Hello! Thank you for your interest in performing at our home!

The information below

should give you a good idea of how our house concerts work and will hopefully
answer most questions you might have.
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Because there is a lot of information I am including a summary of the key points

below. The rest of the information is important, and I high encourage you to read it,
but the summary should answer most of the questions you are likely to have.

Summary
 All concerts are all ages and family-friendly. Please plan your set accordingly.
 We have found press releases to be very effective. Please see the section on
promotion for how to put together a press release and places to send it.
 Touring performers are paid by donations collected the day of the concert. We
don’t make any guarantees, but do our best to make sure you have an
audience. Opening acts are unpaid.
 Overnight accommodations are available. Please let us know how many beds
you need.
 We will supply a PA and mixer, monitors, lighting, direct boxes, etc. If there is
something special you need, ask and I’ll let you know exactly what equipment
is available.
 Plan on 45 minute set lengths, with a short intermission between. If there is an
opener plan on each act taking a set. If it is a single act, plan on either one long
set or two 45 or so minute sets—your call how exactly you want to do it.
 I try my best to record multi-track audio and video from multiple cameras and
post at least 2 videos of each performance. If you do not want the performance
recorded please let me know. If you are interested in recording a live album or
live DVD/Bluray let me know. You can check out samples on our YouTube
channel.

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About Us and the Area:

Our current house concert series began in June 2014. Stephanie suggested the name
Cà d'Zan,(pronounced cah-duh-zon) which means “House of John”, after touring John
Ringling’s mansion by the same name in Sarasota, Florida. We generally host
anywhere from 3-6 concerts per month. Before starting the house concert series I
was putting on barn tours with my buddy Sean from Daytrotter. Steph and I
celebrated getting married at our favorite barn, Codfish Hollow, during one of these
tours. Shortly after getting married we had two boys, Miles and Anderson, and I
decided to switch gears a little bit to better accommodate family life and, over time,
this house concert series came to be a regular thing. Being a musician myself and
having worked with musicians for most of my life I have experienced a lot of the less
enjoyable things that come with playing and seeing music—inattentive audiences,
noisy bars, lack of all-ages venues, trying to find a place to sleep at the end of the
night, poor sound, booking gigs in general, crowded and uncomfortable venues—and
have tried to do my best in making the experience at our home as positive as possible
both for the performers and audience.

Just a few miles up the road is Bishop Hill, a historic Swedish settlement, which is a
great place to visit for lunch (or breakfast on weekends) and to do some sightseeing.
 Most businesses in Bishop Hill are closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and in the evenings.
We highly recommend the Bishop Hill Bakery and Eatery and are good friends with
the owner, Tom.

If nature is more of your thing or you are looking for a really quiet place to get away,
Munson Cemetery and Nature Preserve is a beautiful natural prairie just 3 miles away
that almost no one knows about.

Stephanie is a licensed massage therapist, practicing in many different modalities,

and runs her studio, Hand Taylored Massage, out of a building here on the
property.

Address – Do not publish this anywhere:

Cà d'Zan
411 South Rd.
Cambridge, IL 61238

Map
*One block to the north of us is South St. Make sure you are looking for South Rd.

Audience:
All concerts are all-ages. On average, we have 10-15 “regulars” who come to most
shows, regardless of who is playing, and then a varying amount of people who come
infrequently or come only when a certain performer is playing. With that being said,
attendance fluctuates and is uncertain. We have hosted both shows with 50+ guests
and others with only a handful of people in the audience. We do our best to spread
the word to our friends and family. Performers are highly encouraged to help in the
promotion of their shows to ensure a good turnout. See the section on Press Releases
below.

Performance Spaces:
We have both indoor and outdoor performance spaces. The indoor space is roughly
15’x30’ with hardwood floors and professional sound treatment. Attendance for indoor
shows is capped at 30. If your concert is scheduled during the warmer months we will
most likely be outdoors, weather permitting, as we do not have air conditioning. We
highly suggest guests RSVP so we can save a seat for them. The outdoor space is
located on a large front porch facing out towards a sizeable lawn and the center of the
village.

Set Length:
Average set length is 45 minutes with roughly 15 minutes of intermission/changeover
between acts. If the show is a single act the performance will be split into two sets
broken up by a short intermission.

