Booking
Phyllis enjoys sharing her creative work with the public while at the same time drawing attention to some of her deepest humanitarian concerns. When performing her original music in concert, she is gratified when the audience seems moved, even inspired to act; the same when she speaks candidly about her experiences living voluntarily on the streets of Columbus, Ohio.Phyllis carefully limits the number of musical performances and speaking engagements on her calendar, reserving ample time for her personal life and her creative work. She will consider bookings within a couple hours' drive of her home in Brookings, South Dakota. As her schedule allows she will also consider appearances beyond that limited area so long as her travel expenses would be paid and, if necessary, overnight accommodations provided.
Publicity Materials
To help promote the success of your event, Phyllis makes the following publicity materials (PDF and JPG files) available at no charge. Just contact Phyllis to request what you need:
- Press bio
- High resolution general publicity photo (black and white or color)
- High resolution musical performance photo (black and white or color)
- Sample Child of All Earth concert program
- Sample press release
- 8.5" x 14" poster (full-color, concerts only)
- 8.5" x 11" poster (black and white or full-color, concerts only)
- Interviews on request
Musical Performances
Booking Phyllis for a musical performance probably isn't as difficult or as expensive as you might think. She typically performs one of the following:
Whichever type of performance you arrange, Phyllis will offer her music in the same way she composes, with great respect and deep emotion. She wants each concert to be an open space in which everyone present might be touched, challenged, inspired, healed. To her, music has that sort of power. In a single instant it can change a life. It can even help change the world.
What's a "Phyllis Cole-Dai piano concert" like?
No glitz. No glamour. It's all about the music. It's about keeping things simple, and going deep. It's about meeting you, being with you, somewhere in the air between her piano bench and your chair.
A concert by Phyllis typically runs 1-1/2 hours without intermission. She performs only her own original work. There's always a warm rapport between her and an audience; they trust her to take them where the music leads, and she trusts them to come along.
House Concerts
Popping up all over North America in increasing numbers, house concerts are usually private,"by invitation only" events involving a small audience of 15-50 people. An event's host is not trying to make money but is simply presenting a couple hours of good music and fellowship for some friends or members of the community. Sometimes the host asks audience members to pay for the pleasure (say, $10 or $15 per person, collected in advance or at the door). Other times the host will generously provide the entertainment out of pocket. The host pays the performer a specified amount (plus travel), either up front or after taking payment from the audience members at the event. (The host makes up any difference between the specified fee and those receipts.) The concert is almost always given indoors, with no sound system. Quite often refreshments are provided by the host or potluck dishes brought by the listeners.
What do you need to put on a house concert with Phyllis as the featured performer? A love of piano music. A decent piano for Phyllis to play. A space for her to play in. And a few people to come listen!
House too small? No piano? Well, maybe there's a community center, house of worship, music store, small auditorium, or recital hall in your neighborhood that would be a great spot for a cultural event. Check around. Concerts held in private homes and small public places are incredibly satisfying for everyone involved. Sometimes they're even life-changing, for audience and artist alike. And such concerts can open a wonderful new way for people to relate to music, to art, and to the world.
If you would like to host a house concert, please consult the "Fees & Requirements for Musical Performances" section below, then contact Phyllis.
Traditional Concerts
Phyllis will consider performing public concerts in auditoriums, church sanctuaries and other traditional venues within two hours' drive of her home in Brookings, South Dakota. More rarely, she will present public concerts in other states. For more information please see the "Fees & Requirements for Musical Performances" section below or contact Phyllis.
Multimedia Concerts
During a multimedia concert Phyllis performs solo piano as photographic montages that she has created to accompany her music are being projected on a large screen for the audience. This type of concert is intended as a richly contemplative experience, uniting ear and eye.
Phyllis currently has one multimedia concert available for booking. Called "Child of All Earth," it is a humanitarian concert, 1-1/2 hours long, deploring the violence of war and celebrating the human desire for, and humanity's work toward, peace.
To host a multimedia concert, you would need to provide those things listed under "Fees & Requirements for Musical Performances". In addition, you would be responsible for supplying:
- A quality LCD projector, appropriate for your venue
- A large screen or bare wall, easily seen by an audience, on which to project the visual images
- Lighting control (or darkness) in the venue so that the montages can be clearly seen
- A good sound system
If you're interested in possibly hosting a multimedia event, you may obtain a DVD sampler of the concert and/or a PDF file of the printed program. For more information please contact Phyllis.
Special Events
Phyllis sometimes performs at special events in and beyond South Dakota, such as charitable benefits or workshops, and she often performs in connection with her speaking engagements. (She generally does not perform at weddings, receptions and other such social events, though sometimes she makes exceptions.) Her fee for performing at special events varies, depending on event type, size, location and so on. Please contact Phyllis with an offer you can joyfully afford. Whether you have a big budget for a guest appearance or can only promise a freewill offering, she would be happy to visit with you.
