I am thrilled to share that I got accepted into the Sofar Sounds Artists' community following an application process I completed a few months ago!
To briefly describe what Sofar Sounds is all about, it is a global music community that connects artists and audiences through live music. Once accepted into Sofar, you get the opportunity to perform live music in various cities. What makes this so unique is that no one in the audience knows who will perform or where the performance will take place. The performers and location are revealed only 36 hours before the performance.
Plus, this gives me an incredible opportunity to perform not only in different cities of UK, but also all over the world, including Ireland, Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, etc. I have only recently joined this wonderful community of musicians, but I am already looking forward to seeing where it takes me. The fun thing about these live performances is that they happen in unusual venues, venues where you would never expect a performance to take place.
My first Sofar performance took place on January 6th, in Bristol, and it was also my first performance outside of London! I got a few pics from the performance, so please take a look at this interesting location where I had the opportunity to play some music!
As a performer, you have 20 minutes on stage, which is approximately 4-5 pieces/songs. When I have less time on stage, I try to present the kanklės in as many various ways as possible. This means that I am trying to showcase how diverse the repertoire can be.
The repertoire included folk, classical, jazz/blues, and soundtrack music. A diverse repertoire of musical pieces not only allows me to demonstrate the full potential of the instrument, but also demonstrates my expertise as a music performer.
Even though this was my first time performing with Sofar Sounds, I believe their audience is one of the most attentive I have had the pleasure of performing to. It is very rewarding (and slightly more scary) to perform in front of an audience that is genuinely interested in what you have to say about your music and your performance. You are valued as an artist.
Also, this trip from Bristol to London proved me that I am fully capable of carrying my instrument as well as all other necessary equipment (music stand, kanklės stand, sheet music...) to a completely different city haha! I must admit that it is not an easy task, but at least it means that I can perform outside of London (I do not drive!). It was an incredible experience to perform in a new city in England and then explore it afterwards. I hope to have more opportunities like this! :)
Do you think you would be interested in attending one of these concerts?
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