Questions re Theremin Festivals

I've never been to a theremin festival and I'm wondering if some of you that have could spare a moment:

What have been your favorite and least favorite features?

What do festivals need more of/less of? What didn't happen that should/could have?

Any random thoughts are appreciated too...

Thanks,

Rob

Schwim, 

Are you planning a theremin fest?

One of the difficulties planners of past festivals have had is that the theremin community is spread out, and it can be very costly for people to travel long distances and inconvenient to travel with electronic equipment.

Europeans are fortunate because they are dealing with a much smaller geographical area, and it is easy for them to travel from one place to another. We in America forget that the distance between Los Angeles and New York is roughly the same as the distance between London and Baghdad!

If you are planning a theremin festival, what is your goal? Do you want to your event to be a high impact artistic happening or do you see it as a meet & greet, "open mike" social get-together?

Over the years I have attended many musical special interest group conventions and conferences and hosted one or two (including the Yamaha Festival) as a professional MC, and the tone of them has always been set by the virtuosity and expertise (or lack thereof) of the headliners and "star" participants. For instance, the 1997 Portland Theremin Festival (which I attended) featured the participation of Lydia Kavina, Robert Moog and avant-gardiste Eric Ross. Without them, the event would have had little to recommend it.

Olivia Mattis, the driving force behind Portland, had to cancel her second attempt at launching a theremin festival because of lack of interest.

Where would you hold your festival? How long will it last? These are important considerations because of the high cost of hotel accommodations, restaurants etc., especially in major metropolitan areas like Manhattan. Don't forget, the vast majority of theremin enthusiasts are "on a budget".

Don't expect to make a profit on your festival. You'll be lucky if you break even (unless you can persuade Justin Bieber to participate). 

Schwim, 

Are you planning a theremin fest?

Just a very beginning thought... So I guess the answer is maybe but not soon. First off thanks for your most thoughtful input. Really appreciated

One of the difficulties planners of past festivals have had is that the theremin community is spread out, and it can be very costly for people to travel long distances and inconvenient to travel with electronic equipment. There's never been one in the NYC area as far as I know so there could be a reasonable audience in addition to the players...  I'm hoping the NY Theremin Society will remain vital and helpful in spreading interest around here... 

If you are planning a theremin festival, what is your goal? Do you want to your event to be a high impact artistic happening or do you see it as a meet & greet, "open mike" social get-together? Of course, I'd love it to be a "high impact artistic happening" but this wouldn't necessarily preclude the other...

Where would you hold your festival? How long will it last? These are important considerations because of the high cost of hotel accommodations, restaurants etc., especially in major metropolitan areas like Manhattan. Don't forget, the vast majority of theremin enthusiasts are "on a budget". Not ready to address any specifics yet...

Don't expect to make a profit on your festival. You'll be lucky if you break even (unless you can persuade Justin Bieber to participate). Leave it to Bieber

Thanks again, Peter

Rob

Olivia Mattis, the driving force behind Portland, had to cancel her second attempt at launching a theremin festival because of lack of interest.

I think we might have a better shot near NYC given the sheer number of people... audience people, that is. I'm really thinking about getting an audience as well as having the theremin community come together...

Rob

While it may make us connoisseurs cringe,   it probably couldnt hurt to broaden the scope a bit- say include vintage/analog synths and other weird  electronic instruments.  Maybe even try to incorporate some DIY / homebrew stuff, etc- a la Makerfaire.

There are a lot of theremin fans out there who dont yet realize what a theremin is exactly.(heh I met some last night -"Thats a wha! OMG")  This would be a good way to lure them in. 

OSC(illator) Fest  

Not a bad idea Chobbs. I think, however, that including vintage/analog synths and all "weird electronic instruments" may be too broad a category. How about narrowing it to electronic continuous control/portamento instruments, like the theremin, the ondes, the continuum (which Schwim also plays exceptionally well), the theremincello, etc.

This might attract more people without swamping the event with an army of crazies!

Wadaya mean - a theremin event is an army of crazies. (The best sort of crazies, of course.)

I am certainly in favour of thereminists meeting in a wider musical context. And from what Lydia Kavina said at the last Hands Off, she feels so too. We can be a bit insular, and that's not good for development. 

I agree absolutely. The trick will be to expand the interest group without swamping it in a lot of unrelated activities (like "weird musical instruments"). Do you really want your theremin event to be inundated with, and possibly upstaged by, daxophones, fire organs and cristal baschets?

Yes.