Cardiology is my first full-length solo project, and it consists of 15 songs that I wrote between the ages of 18 and 24. It’s a concept album, designed to be listened to sequentially because the track order is almost the same order they were written in. Life is about storytelling – telling our stories to each other and listening to each other’s stories. Primarily romantic, the songs tell of love, heartbreak, and life, and are written in many styles like folk, blues, pop, and swing.

The most common response I’ve gotten to the house concert concept is, “What is a house concert?” A house concert is an old tradition of having a musician come and perform in your home for you and your friends, but with the rise of concert venues and stardom, it’s only recently been making a comeback.

I just can’t do it like everyone else though! So here’s the way I’m going to do it:

Houses that sign up for The Cardiology Experience Tour will have four main purposes: Connecting, creating, listening, and storytelling.

Connecting: I connect with you as a host. Your responsibility is to connect with whatever friends you’d like to share in the experience with you and have them RSVP. Usually concerts are attended by 25-50 people, but some will have more and some will have less. I will then have a connection to your connections, and I’m talking about real, true connection – the kind where you look in each other’s eyes and are richer for having been a part of each other’s story.

Creating: You create the type of party you want, be it picnic, potluck, or pajama. You can make it as elaborate or as simple as you’d like – invite
people just for a concert, or have them bring their favorite finger food. You decide. There should be some time before and after the show for
conversation, and the music portion will be about an hour and a half, with a short break in the middle, so start the party with that in mind. During the music portion, guests can get creative by drawing, coloring, writing, etc.

Listening: This is one of the most important parts of the night. The music I perform is not background music. With the way the world is today, we often don’t practice the art of listening because we practice multitasking. Everyone that is in the house will be in the same room, on chairs, couches, pillows, anything where they can be fully engaged in the experience.

Storytelling: I won’t just be performing my music, I’ll be telling the story behind it as I present each song. I’ll also create places in the show where other people can share how the music connects to their own story. I’ll take questions and I’ll also ask them.

Logistically, there are some things that need to be mentioned. Most of the time, it will either be me on a piano and with a microphone, or sometimes I’ll be accompanied by another musician. There will be one speaker and the volume will be relatively quiet, so noise complaints shouldn’t be an issue. I will have all of my equipment with me. I’ll only be playing original music, which will make it better for everyone so performance-rights organizations won’t get involved. For tax purposes that benefit us all, this event will need to be a private event and not a public one, so invite people that you know and that you would feel happy and comfortable with in your home.

Concerning money, a suggested donation will be taken up, either upon entrance or after the concert. As a host, you can determine what your friends would be willing to pay, but most of the time, it’s a donation of $10-$20. In summary, the host is responsible for creating the event, inviting their friends, and taking up the donation. Sometimes the host will also open their home up so that I can crash on the couch, but that is not a requirement and should be done only if you so desire. As a musician, I am responsible for my own equipment, selling my merchandise after the show, and providing the best musical experience of the century! I would love to create a memorable evening with you and the people you care about. Please feel free to contact me in whatever way suits you, and I’ll make sure to get an album to you if you don’t already have one.