Event

[Randy Burks]

I would like to see if someone could have an event in my town (Baxter springs, Kansas) in the spring or summer or even fall. I would love to see all of you wonderful people and your dulcimers. I love to listen to your music and see all of different styles in playing and your ideas on building. I can help someone maybe on sitting it up.

[Ken Hulme]

Well... those were publicly posted names and numbers Lisa, which I got from elsewhere on the net.  But I'll re-research them and send them to him in a PM.

[Strumelia]

Ken, if you want to pass people's phone numbers or email addresses to Randy, you need to do it in a private message, otherwise it can be harvested by spam robots that search the internet to gather publicly posted phone numbers and email addresses.  FOTMD is a public site and search engines can show what is publicly posted in forums and groups here.  Thanks  :)

[Randy Burks]

Will the web site doesn't work and the email address I sent came back mailer fail with the info below.

[Randy Burks]

Thanks to you Ken. If I can find someone to help me out I will give you a shout. I am disabled and do not drive so I was looking for someone that could help me set it up. I can get the place as a matter of fact I can proable get two different places. One is a church and the other is a park.

[Ken Hulme]

Randy - as Rob sez, the first thing is location, location, location.  A church is a good start.  Or maybe a public park with a  gazebo to thwart showers, or someplace like a community center in a housing community or trailer park.  For the first few events especially, some place free.  Get the site, then set the date - a few months in advance is good. 

Then you need to attract folks.  Look here and on ED for dulcimer players who live with say 150 miles of you, and send them emails and PMs.  I just know there are players in Joplin.  Also go to the acoustic music shops, coffee houses and similar places there and inBaxter Springs  and put up posters about the even (need help with those, just holler).  Also write a press release that you will give to your local newspaper and radio & TV stations.

[R N Lackey]

Randy,

If you're serious about having an event, first thing you need to do is find a place.  Kevin Messinger, Jim Fawcett and I met at Cooper's Rock, WV, as a convenient place to get together.  It was so nice we decided it would be a great place for our 1st Wartz'n'All Gathering.  We talked about it as far as dates and agenda and then secured the spot.  Kevin got us a great pavilion.  We made up flyers and sent out a few emails, tho' we didn't have time to make the local papers with it.  

When we decided to have the 2nd one in the Spring, I found us a venue in Clarksburg, WV, where I'm working.  We firmed up the date amongst ourselves and made sure it didn't conflict with any other dulcimer gatherings within 150 miles.  On a whim, I contacted Jerry Rockwell and asked him if he'd be interested in coming over for a jam, a workshop and a concert.  To my surprise he was more than interested and we have him as our 1st Wartz'n'All Spring Fling guest artist.  Flyers are up in area music stores and any place else that has a bulletin board.  I'll be contacting the local newspapers as well with a blurb for their entertainment sections.  

I think I can speak for Kevin and Jim when I say I hope to see the Spring Gathering grow so we can't have it at a small venue.  I hope to see the Fall Gathering grow so we need the largest pavilion Cooper's Rock State Park has.  I hope to see a steady stream of "stars" pass through our Spring Gathering as guests, and at least 100 people jamming their hearts out in the beauty of nature at the Fall Gathering.

I said all that to show you that you can do it.  Start small; start local; keep telling people about it and they will come.

Rob