How to promote my weird noise and improvisation workshop/event in San Francisco?
May 7, 2010 9:11 AM
How to promote my weird noise and improvisation workshop/event in San Francisco?
Hi! I wonder if folks on the green could advise me on strategies for finding people to take part in a series of workshops I’m planning to teach in San Francisco in a month or so.
I’m based in Toronto. People here really love the classes, but I’m finding it challenging figuring out how to transfer that love to a new city. I know how to promote the classes at home, but not in SF.
Part of what makes the series hard to promote is that it’s a bit of a weird thing: It is a class in collective improvised noise-music, but it’s meant more as a fun thing for people to do in a group (nonmusicians and musicians) as opposed to a skills-development thing for musicians (though musicians do take the class and get stuff from it…)
Does anyone have ideas for how/where I might find participants? Some questions I had, where help could be very useful:
- Are there any discussion boards or mailing lists or other resources where people post stuff about experimental/improvised music and/or sound art?
- Any discussion boards or mailing lists or other resources where people post stuff about social art and/or participatory art (I see the workshops more as participatory performance events than as classes, though they do look a lot like classes…)
- Any sites where people list workshops and classes. (My stuff sometimes gets categorized as a sort of “creativity-building” workshop, and though I’m not so comfortable with that category, I have to admit it’s not so very far from what I do).
- Any sites where people list stuff about unconventional vocal music? Or just fun, hard-to-categorize events?
- I’ve found a whole bunch of calendar sites (upcoming, etc…) but they’re all focused on single-night events. Are there calendar sites that are good for something like this – a series of twice-weekly events, over three weeks, requiring advance registration? Places where people announce classes and things?
- I sometimes do fliering for my workshops here at home (mostly dropping off leaflets at bookstores, coffeeshops, music venue, galleries), but I can’t to that in SF (because I’m not there). I thought maybe I could hire someone to do fliering in SF. Does anyone have any experience with fliering/postering services in SF?
- Any other obvious ideas I’m overlooking?
I really hope I can make this work out! Any help or ideas would be much appreciated!
Hi! I wonder if folks on the green could advise me on strategies for finding people to take part in a series of workshops I’m planning to teach in San Francisco in a month or so.
I’m based in Toronto. People here really love the classes, but I’m finding it challenging figuring out how to transfer that love to a new city. I know how to promote the classes at home, but not in SF.
Part of what makes the series hard to promote is that it’s a bit of a weird thing: It is a class in collective improvised noise-music, but it’s meant more as a fun thing for people to do in a group (nonmusicians and musicians) as opposed to a skills-development thing for musicians (though musicians do take the class and get stuff from it…)
Does anyone have ideas for how/where I might find participants? Some questions I had, where help could be very useful:
- Are there any discussion boards or mailing lists or other resources where people post stuff about experimental/improvised music and/or sound art?
- Any discussion boards or mailing lists or other resources where people post stuff about social art and/or participatory art (I see the workshops more as participatory performance events than as classes, though they do look a lot like classes…)
- Any sites where people list workshops and classes. (My stuff sometimes gets categorized as a sort of “creativity-building” workshop, and though I’m not so comfortable with that category, I have to admit it’s not so very far from what I do).
- Any sites where people list stuff about unconventional vocal music? Or just fun, hard-to-categorize events?
- I’ve found a whole bunch of calendar sites (upcoming, etc…) but they’re all focused on single-night events. Are there calendar sites that are good for something like this – a series of twice-weekly events, over three weeks, requiring advance registration? Places where people announce classes and things?
- I sometimes do fliering for my workshops here at home (mostly dropping off leaflets at bookstores, coffeeshops, music venue, galleries), but I can’t to that in SF (because I’m not there). I thought maybe I could hire someone to do fliering in SF. Does anyone have any experience with fliering/postering services in SF?
- Any other obvious ideas I’m overlooking?
