FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions we get a lot, and some others we think you might be wondering about. Thanks for visiting our site and wanting to know more!
Q: How much money does it cost to put on your concert series?
Q: Whoa … $2000? How do you operate on such a low budget?
Q: Is the School’s Out Summer Concert Series a non-profit?
Q: Is my donation tax-deductible?
Q: I’m a musician/in a band. Is it hard for me to get a show in your series?
Q: I probably need a nice demo, or a record deal to get a show don’t I?
Q: I’m in a punk, metal, or hip-hop band – can I get a show?
Q: Who are those two weirdos who stand behind the mixing board?
Q: How much money does it cost to put on your concert series?
A: We’ve only had 2 seasons so far, but the short answer is about $2000. The long answer is it cost about $1000 the first year, and we’re looking to increase our budget next year, by getting more donations and sponsorship.
Q: Whoa … $2000? How do you operate on such a low budget?
A: Yes, $2000 is a very [very very] low budget for a free outdoor concert series. How do we do it? Trade secret. Just kidding. The key word in the whole thing is volunteering. 1) We do not pay a single staff member or officer. That includes everyone from the Director/President to the people selling water. Everyone volunteers and we plan on keeping it that way. 2) We don’t pay bands. That’s not entirely true – we have given a couple people gas money if they were coming from a long way away, or were on tour. That’s it though, our performers are volunteers too – they are playing because they love to play, and because they know the Plymouth Waterfront is an amazing place to get exposure. Any money we give to a performer is for travel, which is a vital part of fueling the independent music industry….no pun intended.
Q: Is the School’s Out Summer Concert Series a non-profit?
A: Yes. We are a Massachusetts-incorporated non-profit corporation: School’s Out Summer Concert Series, Inc. We’re working on IRS tax-exempt charity status (see below) at the moment, which costs a good chunk of change to file for. Every cent of money donated goes right back into making the concert series great.
Q: Is my donation tax-deductible?
A: Simple question, with a slightly complicated answer. We are incorporated as a non-profit corporation in MA, but we are currently filing our 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt status papers, so we aren’t quite yet a tax-exempt charity in the eyes of the IRS (it costs a lot of money to file these things, ironically). The long-and-short of it is, you might be able to write off a donation you make on the state tax level, and soon the federal tax level. We just have to get a little money together and file the paperwork. This will be happening by December ‘09, so check back for updates.
Q: How did you guys get to put on concerts at those two awesome venues (the main stage and Hedge House)?
A: As far as the Hedge House goes, it was really pretty simple and lucky: Donna Curtin runs the Plymouth Antiquarian Society, which owns the Hedge House – we pitched the idea to Donna, and because the PAS are very nice people, they let us do it. And that’s about it. The main stage is a little trickier: We had to get permits from the town and MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, as well as liability insurance (our least favorite part of the budget). And no, we don’t have any family in any of these places – it’s all about working hard, being nice, being professional, and most importantly, being grateful.
Q: What exactly is the association between the School’s Out Summer Concert Series and Brewster Productions?
A: Officially, Brewster Productions (owned & operated by Scott McEwen) manages and is the primary sponsor of the concert series, since the series is its own separate corporate entity. The same people founded both organizations.
Q: I’m a musician/in a band. Is it hard for me to get a show in your series?
A: As luck would have it, we started this concert series for this exact reason: To make it easier to get a show on the Plymouth Waterfront. So, no, it’s not hard to get a show, and it’s likely that we’d love to have you play. Our only real conditions have to do with the fact that the shows are open, public and family friendly. To get booked, of course the earlier you contact us the better – just email or Myspace message us. Read more here: For Bands.
Q: I probably need a nice demo, or a record deal to get a show don’t I?
A: No way, man. Again, this is why we started Brewster Productions and the concert series. This is all you need: Some way for us to hear your band. It really doesn’t matter – it can be a YouTube video, the crappy audio off a video camera, or even just an invitation to see you play. Just figure out a way for us to hear you, and that’s all you need for a chance to play. One thing we do recommend is getting a MySpace page – it’s free and easy, and everyone should have one.
Q: I really want to play, but I just play violin, or piano, or didgeridoo… you know, something other than an acoustic guitar. Do you guys have performers other than bands and singer/guitarists?
A: We haven’t yet, but we’d love to! We have had a music school orchestra from Iceland play, which was amazing, but we have yet to feature a solo classical/other instrumentalist. We’d absolutely love to though – so if you fit that description, let us know. We have had piano/singers before – you just have to have an electric keyboard, or piano movers or something. Bottom line: We’re very open.
Q: I’m in a punk, metal, or hip-hop band – can I get a show?
A: Yes. Just as every other genre of music we put up on the stage, it’s all about self-censorship. Anyone who can play their music with non-vulgar lyrics is will be considered equally. We’ve had punk and metal bands before, and they were awesome.
Q: Who are those two weirdos who stand behind the mixing board?
A: Those weirdos are Scott and Jon, who along with Harry, founded the concert series. Scott is the keeper of all the equipment, and the sound engineer. He knows everything that needs to be known on the day of the show. Jon usually fine-tunes the front-of-house mix during the show and manages the stage He also handles PR, business, and promotions. The 3 rad dudes who run this operation have been best friends since they met on the Plymouth South High School cross country team in 2002.