Performer Compensation:
Touring performers are compensated by guest donations collected the day of the
performance. We suggest a $10-20 donation per guest. We do not take a cut nor do
supporting acts. The touring performer(s) may decide to split a portion of the
donations with supporting acts at their discretion. I am not able to make a financial
guarantee; however, I can guarantee I will personally do everything I can to ensure
you have a good audience and can guarantee you have a place to stay and don’t go
hungry. Beyond that, I try my best to record live audio and video, which you are
more than welcome to use.

Merchandise:
Please bring merchandise to sell. Due to the intimate nature of these events, artists
tend to do very well selling CDs, vinyl records, T-shirts, etc. Tables will be provided
to display your merchandise on.

Parking:
Guests are asked to park on the street or in the church parking lot adjacent in most
situations. Driveway parking is reserved for performers for easy loading and unloading
and to ensure guests do not get blocked in the driveway.

Food and Beverages:

Light refreshments will be provided for performers and guests. Guests are asked to
bring their own beverages and any additional snacks they may want. Most shows are
preceded by a potluck.

Lodging:
We assume touring artists will need overnight lodging. If you are staying, please let us
know how many people you have staying and for how many nights so we can have
sleeping arrangements ready for you.

Facebook:
Please have the person who manages your music page add John as a friend on
Facebook. In order to get the event page to show up both on our venue page and your
music page I have to first add the manager of your music page as a co-host of the
event. Once this person has been made a co-host he/she can then add your music
page as a co-host and it will show up as an event on both our pages. If you have a
label page that you want to have the event show up on the process is the same.

Promotion:
We try our very best to provide a crowd for the performers, not only because it’s
more fun to perform for a crowd but also to make sure the gig is worth your while
monetarily. While the bulk of the guests in the audience are our friends and family
members, performers are expected to help with the promotion of their events. Please
invite your fans, friends, colleagues, and family—we will do the same. Sending out
press releases is very important (see below).

When promoting the event, please advertise it as being a private, exclusive event and
ask your fans to email you or me for details (address, time, suggested donation,
etc.). Please do not publish our address. If you are going to list the price for the
event do not mention “tickets” or “cover charge”, instead use “suggested donation”.
All shows must be advertised this way in order to comply with legal guidelines. If you
would like, you can direct fans to our website (http://www.cadzanmusic.com) or
email [email protected] to make reservations and for more information.
Some fans may feel weird about the idea of going to the home of someone they don’t
know. You can overcome this by making them feel like this is a VIP, invitation-only
event. Below is an example of a message you might post on your website and/or send
to fans on your mailing list to get this point across:

July 27th, 6:30pm

Cambridge, IL - House Concert
This is a private, exclusive event for friends and a few select fans in the area.
Invitation only. Email for details and we’ll get you an invitation.

Press Releases and Interviews:

We highly suggest performers submit press releases newspapers and for interviews
and publicity. From experience we have found a good press release to be the single
most important factor for getting a good crowd. We promote every concert exactly
the same--via Facebook and our email list; however, none of our promotions can
generate interest or excitement like a well-crafted press release. For reasons
mentioned above, press releases for house concerts are a little different than those
for bar/club shows.

Below is a template to give you a general idea of what a house concert press release
should look like and here is an example of one that worked well. If you need help
writing an effective press release this guy does a great job for about $10. I
recommend you send out press releases for all dates on your tour.

Sample Press Release Format

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [Contact Name]

[Today’s Date] [Contact Phone/Email]

FOLKSINGER [PERFORMER] TO PLAY AT CAMBRIDGE, IL RESIDENCE

CAMBRIDGE, IL – [current city]-based singer-songwriter, [performer], will be

performing on [day of the week] [month] [day] at a private residence in Cambridge,

IL.

[performer] has been writing and performing for over 25 years. His folk/acoustic

style, often compared to [similar artists], reflects not only his skill as a songwriter

and guitarist, but also his passion for things close to his heart: human need,
relationships, faith. Not flashy or extravagant, [performer] connects at an intimate

level with his audiences, who often find his performances to be both captivating and

moving.

[performer] says he “really enjoys the intimacy of house concerts”, stating they are

“a welcome change from the typical bar and club shows.

For an invitation to this exclusive event please visit [performer’s website].

