Hey all,
Behind the Scenes - Cool Yule Holiday Tour 2024
Holiday tour planning never really stops when you are an independent musician.
When we began our self-produced holiday tours for Tonic Sol-fa (an a cappella quartet), we honed in on a few Midwestern cities in which we'd toured at colleges or performed at corporate shows or summer festivals. Based mostly on intuition, we took a chance, rented a few high school theaters (or traded for master classes with students) and the rest - as "they" say - is history. In some lucky instances, those smaller theaters turned to two nights and those two nights turned into a larger venue.
As you are probably guessing, not every show worked in the beginning. And it's still a balancing act today. Three successful shows can be wiped out with one ill-advised performance. We have to consider traditional media, social media, theater size, other events in the region, timing, partners and a 100 other pieces before taking those first steps and planning a November/December run.
An aside: At one point in those early years, we called up Chip Davis to pick his brain regarding holiday tours - he's the mastermind behind Manheim Steamroller - and he invited us to his headquarters in Nebraska. He did not have to talk with four newbies. He certainly did not have to welcome us into his studio. What a day. But that story is for another blog.
Anyway, we were also building this segment of our year in spite of agents who advised us against setting our sights on self produced tours. Most mid-sized theaters easily reach 5 to 10 thousand dollars in total rental costs when ticket fees, historical fees, city fees, sound fees, etc. are considered. Multiply this number by 20 dates, and it's a stretch for most small businesses (Or at least ours). Traditionally, touring artists work with promoters or are brought in by the venue and never have to consider such monetary investment.
And yes, those aforementioned agents were absolutely correct about one thing - the risk. I'd like to say we believed in ourselves and damn the naysayers. But I also must admit I had no idea what I was getting into.
So money was one consideration. The other 93? The investments ('s" intended) of time. I don't mind saying that the days and months spent setting up tickets, creating billboards, adjusting song lists, figuring out travel and marking "done" on my yearly TO DO list - in the midst of hundreds of travel dates - was not easy. But with a rosy eye on the past, I also truly love how the holiday tour has taken hold and become a family tradition for so many. It's entirely gratifying to see what we've built. And I. LOVE. THIS. TOUR.
As yet another aside: Hats off to event planners in the world. I'd never considered the work that goes into this industry as a wannabe singer.
So here I am (sitting in my office in September) wishing I could start the tour - which ramps up in mid-November - today. I look forward to the camaraderie in the dressing room before hitting the stage nervously. I look forward to seeing friends and supporters in the signing line after the show. I look forward to snow and twinkling lights on the main streets snaking back to our hotel when the night is over. I hope for transcendent musical moments with my brothers each night. And I hope to see you.
