the ship yard
The Ship Yard brings emerging musicians to perform on The Alluvion stage to support a continued thriving live music scene in Northern Michigan. It provides participating musicians with industry connections, professional photography and video of their performance, and mentorship to support their career development.
upcoming ship yard events
The Ship Yard takes place on the first Tuesday of the month (October through May) with performances lasting from 5:30 (doors) to about 7:30 pm.
perform at The Ship Yard
There’s no cost to apply. Artists interested in performing in Ship Yard fill out a short application, which includes a video recording of two songs for our jury panel to review. Acts who are accepted are scheduled on a first-come first-served basis. Whether accepted or not, artists may reapply six months after their performance date, as long as they continue to meet the qualifications.
WHO CAN APPLY?
Both solo performers and bands may apply. To qualify, artists must meet a standard of being original, local, and emerging.
ORIGINAL: Artists must perform original live music or original reinterpretations of standards—not cover bands. DJ’s and other electronic artists are welcome to apply—be able to make the case your music is original.
LOCAL: At least half the musicians in the band must live at least half-time in the 10-county region around Traverse City.
EMERGING: This is a little trickier, but if this band (playing these songs, with mostly the same musicians) has played fewer than 20 shows for pay, you qualify.
WE’RE FLEXIBLE: if you feel like you don’t fit all these criteria 100%, but you still think you qualify, we definitely welcome a conversation about it.
What You Receive as a Participating Musician
The program supports two bands each show. Bands get 30 to 40 minute tech rehearsal and sound check, when they can also consult with our full staff. Each band is allotted a 30-minute performance slot. Alluvion staff and sound crew will be present for the show.
For emerging musicians, this program provides:
you get a high-quality audio and video recording (including files for later mastering) of your performance
a high-quality space to perform
a generous and attentive audience
lots of technical support
a $50 /musician stipend (capped at $250/band)
For audiences, this is a chance to discover our region’s up and coming talent, with performances by two new artists the first Tuesday of every month.
Beyond the Performance:
Beyond the application and performance, we ask Ship Yard acts to contribute in the following ways:
Promotion: help get the word out about the show—and the program—using your existing channels. More importantly, invite your friends, family, and fans to attend!
Professionalism: be on time, actively engaged, and ready to produce the best show you can.
Pay it forward: take some steps, from filling out a survey about your experience, to ongoing promotion, to joining the Open Stage Advisory Council, to help those following behind you have an even better experience than you did. Show up for future shows!
There’s no cost to apply. Fill out a short application and submit two songs (a phone recording is fine) for our jury panel to review.
Note: we use Slideroom as our application portal, which will require you create a free account. Slideroom is used by colleges, non-profits and arts institutions around the world to collect and process applications, so there’s a good chance you’ll use your account again later in your career. If for some reason this is a obstacle to your application, contact us and we can find an alternative.
questions?
If you’re interested in learning more about The Ship Yard, get in touch.