Scott Cossu

Today we are hosting jazz pianist Scott Cossu with flute player John Croarkin at our first house concert since June. Most years (it’s been fifteen, I think) we take a break in summer and start our ‘season’ up again in September, but this year we were otherwise occupied with Nyel’s surgery. We are pleased to begin again.

Every time we set up for a house concert, I wonder anew why there aren’t more venues such as ours available to acoustic musicians. We get requests on a regular basis from musicians from all over the country who have heard of our Oysterville House Concerts and who would like to book in.

John Croarkin

Just this week we had two requests – one from his agent and one from a local mover and shaker in the arts scene – to host Gordon Bok, Maine folk musician and composer. He will be performing in Portland and in our area for the Fisher Poets gathering next month and is looking for a house concert gig while he is here. It broke my heart to say “no.” But we are already booked through June.

We couldn’t even give a viable suggestion for an alternative. As far as we know, we are the only venue in the area these days. I’m talking strictly house concert venues, here, which every musician tells us is different from any other type of concert venue. For those who make a good part of their living traveling minstrel-style from hosting house to hosting house, it is the sort of venue they most enjoy – or so ‘our’ musicians tell us. They love the intimate atmosphere and the chance to interact with audience members and get to know them. They often remind us that it’s the way music was intended to be heard – back in the days of troubadours and when chamber music took place in the homes of patrons.

House Concert Audience

Plus, they say, the money is good. If each attendee gives the suggested $15 donation and we have a ‘full house’ which is 35 to 40 people… well, you can do the math. It’s a nice evening’s work, especially for a smallish group. Plus our concerts include a potluck dinner afterwards and the food, in true Peninsula style, is to die for.

So, we often wonder, why don’t more people do this? We’ve approached friends who have the space but they seem to think it would take more time and be more work than they could manage. NOT! Set-up takes two or three hours. Ditto clean-up. And if an almost-eighty-year-old-woman and an almost-one-legged-man can do it, almost anyone can! The hardest part is having enough seating.

Luckily, this house has lots of chairs and even luckier, we live right across from the church and can borrow extras just for the schlepping. And, though we’ve yet to take them up on it, many of our audience members (the younger, more agile ones) have told us that they would gladly sit on the floor if need be.

So, even though chairs are the hardest part, we are ever hopeful that our innovative friends will find ways to solve the seating problem and that there will be more regular house concert venues available on the Peninsula and nearby. Hosting musicians at house concerts is a fabulous, fun and (yes) easy way to support the arts!