Minstrel Booking

Well, a good start to 2017 for the Minstrel. We had solid healthy attendance for 2 out of the 3 regular shows (with Reeds, Rhythm, & All That Brass showing a surprising 122 paid), and respectable attendance for the 3rd. Overall we averaged 97 paid for the regular shows, and 79 including the Open Stage. Over the past 12 months we averaged 93.7 paid for the regular shows, a modest 4.5% improvement over the previous 12 months. January showed a $478 profit, and the past 12 months $1,054 in the black.

The Heather Peirson Trio, who opened for the Tim Grimm Family Band on Jan 27 brought rave reviews from the crowd, and will be back for a headliner sometime in the future.

The new starting time of 7:30 and admission price of $10.00 went into effect on January 1 with minimal fuss. The website, Minstrel-Grams, Newsletter, and other internal documents were all edited to reflect the changes. And we've asked the Publicity team to stress that in their releases.

Peter Glenn has hit the ground running as our new Staffing Chair, and I'm sure he will give updates in his report. I like working with him.

I've made inquiries to MUF with regards to the state of progress in the parking lot improvements, and they still do not have any solid information. They said they'd keep us apprised of any news, and would give us at least 3 months advance notice. That puts it off at least into April, and probably longer. I've kept our alternative stie, the Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township advised of this, and they're still ready to accept us whenever we will be displaced.

I have started looking into the possibility of webcasting Minstrel performances over Concert Window. Payments are shared between the venue and the artist. Currently at least two long-standing venues I know are using it: Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY and Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem, PA. This will be a long-term study, and I do not expect any action for months. I will be looking for a Champion either from within the Board or from the General Membership to spearhead this project. Below are some of the details about Concert Window that I've learned thus far:

· It is a means to webcast our concerts to the internet for people to watch on a pay-per-view basis. Webcasts go out live, and are not archived.

· We set the fees charged to viewers, with a minimum charge of $1 per show. Viewers may also contribute "tips" to the performer on a voluntary basis, similar to our Creel. Typically the other venues (Godfrey Daniels and Caffe Lena) are using that one dollar minimum. But I'm thinking we could probably charge higher without affecting viewership.

· Concert Window takes 30% of the fees collected. There is no other charge, either yearly or one-time. We are free to split our share between the performers and ourselves as we see fit.

· Concert Window handles all royalty fees for copyrighted materials webcast. (ie, ASCAP and BMI)

· There is an opportunity for viewers to post comments on the show in real time that can be seen by us and by other viewers.

· We have permission to use MUF's camera, which also has provisions to accept an audio feed from the sound board. Whether that camera is suitable for the task, I've yet to determine. According to the Concert Window tech, it would require some sort of "video capture card" whatever that is. More stuff to get smart about.

· We would need to secure written permission from all performers before we could webcast their shows.

· I envision webcasting all shows for which we obtain permission from the artist(s). I would exclude Open Stages and Member Concerts from the webcasts. And would certainly hope we can include Special Concerts as well. It might be possible to webcast Getaway concerts as well, but that would entail the purchase of another camera and tripod, and perhaps other equipment as well. There is also the question of whether there would be sufficient bandwith available in that location to deliver a reliable upload. All stuff for future consideration.

· We may also need to purchase a laptop or tablet in order to upload the signal to the Internet if MUF does not already have that capacity. Other possible purchaces might include an upgraded router, or something like that.

· I am currently envisioning a fixed camera unmanned during the show. (No zoom, no pan, no multi-camera production.) This is currently the norm for the other venues, and people are viewing. That would probably permit us to accomplish this with no additional volunteers. There might be an option for using an additional volunteer to operate the camera, and/or to monitor and take part in the viewer commentary for some shows if we desire.

· I have considered the possibility that this service might lead people to stay at home and watch instead of coming to the show. According to Caffe Lena and Godfrey Daniels, that does not seem to be a significant factor in their experience.

We will continue to gather information, and hopefully will be able to find a Champion to lead this project. When we have sufficent information we will present a proposal to the Board to initiate this program.

I have learned that included in MUF's new sound system is the capacity for enhanced sound reinforcement for the hearing-impaired. This comes in the form of small battery-powered receivers, about half the size of a cell phone, which can be issued to patrons as they come in the door. Those receivers pick up a wireless signal from the sound board, and send them to ear buds or headphones brought in by the patrons who need them. Those receivers reside in a battery-charging dock in a drawer in the cabinet just to the left as one enters the Meeting Room. I've asked MUF if our patrons would have permission to use the receivers. I can't imagine that they would have any objections, and may have that permission by the time of the Board Meeting. Another benefit of those receivers is that we could use one of them to provide a signal to the remote speaker we use by the admissions desk instead of the wireless mic we currently use. That would result in a better quality sound in the lobby, and a more reliable signal than what has been delivered by the mic, which is at the limits of its transmitting range.

New bookings since last month:

· Silk City on April 7 (without the addition of banjo player Tony Trishka, as had been speculated previously)

· Jay Mankita and Folk Project member Andrew Dunn to do a split bill on April 21

· FP member Ron Renninger to open for Jack Williams on May 5.

· Pete's Posse (Veteran Vermont fiddler, guitarist, songwriter, bandleader, and general high mucky-muck of the New England folk scene, plus two hot young musicians) on September 22

· Paul Kaplan opening for Cindy Mangson & Steve Gillette on Oct. 20.

· Mari Black World Fiddle Ensemble for January 19, 2018 as part of a Minstrel-Swingin' Tern weekend for them.

· Also, Silk City is confirmed for April 7. We are just waiting to find out if they will be performing with the addition of banjo virtuoso Tony Trishka before we finalize the deal.

Highlight for February:

· Hot gypsy jazz quintet Occidental Gypsy on Feb. 24.

Mike Agranoff