###

General Press Release Guidelines

 Submit your press release between 2-6 weeks out from the concert date, when
possible. Allow more time if you are sending via snail mail.
 Include a high-resolution photograph with your press release. Make sure you
credit the photographer.
 Include a line in the email or cover letter, if sending snail mail, stating you are
available for a phone interview. Make sure you provide correct contact
information in case they take you up on the offer or have questions.
 General Format
o Double-spaced (so editors can actually edit it!)
o First paragraph – This should list who, what, where, and when in a
couple of sentences.
o Subsequent paragraphs – This should provide biographical information,
history, achievements, critical acclaim, etc.
o Final paragraph – RSVP/contact information.

These are some media outlets we recommended (listed in order of

relevance/responsiveness):
Newspapers
 Cambridge Chronicle
 [email protected]
 River Cities Reader
 Jeff Ignatius: [email protected]
 [email protected]
 563-324-0049
 532 W. 3rd St. Davenport, IA 52803. Attn: Mike or Jeff.
 Quad City Times
 Amanda Hancock: [email protected]
 [email protected] (back-up in case of personnel change)
 563-383-2200
  500 E. 3rd St. Davenport, IA, 52803.
 Rock Island Argus/Dispatch
 Jonathan Turner : [email protected]
 1724 4th Ave, Rock Island, IL 61201 Attn: Jonathan Turner
 309-764-8868
 Star Courier
 Mike Berry: [email protected]
 Five Cities Media
 Aiden Landman: [email protected]
 Quadcities.com (self-submission event listing--enter “RSVP for full address” in
address block)
 Galva News
 Geneseo Republic
 The Register Mail
 Orion Gazette
 [email protected]
 The Stark County News
 [email protected]
 Peoria Journal Star
 [email protected]
TV Stations
 KWQC
o Paula Sands Live idea submission form
o Jacob Eastburn: [email protected]
o [email protected]
 WHBF
o [email protected]
 WQAD
o [email protected]
Radio Stations
 KNSB
 [email protected]
 WVIK Public Radio
 639 38th Street
Rock Island, IL 61201
[email protected]
Facebook
Twitter: WVIKFM
 Community Calendar (self-submission—enter “RSVP for full address” in
address block)
 KALA Public Radio
 St. Ambrose University
Attn: KALA
518 W. Locust St
Davenport, IA 52803
 [email protected]
(563) 333-6450
Facebook
Twitter: KALARadio
 WYEC
 WGIL
 [email protected]
Facebook
Twitter: WGILNews
 WLLR, KISS-FM, Q-106.5, Mix 96
 Facebook
 Twitter: 1013KISSFM
 WKEI
 Event Calendar
 Press Releases
 Facebook
 Twitter: RegionalDN
 WLSR
 [email protected]
 Facebook

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs):

Three major corporations (ASCAP, BMI and SESAC) in the U.S. (SOCAN in Canada) have
the responsibility of collecting money for the public performance of music, and then
distributing those moneys to the songwriters and publishers that own the rights to the
songs performed. As our house concerts are private events, performers are asked to
not submit their set lists to their performing rights organization as this could result in
issues for us.

Session Opportunities:
Performers may want to consider exploring the possibility of scheduling a session (or
maybe even a performance at the bar attached to the studio) with Daytrotter.com
while in the area. We are located roughly 30 miles from the studio. I am good friends
with Ben Crabb, the guy who schedules all the sessions, and get asked all the time
how to go about booking a session. My best advice is to treat it as if you were
soliciting for a gig—mention the specific dates you are going to be in the area and
include a link to your music and a link to a live video. Feel free to mention that I
referred you.

[email protected]

There is video session series called The Blue Chair Chronicles located in Fulton, IL
(also a venue here called Awesometown MVP):

The Blue Chair Chronicles

Fulton, IL 61252
(563) 613-3236
Charlie Crider - [email protected]

Other Area/Regional Venues:

As you plan your tour, I highly suggest you maximize your time in this area. There
are a number of great venues and music series, most with little to no overlap of
audience members, within a relatively short distance. Some performers have
booked slots at coffee shops, book stores, restaurants, libraries, churches,
schools, and other businesses the same, previous, or following day(s) as their
performance at our house. This can serve as another opportunity to connect with
new people, generate more income, and help in the promotion of your other
shows in the area. We have had many guests who will come to our show after
seeing a performer at another venue earlier in the day or the previous day. If
you do this it is highly recommended that you play a different set than you play
at our house and advertise it that way in order to encourage guests to come to
both performances. The following are some options you may consider. I have a
strong personal relationship with most of them so feel free to mention I sent you
their way as it may help get the ball rolling.

