Information for Musicians

 
Interested in performing at a Duvall House Concerts show? This page will help you determine if we’re a good match, and how to apply.

What We’re Looking For:

  1. With every group or solo, we ask ourselves “Is this music that we would absolutely love to listen to for two hours?” We know this is highly subjective, and hope you won’t feel disheartened if our response is “no.”
  2. We set the bar at “extraordinary,” not just “really good.” Many of our performers are of national or international renown. Our guests have come to expect out-of-this-world music, and that expectation sets a positive tone for each concert.
  3. We want performers with stellar musicianship plus the ability to create a warm, exciting rapport with a small audience. We also look for enough variety in their song repertoire to keep things interesting.
  4. We aim to host a wide range of musical genres. We strongly recommend you look at our archives and see the variety of music we’ve featured so far.
  5. Our room has great acoustics. To offer as natural a sound as possible, we prefer little or no amplification.

What to Expect:

Choro das 3 played at Duvall House Concerts on Sept. 1, 2019.

Duvall House Concerts hosted Choro das 3 Sept. 2019. Click for larger image.

  1. Venue: Our home is 40 minutes east of Seattle and seats 32 guests. Chairs and stools of varying height afford everyone a good view. View our stage diagram.
  2. Format: Most shows are Saturdays 7-9 or Sundays 5-7, typically including two 45-minute sets of music. An intermission allows for CD sales, snacking, and socializing.
  3. Audience: Our guests—many of them regulars—are attentive, fun, and enthusiastic.
  4. Promotion: Four to six weeks prior to each show, we  email 300+ folks. We often post flyers, and send out local press releases as needed. Musicians are welcome to do additional promotion. Note: All promotion should include a link to our online reservations form. Reservations are required and usually fill up a couple of weeks prior to the show. 
  5. Money: We request a $25 donation per guest. 100% goes to the musicians.
  6. Free media: We take lots of professional photos of the show, and usually video as well. Both are available free to the performers.

What to Send Us:

We’re most interested in your musicianship, material, and stage presence. Please provide:

  1. A short description of who you are: your musical genre(s), your members, and your instruments (including vocals).
  2. Links to videos of recent live performances, with approximately the same personnel who would perform in our series. This is the single most important element! Don’t worry about the video production quality, but do show us the extent of your musical variety and how you interact with each other and the audience.
  3. Audio recordings that reflect your live performances can supplement videos. Studio cuts with hired backup or lots of overdubbing are not especially useful.
  4. Helpful—but of secondary importance—are:
    • Testimonials from highly credible sources such as music critics and producers
    • A list of places you’ve performed
    • Awards you’ve won
    • Photos we could use to promote your show

Where to Send It:

Send an email, with attachments or media links, to:
concerts@duvallhouseconcerts.com