T E X A S    T E X T B O O K S
Aveda institute, Austin TX 9/15/2018 | Photo by @heatherbeephotography

THE ORIGINS OF MICROSESSIONS

Live music has been presented the same way for a few thousand years or so — OK, maybe there was a tiny wrinkle when Yes performed “in the round” on tour in 1978, which I caught just a few years before I was born.

“The Microsessions model is fun as hell. ”Kevin Curtin, The Austin Chronicle

But in this modern age, with so many demands on our time and attention, I thought there might be a way to make the experience a bit more, well, efficient. Everyone’s time is valuable, right? I felt it might be a good idea to cater to that notion.
“I left feeling amazing, like music still matters, like people still listen, like it’s an important job.”Raina Rose, Austin singer/songwriter

I came up with the idea for Microsessions after attending a house concert here in Austin back in 2015. I like the intimacy of house concerts, with their focused and passionate audiences, but I wanted to get more people in on the experience. And, to be perfectly honest, I didn’t want it to last as long.

As I walked out to my car at the end of the night, I thought “That was a big enough house — what if the artists performed in other rooms? Then more people could listen if you put them in groups and it was like high school, going from class to class…” Each act would perform simultaneously, so there wouldn’t be any standing around between sets.

“Paul Schomer is on to something…”Ray Prim, Austin Soulwriter

By the time I got home, the Microsessions format was born. There have been a few tweaks since then, but the general idea has remained the same.

UPCOMING SHOWS

Summer Hiatus
See you this fall!

Here’s how it works:

  • We start with three acts in three separate listening rooms at the same location
  • Each act plays three 15-minute sets in a row at the same time
  • At the end of each 15-minute set, the audience in each room moves as a group to the next room until everyone’s heard a set from all three acts
  • We finish with a longer fourth simultaneous set of 30-40 minutes where the audience groups break up and people get to create their own encore and listen to more of whoever they’d like

The whole event takes about two hours.

O B S O L E T E    M A C H I N E S
Aveda Institute, Austin, TX 9/15/2019 | Photo by Heather Mason @heatherbeephotography

THE STORY SO FAR

We started hosting Microsessions showcases in February 2016 in Austin. We’ve had a great run since then! In July 2018, we hosted our fourth Microsessions NYC showcase in Long Island City, Queens, in partnership with Spaceworks NYC and the Queens Council on the Arts. In September, we relocated to Complete Music Studios in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

Here’s a list of Microsessions musicians from Austin and New York!

In April 2016, Bose Professional began generously supporting Microsessions with the company’s incredible portable PA systems.

https://www.microsessions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/lil-bose.jpgBose Professional portable PA systems use proprietary technologies to provide best-in-class sound coverage and portability for nearly any performer or application. The unique designs feature higher vocal projection and clarity, stronger output levels over distance, and consistent coverage and tonal balance throughout the venue. Whether you are a solo musician, mobile DJ or a full band, Bose portable systems ensure that you provide the best sound to your audience.

 


We’re happy to have partnered with Showlist Austin, Austin’s straightforward guide to live music for the past 15 years. From local indie shows to worldwide tours, it can all be found on their easy-to-use list. Showlist Austin’s comprehensive coverage of unofficial SXSW parties has earned them a reputation as the go-to source for one of the most hectic live music weeks of the year.  

If anyone is dying to know more about ME… I worked for five years at the turn of this young century at NPR as senior producer for online cultural programming. I launched a web site for the network called NPRJazz.org and produced the first six episodes of All Songs Considered with long-time host Bob Boilen. I’ve also been a music reviewer on SiriusXM and spent the early 1990s as an assignment editor for the Reuters Washington bureau. I grew up near Glen Echo Amusement Park and Sycamore Island in Bethesda, MD, and graduated by the skin of my teeth from Bard College.


U N I G E N
Spaceworks NYC, 10/28/2017 | Photo by Greg Donahue