 Awesometown MVP
Fulton, IL
http://awesometownmvp.com
(563) 613-3236
Charlie Crider - [email protected]
Thursday series 7-9PM, donations (~$150-300), ask about Blue Chair session,
overnight accommodations
 Uptown Bill's
Iowa City,IA
http://uptownbills.org/
(319) 339-0804
Tom Gilsenan: [email protected]
Thursdays series 7-9PM, donations (~$150-300)
 Uncommon Ground
Chicago, IL
http://www.uncommonground.com/
John Worth: [email protected]
 The Beanhive
Galesburg, IL
https://www.facebook.com/BeanhiveCoffeehouse
Patricia or Mary Christianson: [email protected],
[email protected]
 (309) 344-0200
100% of door, typically put performers up for the night
 The Princeton Coffeehouse
Princeton, IL
http://theprincetoncoffeehouse.com/
[email protected]
(815) 878-4805
Bill Beneke
4th Saturday of the month series (except Jun, Jul, Dec), 7:30PM start
 Musical Hospitality Kewanee, IL
https://www.facebook.com/musicalhospitality/
[email protected]
309 854-2307
Mike Berry
Usually 2nd or 3rd Sunday of the month (Sept-May), live radio broadcast, 7PM,
followed by community open mic
 Lincoln Square Presbyterian Church
Chicago, IL
(773) 677-7782
[email protected]
Jodee Lewis
 Geneseo Brewing Company
Geneseo, IL
http://www.geneseobrewingcompany.com/
(309) 945-1422
[email protected]
Nate Thompson (manager)
Saturdays 7-10PM, $100-150 guarantee + tips, solo/duo only
 Galva Arts Council Coffeehouse
Galva, IL
http://www.galvaartscouncil.com/
[email protected]
Tom Campbell
Last Saturday of the month (Oct-Apr), followed by community open mic,
guarantee ($100-150)
 Milltown Coffee
Moline, IL
Lewis Knudsen: [email protected]
Must provide PA, guarantee (~$100-150 + tips)
 Rozz Tox
Rock Island, IL
 http://rozztox.com
Ben Fawks: [email protected]
Cut of door, may offer guarantee, no cover songs
 Cool Beanz Coffeehouse
Rock Island, IL
http://www.coolbeanzcoffeehouse.com/
Annette: [email protected]
(309) 558-0909
Music Tues-Sat, open mic Tues, 20% of sales/door (~$100)
 Ragged Records
Davenport, IA
http://raggedrecords.org
Bob Herrington: [email protected]
 River Music Experience Community Stage
Davenport, IA
http://www.rivermusicexperience.org/Venues/RME-Cafe.aspx
Kate Benson: [email protected]
 Hickory Ridge Concert Series
Lewistown, IL (at Dickson Mounds Musuem)
http://www.hickoryridgeconcerts.com/
Chris Vallillo: [email protected]
3rd Saturday of the month 7PM, $150 solo/$200 duo
 Windy City House Concerts
Chicago, IL
https://houseconcerts.wordpress.com/
Lee: [email protected]
Monthly series
 Cedar Valley House Concerts
Cedar Falls, IA
http://cvhouseconcerts.wix.com/cvhc
Darice: [email protected]
Monthly series, 4 different locations/hosts
 Black Dog House Concerts
Chicago, IL (Rogers Park/Loyola area)
https://www.facebook.com/BlackDogHouseConcerts
Van DeLisle: [email protected]
 Log House Concerts
Edwardsville, IL
http://loghouseconcerts.com/
Mike: [email protected] / (618) 531-1810
Monthly series
  IndyWest House Concerts
Indianapolis, IN
https://www.facebook.com/IndyWest-House-Concerts-156717707688429/
John: [email protected]
 Concerts on the Creek
Rockford, IL
http://www.springcreekucc.org/#!concerts-on-the-creek/cecg
[email protected]
 Gravel Road House Concerts
Minburn, IA
http://www.gravelroadconcerts.com/
Dani and Steve: [email protected]
 Home-grown Music Series
Washington, IA
https://www.facebook.com/Mills-Seed-Co-Building-462919270476289
Terry: [email protected] / (319) 430-8536
 Paris-Belle House Concert Series
Williamsville, IL
https://www.facebook.com/ParisBelleconcerts
Terry Killian: [email protected]
Overnight accommodations, 65 capacity, 6-8 concerts per year, potluck

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If you have any questions, please get in touch with me, John Taylor:
[email protected]
(309) 299-4999 (call or text)

Thanks!