer, Mary! I've added it to the FAQ at:

http://www.filking.net/columns/filkfaq/archives/002562.html

Debbie

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]sdorn
2004-08-10 10:39 am UTC (link)
Can I chime in with a non-concom-member's perspective on one crucial ingredient for a performer? Everyone at cons needs a substantial sense of humor about the mishaps that inevitably occur and the ability to put things in perspective. There are some serious things that hotels can do to violate contracts (Clarion, anyone?), but there are also equipment mishaps, sound engineers who really want your gentle acoustic guitarwork to be distorted electric fuzz at 98dB, hecklers, folks who mistake you for a trained psychotherapist, and whatnot. You could go ballistic on any of these (and some people have, I'm sure), but we have our jobs to irritate us. Why drive ourselves crazy for music?

Case in point: my first concert slot was as Interfilk guest at Consonance a few years ago. It was scheduled for something after 9 pm West Coast time. That meant about midnight my time. I suppose I could've asked for a different time slot (and I hope Consonance has changed its practices by now in that regard!), but I couldn't complain. Tom Smith came after me, and by the time things finally ran their course, he was up on stage at 2 a.m. for his body chemistry. I think he had a Pepsi IV drip. Me, I just had my loving parents in row 3 waiting for strings to pop. I had adrenaline from the possibility for infinite guilt; no caffeine necessary. Besides—I had dreamed of asking someday for a concert slot called "Sunday morning, 3 a.m." Wish granted! Just not for me. (See? You gotta take some of these things lightly.)

There's also an etiquette about signing up for one-shots, I'm sure, but I haven't discovered it. Maybe we should come up with a list of ways not to ask for concert slots or to behave (and since I've never been on a concom, readers should be confident that I have no idea whether this list is rooted in any coincidental reality):

  • Purple crayon on toilet paper for the letter to the programming head
  • Remember to address yourself to the conchair from 3 years ago, whose guts the current conchair hates
  • Use the conchair's Prodigy e-mail address or the conchair's Fidonet e-mail point.
  • Misspell the name of the convention
  • Remember that if the concert slots are generally for 30 minutes, ask for 90!
  • Likewise, if the concerts are running late, it's only just that you take your own sweet time getting on stage. Go to the consuite right before your con, and don't tell anyone. Better yet, go to the nearest Shoney's.
  • Don't practice before the convention. Isn't that what being on stage is for?
  • After you get an opportunity for a sound check, audibly gripe about the sound levels. Three times. And then complain again in the middle of the set.
  • The best time to complain about the hotel and meals, not to mention the quality of the paper used for the program, is in the concert. But you can't do it in song.
  • Sign your request for a concert slot in blood.
  • Declare that you want to be known by an unpronounceable typographical symbol.
  • If you don't get a concert slot, spread the word about the horrible evil you've been done to everyone in the world—without saying anything to the programmer, of course. S/he's too stupid to know you're dissing her/him.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]braider
2004-08-10 10:59 am UTC (link)
Hm. A couple things occur to me:

When asking for a concert, talk to the programming coordinator, not the con chair. Con chair doesn't have anything to do with it, unless they're dual roles, or unless the person is selected as a guest.

If concerts are running late, and you want to know what time you're likely to be doing your one shot, ask the programming coordinator what time they think *your* one shot will be, not saying in a panicked manner that the programming coordinator really ought to be telling people (in general) when their time slots will end up being. The first gives a context of reason for concern; the second comes across as medddling.

For that matter, if possible, *relax* before performing. If you're ready to perform, you're ready to perform. If you're not, you're not, and knowing whether you will be 30 minutes earlier or later is not going to do you any good.

Also, when performing, remember:
1) Pretty much everyone cares more about themselves than you. They mind if *they* mess up. They're not inside your head; they probably won't care if you mess up, and they won't even notice unless you do something to call attention to any mistakes you make. (In general, people really aren't waiting to find something to criticize. It would take too much energy on their part. In a more ... positive?... light, most people come to filk cons wanting to be pleased. Unless you tell them they should not be pleased with your performance, they will be perfectly content.)
2) Don't do long intros - let the songs speak for themselves. This is true in concerts but especially true in circles.
3) Already mentioned this, but never EVER criticize your own performance, especially not during or just after you finish. It tells people to be dissatisfied - and filk audiences are very obliging.
4) Forgive yourself for any mistakes and get on with performing. The show must go on.
5) Don't worry about "following" a theme in a circle. All too often, "following" turns into "beating a dead horse". Do what you feel like singing, and what you are confident that you can do well. A funny song to follow a sad song to brighten up the mood, a slower song after a faster one to give people a moment to relax. Too much of a good thing is no longer good.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]oreouk
2004-08-10 11:09 am UTC (link)
For UK filk cons we usually put a call out in our first PR telling people to come sign up for concerts. Very occasionally we might ask people to do a concert (or ask them if they'd like to do one) but most of our spots are filled by volunteers. Then how long they get depends on how many volunteers we get. At 16 Tones we had several shocked people who found out a bit late in the day that they'd got an hour when they were expecting to get half an hour, but everyone coped heroically. I usually prefer to give people an hour if possible, but it depends on how much material they have (or are confident of).

