City Mulls Hosting Porchfest, A Citywide Festival of Porch Concerts

The next big idea for an arts event is brewing in Somerville. The is mulling over whether to introduce Porchfest, a house-by-house music festival where musicians perform on porches throughout the city. Think of it as open studios—very open and breezy studios—but for music.

The idea originated in Ithaca, New York, in 2007. While Ithaca musician Lesley Greene and her husband were playing music on their porch one day, they came up with the idea for a porch festival. That year more than three-dozen mini-concerts rang out from area porches, and Porchfest has become an annual tradition since.

Towns across the United States and Canada have since picked up the idea, and in Somerville, resident Nancy Goodman saw a good fit.

"I came across it on a Friend's Facebook page who lives in Ithaca and just thought that, with all the musicians in the area, that Somerville would be a great place for it. Plus we have porches," said Goodman. "We've done open studios for visual artists all these years and I thought this was something we could do for musicians."

Goodman sent the idea along to the Arts Council and they are running with it. On January 10 all are invited to a planning meeting to discuss logistics.

"We get a lot of great ideas, but they always want us to organize them. But what's really interesting about this is that, like , it's decentralized," said Arts Council Executive Director Gregory Jenkins. "We can structure it and provide advice and maps and help with City issues like permits and promotion. But in terms of actually making it happen, individual musicians will set it up."

The festival would be open to all musicians from children's groups to professionals and from classical to jazz, rock and pop. The audience would follow maps from house to house to take in the performances of their choice.

A way for neighbors to meet neighbors

Beyond entertaining audiences, the events tend to bring neighbors together not just for the concerts but during planning—because not everyone has a porch. Musicians sometimes need to borrow stoops, porches and driveways.

"I already talked to a neighbor of Gregory's who is my drumming teacher and he was interested but doesn't have a porch. But I have one, so I said come play on my porch," said Goodman.

Jenkins also likes the idea of holding an event that is open to all musical talents. 

"Porchfest seems like a way to have anyone that wants to play music just get on a porch and play music. It would be a celebration of music and playing and playing for the community," said Jenkins.

How to get involved

Many details have yet to be worked out. Interest level needs to be determined. A date would then need to be set, preferably during spring 2011. Details, such as how to keep porch concerts spread out to avoid sound bleed, need to be figured out. But that's what the planning meeting is for. All are invited to help out.

is on January 10 at 7 p.m. at the . Contact the Somerville Arts Council at www.somervilleartscouncil.org or 617.625.6600 ext. 2985.