A New England Music Venue

Live Music Policy

As we make decisions about the Wintonbury Coffeehouse, we recognize that there's nothing immoral about accompaniment tapes, drum machines and preprogrammed synth tracks. However, we do believe that they aren't appropriate in this setting, and that all-live accompaniment will best further the coffeehouse's goals. As many performers rely on non-live accompaniment, this decision is one we need to explain.

• Negative audience reactions. The reaction of some people to hearing taped or preprogrammed tracks is that they came out to hear a performance, not a recording. Some even assume (wrongly, we believe) that people who sing to tapes are lazy. Musicians in the audience may feel vaguely resentful of the use of a machine in place of a real musician. And those who have played music with other people are very aware, listening to a group using a drum machine or preprogrammed synth tracks, that the band members are following the machine rather than following each other. Musicians who use non-live forms of accompaniment may not be aware of these possible reactions from the audience, because few people express them to the performers themselves.
• Flexibility. The use of preprogrammed accompaniment limits spontaneity, which in turn makes it hard for a musician to be responsive to the audience. It can be awkward (even impossible) for a performer to change song order, extend or shorten a song, change its mood or tempo, or include a song that wasn't originally planned. This is especially limiting in the case of accompaniment tapes, which are created for a generic setting and audience. A tape will always have the same mood and tempo, whether it's played at a wedding, a church service, a coffeehouse, or a picnic, and it can't sound appropriate on all occasions.
• How much accompaniment is enough? Some performers feel that their songs sound too thin without the orchestral accompaniment of a tape, or the addition of a drum machine to the band. We believe they are overlooking the way the dynamics of a live performance before an audience can fill out a song. Often a single guitar or keyboard is all the accompaniment that a song needs in a live setting, even though it sounds bare in rehearsal or in the studio. And a band without a drummer can look for ways other than a drum machine to give their songs more rhythm and energy. They may also consider adding a drummer to the band.
• What's real here? Christian performers face the perception of many unbelievers that Christians are phonies, and they need to convince a skeptical audience that they are for real. Unfortunately, when the audience hears an instrument that no one is playing, or an orchestra that isn't there, a sense of artificiality can permeate the whole performance. The natural thing for the audience to do is to wonder what's real and what isn't about the music that they're hearing - and the people who are presenting it.
• Advantages of live music. Some thoughts on the positive side: With live accompaniment there is a sense of intimacy and immediacy. The performance you are hearing is being created just for you, and will never be done exactly this way again. The musicians are able to adapt their program to the needs and mood of this particular audience. Everyone knows that they care enough about their music and those who will listen to it to rehearse together and to present the best performance they can. What a positive message that sends to the audience!