When asking for a concert it helps to give an idea of how much time you want and what level of tech you need, how many people are in your group if you are a group etc, but that can be sorted out closer to the time too.

(Reply to this)


[info]catalana
2004-08-10 11:50 am UTC (link)
Okay, I've done concom-y things for 2 UK filkcons, so I'll say a few things here.

Filker question: "How do I go about getting a concert at a convention?"

- Do you prefer filkers to wait to be invited?

Oh good god, no. I don't know who everyone is and I certainly don't remember everyone I *do* know at any given time. It's good to ask. You shouldn't wait to be invited. (Having said that, gentle nudging of your shy friends or mentioning to someone in programming "have you heard X?" isn't bad either if it's low-key. Sometimes people need a little encouragement to do a concert. But it's much better if you try to encourage the people to volunteer rather than expect that programming people will be omniscient.)

- What's the right way and wrong way to ask for a concert?

Ask politely and, if turned down, be gracious in accepting it. If you've done a lot of concerts at cons recently, realize that you may not get a spot at the con; most concoms strive for variety. This holds true of your "local" con as well; you aren't entitled to a spot just because you're nearby. So, for instance, I've told the last few east coast cons that I'd love to do a spot if there's space, but I'm cool with not doing it as well, if they have other people they want to showcase; I've done a lot of concerts at east coast cons and I don't mind at all not getting one. Being easy-going is definitely a good thing.

Also, try not to take it too personally if you don't get a slot. You may be the best thing to come out of filk since Leslie Fish, but if you left it too late or if they're trying to balance certain criteria (gender mix, parody/serious mix, whatever), you may just not fit in this year. Being nice about the refusal makes it more likely that you'll get in next time.

I'm actually going to make a slight break with some of the previous comments and say that there's nothing wrong with indicating some general constraints on when you'd like a set - for instance, if you have small children and can't do much late-night stuff or if (like I used to be) you have stagefright so badly you really would prefer not to be directly after a meal because you won't be able to eat if you are...just be aware that a) you may not get your preference, b) that makes it somewhat less likely to get a spot, since there are fewer spots that you would fit in to, and c) again, be nice about asking. You are *requesting* accomodation. You should not be demanding it. And you should definitely request it in advance, preferably with an explanation as to why; the programming person will be much more likely to be able (and willing) to help you if she has prior notice (and a good reason!) than if it's last-minute.

- Any other advice?

This isn't exactly advice, but I'll add it anyway. I have no idea what the periodicity of concerts at major American filkcons is. That is to say, if you've had a concert at OVFF or FKO or Consonance or whatever, I don't know how long should you wait before asking for another. I have performed at OVFF and FKO and I haven't asked to perform at either of those cons again because I have no idea how long I should wait before doing so. (Other than, in my book, longer than it's been so far. *grin*) There is definitely an art to making clear that you'd love to perform but won't be huffy if you don't get to and aren't trying to filkhog. I'd love to know what the committees for the cons think about this issue - and also how they find people for, say, performer's circles and other events that have multiple people sharing a spot (who aren't a rehearsed group like Urban Tapestry.)

Umm, I guess that wasn't a helpful answer, just a request for more info. Sorry!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]braider
2004-08-10 12:04 pm UTC (link)
Ok, yeah, if you have a reason for wanting a specific time slot, other than "but do you think anyone will be awake to hear me?" for a noon-or-after concert), and if you phrase it *politely*, that's fine. I myself have actually been bad about this - I teased Trace about giving me the 10 a.m. slot at Marcon. I should know better than to tease the frazzled, even though he took it well.

