History/Concept
Launched in April 2009, First Friday was created as an effort to heighten public awareness of the original music scene in Wichita, put money into the pockets of local original musicians, provide venue owners with hard evidence that original music is a viable way of drawing people to their places of business, assist bands in promotion with large scale blanket promotions, heighten the standard of quality original music in Wichita, help attract touring bands to Wichita, and to dedicate one night out of every month to honor the local music scene.
Results of this concept:
From April - November 2009 (7 First Fridays), First Friday has brought over $13,000 directly into the pockets of local original musicians with roughly $750 going to regional/national acts & approxamately $4000 going to the organizers/promotors of the event. After the implimentation of FF there has been a shift in booking practices of many music venues. Many venues are now booking original acts and paying them more than the $150 First Friday Guarantee. Media outlets are beginning to pay more attention to Local Musicians and many bands have welcomed new people into their fan base with an opportunity to sell merchandise to demographics outside their usual supporters (that will attend shows outside the FF event) . Many times bands have gotten rebooked at the venue they played during First Friday, giving them higher pay and a slightly better chance of pursuing their musical goals. This was a good start, and it brought a better understanding of the delicate and complicated matter of how to improve and benefit our music community as a whole without compromising the integrity or success of individual artists. Attainment of community opinion coupled with ongoing efforts to obtain knowledge of the historical trends of the Wichita Music Scene and statistical data provide a strong base on how to improve the event to better serve the music community.
Whats Next:
Music. The only reason this event exists. All efforts will be focused on providing awesome shows, heightening awareness of awesome original music, spreading knowledge of the history of Wichita Music, assisting musicians in the development/growth of their fan base, and promoting bands that are playing these shows through existing FF media partnerships in an organized effort to raise money (through artist guaruntees, sponsorships, & donations) for musicians and other creative endeavors within the music and arts community while peaking public interest and expanding knowledge of Wichita music.
Beyond That:
That is up to the you, the community. Tell us what you would like to see. Numerous hours are spent every month organizing this event, let us know what we can do to shape it in the vision of the community. Musicians, music patrons, audio engineers, music promoters, scene gurus, and venue owners/managers are encouraged to get involved in shaping this event. Click the FAQ's page and post your idea.
