Getting booked at the Boston Christmas Tree lighting
July 30, 2017 5:48 PM Subscribe
I would like to play the Boston Christmas Tree lighting. What's the best way to get the attention of the Boston Parks Department and the sponsors?
As many of you know, I'm a busker in Cambridge, and I recently started writing original music. One of the songs I've written is about the Halifax Explosion--its 100th anniversary is this year, and Boston's Christmas trees from 1918 to the present have come from Halifax.
I'm proud of how this song came out and I'd love to perform it at the Christmas Tree Lighting. I contacted the Boston Parks Department, and the event coordinator said to "just send over whatever". When I pressed him for more information he said that he needed something online and that they'd accept videos, MP3s, Soundcloud links, etc., and that they needed them by early September. He also mentioned that 72-75 acts submit their work every year, and that they only have six spots in the program. Their sponsors WCVB TV and WMJX FM, also need to sign off on the acts, and they try to pick artists who hit on a different demographic. (Usually the local music acts are not especially well known, since this isn't the edgiest way to get exposure.) I booked studio time and have started to put together a band, but some aspects of getting ready to record have been challenging and a bit more expensive than I've budgeted.
My initial plan was to record the song, make it available online, put together a digital press kit, and maybe try to do an online petition to show that there was community support for my performance. However, because finding a band and getting time to record before Labor Day has been onerous, I've been trying to find another way to record my song in a way that would be appealing for the Boston Parks Department and sponsors. So, I open this up to you, the hivemind: What would be a good way to record my song and appeal to the BPD?
As many of you know, I'm a busker in Cambridge, and I recently started writing original music. One of the songs I've written is about the Halifax Explosion--its 100th anniversary is this year, and Boston's Christmas trees from 1918 to the present have come from Halifax.
I'm proud of how this song came out and I'd love to perform it at the Christmas Tree Lighting. I contacted the Boston Parks Department, and the event coordinator said to "just send over whatever". When I pressed him for more information he said that he needed something online and that they'd accept videos, MP3s, Soundcloud links, etc., and that they needed them by early September. He also mentioned that 72-75 acts submit their work every year, and that they only have six spots in the program. Their sponsors WCVB TV and WMJX FM, also need to sign off on the acts, and they try to pick artists who hit on a different demographic. (Usually the local music acts are not especially well known, since this isn't the edgiest way to get exposure.) I booked studio time and have started to put together a band, but some aspects of getting ready to record have been challenging and a bit more expensive than I've budgeted.
My initial plan was to record the song, make it available online, put together a digital press kit, and maybe try to do an online petition to show that there was community support for my performance. However, because finding a band and getting time to record before Labor Day has been onerous, I've been trying to find another way to record my song in a way that would be appealing for the Boston Parks Department and sponsors. So, I open this up to you, the hivemind: What would be a good way to record my song and appeal to the BPD?
Can you get a friend to video-record you playing it on the street a few times, and then mix the best pieces of that with audio from a shorter studio session?
posted by wenestvedt at 6:23 AM on July 31, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by wenestvedt at 6:23 AM on July 31, 2017 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Could you record yourself performing the song and upload it to YouTube? Then spend your energy/money on promoting the video to get as many views and likes as you can.
People love an underdog, so write a little blurb and get promoting. See if you can get it picked up by one of those viral video blogs. Perhaps try Reddit too.
You can then contact them again and focus on how much reach your song had and why it's perfect for this event.
posted by Youremyworld at 8:38 PM on July 30, 2017