Fees & Requirements for Musical Performances
Performance fee. While Phyllis doesn't perform primarily for financial reward, she does ask to be paid a reasonable fee to cover the costs of creating and performing her work, so that she may continue sharing her music while also contributing to her family's income. Listed here are her basic performance fees per event type (please note that travel expenses aren't included):
- Performance connected to speaking engagement: varies; if brief, free of charge. (See "Fees & Requirements for Speaking Engagements" below.)
- Receptions and such: $100 per hour.
- Special event: varies with the specific circumstances, such as location, size, and so on.
- House concert: $300.
- Traditional or multimedia concert: $300 or 50% of the gross receipts from tickets sales, whichever is greater. For example, if 20 tickets are sold at $10 each, grossing $200, Phyllis would be paid $300. If, on the other hand, 100 tickets are sold at $10 each, grossing $1000, Phyllis would be paid $500.
Fully sponsored concert: a special fee would be negotiated for a public event where, due to the generosity of sponsors, admission would be free.
Phyllis' performance fee (as well as any travel expenses) could easily be offset by ticket sales or by event sponsorship.
Travel expenses. If your concert is to be held in or very near Brookings, South Dakota, you needn't worry about any travel expenses. Beyond that limited area, travel must be paid in addition to the performance fee. Phyllis will travel anywhere within North America to play a concert so long as her transportation and lodging are covered or provided. If you don't think you can afford to cover her travel expenses, contact Phyllis anyway. You never know what might be possible. For example, she might be able to stay with one of her friends or relatives in your area, thereby reducing your costs, or you might be able to split your costs with another concert venue nearby.
Scheduling. Because Phyllis carefully limits her public appearances, please contact her about a possible booking well in advance of your desired date. A lead time of at least three to four months would be helpful.
Piano. Phyllis is willing to play any piano that is in good working condition (all the keys play, all the pedals work, and it's in tune).
Original music. Phyllis's primary reason for performing is to share her own compositions. Therefore she performs only original material.
CD and book sales. Phyllis asks for the opportunity to sell her CDs and books at all events. For this purpose she will need a table and helpful assistant. She would be only too happy to mingle with audience members after the performance, selling and signing her work.
Food drive. Phyllis always suggests that a food drive for a local community food bank be held in connection with her concerts.
Speaking Engagements
For forty-seven days in 1999, Phyllis and her friend James Murray lived voluntarily on the streets of Columbus, Ohio, the nation's fifteenth largest city and their home at the time. They didn't go out on the streets to satisfy idle curiosity or experience a strange new world. They didn't go out to save anyone or fix anything. They went out for one primary reason: to be as present as possible to every person they met. Doing so, they were reminded just how difficult the practice of compassion can be.
After recovering from their time on the streets, Phyllis and James co-authored The Emptiness of Our Hands, a powerful (for some readers, "life-changing") chronicle of their experiences. Over the years thousands of copies of this book have been sold and a portion of the proceeds returned to programs benefiting homeless persons in Columbus. And Phyllis and James, who have spoken to countless religious and civic organizations, professional conferences, school classes, workshop audiences and other groups around the country, continue to receive regular booking requests, these many years later.
Fees & Requirements for Speaking Engagements
If you're interested in having Phyllis speak to your organization or at your event about her time on the streets, please contact her. (She can also put you in touch with James.) Your request will be considered regardless of your event's location.
Fees and expenses. Phyllis asks for a basic appearance fee (determined in consultation with the hosting group) as well as transportation and (if necessary) lodging. If you don't think you can afford to cover her travel, contact her anyway. You never know what might be possible. For example, she might be able to stay with one of her friends or relatives in your area, thereby reducing costs.
Scheduling. Because Phyllis carefully limits her public appearances, please contact her about a possible booking well in advance of your desired date. A lead time of at least several months would be helpful.
Visual presentation option. Phyllis is comfortable speaking with or without an accompanying visual presentation. Just let her know your preference. Please note that if you request this option, you would be responsible for providing an LCD projector appropriate to your venue and either a large screen or bare wall, easily viewed by an audience, on which to project the program.
Piano performance option. If you'd like, Phyllis could perform some of her original piano music in connection with her speaking engagement at no extra fee. Please note that the piano at your venue should be in good working condition (all the keys play, all the pedals work, and it's in tune).
Book and CD sales. Phyllis asks for the opportunity to sell her books and CDs at all events. For this purpose she will need a table and helpful assistant. She would be only too happy to mingle with your event's participants after her speech, selling and signing her work.
Food drive. When appropriate for your event, Phyllis would suggest holding a food drive for a local community food bank in connection with her appearance.
Please contact Phyllis soon regarding a possible musical performance or speaking engagement. If you don't receive a reply from her within a couple of days, please call her at (605) 692-7001, as your e-mail message (or hers) might have gotten caught in a spam filter.