As to how long between - there are still a lot of people out there who deserve concerts who haven't had them, and I'm already accused of over-programming. ;-) So, how long to wait? Dunno. Sometimes folks get concerts in consecutive years. Ookla does simply because I'd asked them at OVFF 2002 when their last concert was and was shocked to hear they'd never had one at OVFF - just a very, very memorable song contest entry. I asked them to do a concert for 2003, and mentioned to the rest of the concom they'd never had a concert slot, which surprised everyone greatly. That happened to be the meeting at which we were deciding guests for 2004..... In most cases, however, folks won't have concerts within at least 4-5 years of the previous one.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]mrlogic
2004-08-10 01:31 pm UTC (link)
There are occasionally valid reasons to have an issue with the time slot one has been given...the original time slot I was assigned for WesterCon this year happened to be an hour and a half before I was due to arrive in town. I didn't feel too bad about asking for an alternative time, and fortunately it turned out to be achievable.

(Reply to this)


[info]patoadam
2004-08-10 05:28 pm UTC (link)
- Filker question: "How do I go about getting a concert at a convention?"

Ask politely, several months in advance.

- Do you prefer filkers to wait to be invited?

No. If you don't ask us, we may ask you, especially if you're preregistered, but don't count on it.

- What's the right way and wrong way to ask for a concert?
.
To quote [info]catalana:
"Ask politely and, if turned down, be gracious in accepting it."

If we turn you down, that doesn't mean we don't think you would put on a good show. There isn't time to give concerts to all or even most of the worthy performers. Sometimes we have to make arbitrary decisions, and sometimes we make mistakes, but we do the best we can.

(Reply to this)


[info]jhayman
2004-08-10 05:41 pm UTC (link)
I would agree with Mary on most everything she said but one... FKO doesn't have a programming head and ninety percent of our communication is filtered through the conchair. Even the person appointed to do the final coordination take suggestions to committee. Not all concoms work the same.

Asking for a concert:
Ask. Ask WELL ahead. Know that when you ask, you are really saying "I'm coming to your con _anyway_. I am buying a membership. I am booking a hotel room and paying for transportation. Since I'm already doing that it would be cool to be able to play on stage". I dont' know if OVFF is the only filk con that comps memberships for concert. Don't assume that will be the case.

Also don't assume that by asking you will get one. Our con awards only two or three concert spots outside the guests. It's good to start by asking for only fifteen minutes. Go back and look at Erica's comments on balancing style, gender mix, local/distant, old fave/new wave.

Make sure you note added value: Debuting a new CD, taken on a new singing partner, batch of new material, learned a new instrument, baton twirling... (no, that's Christine Lavin)

Above all, ask nicely, and take being declined gracefully.

Advice
If you have to ask for assistance with an instrument (borrowing an instrument locally) or other equipment, stop, think twice and try not to do that. The concom is busy trying to accommodate the guests flakey requests and don't need yours.

If you can't manage without help, ask for someone local who's NOT on concom who might be a resource.

If that fails make your request at least several months ahead. The last thing a committee needs is a request for an electronic keyboard left in e-mail two days pre-con. It happened and we said "no".

Don't be a prima donna. Word gets around. When concoms talk, they talk about who defaulted, who was unprepared, who was late, who was demanding. If you're asked to cut your set by a song, do it. Do it with a smile. If you're entertaining but hard to work with, you'll be tolerated. If you're entertaining and EASY to work with, you'll be in high demand. (I will not give an example of the former, but the owner of this list and her cohorts definitely fall into the latter category of both entertaining and blissfully easy to work with).

Remember that your half-hour set INCLUDES the set up and intro. It's really a 25 min set. If the sound team is slow it's a 20 min set.

And on the other side
I also believe that cons have responsibilities toward concerts. Set the damn schedule early. At least select those for concerts and let them know that they will have one, with a rough time range. It takes hard work to prepare a good concert set. Not all of us like to go on stage without a set list.

Run as close to on time as you can (yes, actually that IS a comment about two of the filk cons). Being ready for a concert and having it delayed and delayed may mean the performer is so nervous s/he can't function. Or is hungry, overtired, upset, etc. Or gets their concert set cut short because some other event has to take place at a certain time. Some performers deal with this, many don't.

If possible offer comps for concerts. FKO doesn't because we simply cannot afford it, being smaller.

And I'm sure I'll think of more once this is posted.




(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]braider
2004-08-10 08:33 pm UTC (link)
OVFF doesn't comp membership for concerts....

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]ohiblather
2004-08-11 03:35 am UTC (link)
To Judith & Mary: I've adjusted that one line in Judith's text to read "Don't assume that the convention will comp your membership for a concert" in the the FAQ entry...hope this ok.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

[info]braider
2004-08-11 05:39 am UTC (link)
Thank you! I was concerned people would use the FAQ to say, "but you *used* to comp memberships..." We only comp memberships in special circumstances, such as when someone has done a special service, like running our web page for years, or being on concom, or providing many hours of at-con help, or (in one or two cases) getting roped into much more than they had signed up for. Anyway, thanks!

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