For Performers
Our Music Committee will begin work in early October on our 2012 lineup. When the complete lineup is set - probably in mid-February, we will email all our submitted artists about the selection and how to be considered for the following year. If you should receive that message and don't, we apologize and would welcome the opportunity to re-check the your email address on our list.
In the meantime, if you're a performer or agent who's interested in being booked for the 2012 Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival, you may send your promotional material at any time to:
The Hiawatha Music Co-op
PO Box 414
Marquette MI 49855
Our 2012 Festival dates are expected to be July 20-22, 2012.
If you sent a promotional packet for 2011, we'll be glad to roll it up to our 2012 file. Please let us know at info@hiawathamusic.org.
You may also submit an electronic press kit, but please understand that, in this somewhat remote area, some music-committee members have only dial-up, and the group very much appreciates CDs and hard copies of artists' material. Plus, they just like to listen to things as a group when they meet.
We understand the cost and effort involved in sending hard copies, so you'd be welcome to send an EPK first and follow up with hard copies if contacted by our Music Committee.
We do our best to notify all applicants when selections are made, but please feel welcome to check with us any time at 906-226-8575, info@hiawathamusic.org. Our regular office hours are noon to 6 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We check our voicemail and email throughout the week.
Thanks again to everyone for the interest in our event! Each year we receive many, many wonderful submissions. That makes our music committee's job very difficult, and they take it - and your submissions - quite seriously. Thanks to all of you who create and promote so much good music!
More information about performing at our Festival
Each festival begins with a Friday Night Get-Acquainted Dance, usually featuring three of our mainstage bands, with each playing about 90 minutes.
Our mainstage performances begin around noon on Saturday and Sunday and continue til midnight Saturday and 10 p.m. Sunday.
The mainstage performances are approximately one hour long. In addition, we expect artists to participate in workshops on performance days. The workshops are shared sessions and usually include local musicians. Typically, there will be a fiddle workshop with several volunteer and main stage artists in the group. Often we feature other sessions about banjo, guitar, songwriting, harmony singing, percussion or storytelling as well.
Marquette is located on Lake Superior, and the Festival takes place at the city-owned Tourist Park on the north edge of town.
Food: At the Festival we have a Performer's Food Tent, where folks can find meals at no cost, as well as water and coffee on hand between meals. The main stage is located next to the food tent, and there is a small dressing room at the rear of the stage.
Lodging: We provide housing for performers at homes in our community. This housing is free. Typically, the homeowners camp at the Festival, so the artists can enjoy a bit of privacy. Performers may also camp free at our Festival.
We do not pay for performer housing in hotels, motels, etc., although we can usually arrange special prices for Hiawatha artists who elect to book their own paid lodging.
Travel: We do not pay performers' travel expenses as a separate item. We have nice regional airport about 18 miles from our Festival site. Our hospitality volunteers can transport performers to and from the airport. Our airline connections are somewhat limited, so performers who fly to Marquette should plan to do so the day before their scheduled Festival performances.
Merchandise sales: The Festival manages a Merchandise Tent where we sell CDs, t-shirts, mugs, and other dry goods. The tent is open from 9 a.m. to after 11 p.m., during the Festival. To make this service possible, we charge a 10-percent fee from the sales of each artist.
Other traditional-music presenters: If you'd like to seek other performances in this area, please click here for a printable list of other traditional-music venues and events in the upper Midwest.
