Interview with Jon Law

Jon Law
Manager
Peterborough Concert Band

Band Manager Jon Law (Part 1)

As Manager, and to share some SCOOP, I asked Jon to tell us about logistical challenges … dealing with outdoor elements, parking issues, band members not attending at the last moment, etc? He replies … “If the gig is to be outside, we like to have an indoor alternative if possible. We obviously cannot play if it is too windy or raining. We need to be able to get our truck close to the stage. Moving all our percussion equipment any great distance is very challenging. We also need enough parking for our members. Members not attending at the last moment are a very rare thing for us; we have a sufficient member base to cover anything truly unexpected”. When we had arrived at the concert, it seemed well organized. The band was up in the Gazebo playing and the audience was spread out throughout the park in lawn chairs, on blankets with umbrellas for shade or under the trees at picnic tables. There didn’t seem to any challenges. I wondered if there ever were some of the challenges that the “audience” does not see. In addressing Jon’s concern about the challenges of “moving all our percussion equipment any great distance” … we did notice that the Peterborough Concert Band’s van was parked beside the Gazebo. Jon told me other challenges …“The biggest challenge is usually space and making sure the band is set up for the best sound for the audience. The second biggest is instrumentation. Not all our members can make every concert. Luckily we have a large percentage that plays more than one instrument”. The SCOOP here the Manager says is saying …“We have a few preset layouts for the band that we pick from depending on the space and its acoustics”. This tip might help other organizers or coordinators!
(To Be Continued)