I really hope I can make this work out! Any help or ideas would be much appreciated!
noisebridge? centrally located hackerspace? check 'em out...
www.noisebridge.net
posted by macadam9 at 11:56 AM on May 7, 2010
www.noisebridge.net
posted by macadam9 at 11:56 AM on May 7, 2010
Thanks CF! I posted a while ago on Craigslist in the events->classes section. I submitted to squidlist a couple weeks ago, but I guess that's a curated list, and it looks like they didn't choose to post my event there.
Good to know I'm on the right track...
posted by ManInSuit at 12:00 PM on May 7, 2010
Good to know I'm on the right track...
posted by ManInSuit at 12:00 PM on May 7, 2010
I suggest SFist. It can't hurt to send details to the Chronicle, Examiner, SF Bay Guardian, and SF Weekly, too. Do it now, though -- they probably have long lead times on getting coverage and/or listings set up. The Weekly and Chronicle definitely list classes and workshops -- I can't vouch for the others.
Look at all those papers' web sites and see who the music editors/writers/bloggers are. You might spot someone who is into weird noise who will be keen to write about this, even if it's just as a calendar listing/tip. Good luck!
posted by vickyverky at 12:15 PM on May 7, 2010
Look at all those papers' web sites and see who the music editors/writers/bloggers are. You might spot someone who is into weird noise who will be keen to write about this, even if it's just as a calendar listing/tip. Good luck!
posted by vickyverky at 12:15 PM on May 7, 2010
Apologies - I think that was in my cache or something. Thought I posted it hours ago, and now it's just a double. I'll try to make up for that by referencing Junkstock, which is apparently happening again in July, and has community bulletin boards on their website.
posted by gingerbeer at 12:22 PM on May 7, 2010
posted by gingerbeer at 12:22 PM on May 7, 2010
Except, in the continued fail, their bulletin board is nothing but spam.
You could hire someone through craigslist to do the flyering. Or even use Mefi Jobs for that, I bet.
posted by gingerbeer at 12:26 PM on May 7, 2010
You could hire someone through craigslist to do the flyering. Or even use Mefi Jobs for that, I bet.
posted by gingerbeer at 12:26 PM on May 7, 2010
Thanks VickyVerky - Looking for journalists at the papers who like to write about noises is an especially good idea! Gingerbeer - I'll look into Junkstock!
posted by ManInSuit at 12:27 PM on May 7, 2010
posted by ManInSuit at 12:27 PM on May 7, 2010
MacAdam - A friend brought me by the noisebridge space when I was in SF earlier this spring (more indication I'm on the right track!). What a cool place! I'm not sure I see how they'd be helpful in promoting the event - do they have a place to list non-noisebridge events that might be of interest to noisebridge people?
posted by ManInSuit at 12:30 PM on May 7, 2010
posted by ManInSuit at 12:30 PM on May 7, 2010
Or even use Mefi Jobs for that, I bet
Is there no problem MeFi can't solve?
posted by ManInSuit at 12:38 PM on May 7, 2010
Is there no problem MeFi can't solve?
posted by ManInSuit at 12:38 PM on May 7, 2010
While it's not exactly the same it sounds like something the Maker Faire folks might be into, and they have a forum. You could see if the Re/Search Pubs folks will add you to their newsletter.
posted by grapesaresour at 4:37 PM on May 7, 2010
posted by grapesaresour at 4:37 PM on May 7, 2010
I also asked a colleague who is fond of avant-noise and out-there music, and he suggested these sites:
www.transbaycalendar.org
sfnoise.org
www.bayimproviser.com
www.brutalsoundeffects.com
launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/brutalsfx
www.outsound.org
posted by vickyverky at 5:23 PM on May 7, 2010
www.transbaycalendar.org
sfnoise.org
www.bayimproviser.com
www.brutalsoundeffects.com
launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/brutalsfx
www.outsound.org
posted by vickyverky at 5:23 PM on May 7, 2010
Grapes- Thanks! Vicky - Whoa, Awesome! I will check out those sites!
posted by ManInSuit at 5:37 PM on May 7, 2010
posted by ManInSuit at 5:37 PM on May 7, 2010
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posted by ManInSuit at 9:12 AM on May 7, 2010