Question: How do you find the performances?

Answer: Choosing which artists perform at LOH depends on many things: Is the artist touring that year? Are they going to be in the Northeast? What dates are available? Are they performing somewhere else that’s too close to LOH? How much do they charge? Can LOH meet their technical needs? Is there an audience for the genre? Many of these questions are answered when talking to the artist’s agent.

At the same time, I’m meeting with LOH’s programming committee, a group of board members and other volunteers from the community who offer their advice not only on which shows they think will sell, but how to best market the shows we do book.

Negotiations follow the offer and, if all goes well, we confirm a date. Of course, as is the nature with negotiations, sometimes the whole thing falls apart too. The artist may get a better offer or decide not to tour at all. Or we may find out that they need us to rent four pianos and fifteen guitars and decide we can’t afford it.

I often think of LOH’s calendar as big puzzle that need to be completed with LOH shows, community shows, educational programming and other events. The puzzle always seems to get come together each year, but sometimes it seems to take a while to find where all the pieces fit!