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Growing

Your Audience

Craig V. Hamilton

So what if you gave a concert and no one came? Have you even played a concert www.hotspringsband.org
where there were more people on stage than in the audience? I often tell our audience
that I’m glad they came - because without them, it’s just another rehearsal. That’s not
exactly true, but it is a lot more fun to play for a “full house.”

The Hot Springs Concert Band in Hot Springs, Arkansas is a year round community band
with 90+ members. We perform between 12-15 different concerts throughout the year. In
the summers we perform an outdoor program every other week to audiences that average 1000
people for each concert.

October through February we perform inside to packed houses. This has not always been the
case. Through a lot of work by talented people and a conscious effort to build our audiences,
we have cultivated a very loyal audience base that continues to grow. I am not suggesting that

what we do will work for every situation, or that it is the only way, but it has and is working for us.

When I think of growing an audience I think of three things: Promotion, People and Programming.

- 1. PROMOTION -

Promotion of your programme can never be underestimated. If your potential audience members don’t

know about your performances, they will surely not show up. It’s like winking at someone in the dark
- how do they know? The Hot Springs Concert Band has used numerous tactics and tools for
promoting our concerts.

Before each concert we run an announcement in the local paper - a simple article that tells the reader
when and where the concert will be, the theme, and any guest artists. We also include a color picture
to catch the reader’s eye. A week or so before the concert we run a spot on the local radio station.
Different members of the band tell about the upcoming concert and are interviewed by the local
radio station DJ.

Our concerts are also promoted by several billboards around town, as well as an electronic
billboard in the center of town, and at the convention center. Flyers and posters are
printed and placed in local businesses, schools and churches. Harvey McIntyre
secures corporate sponsors for each of our concerts. This guarantees
representatives from the sponsors showing up for our concert
and promotion for them and us.

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