On the matter of Concerts..

        A treatise by Mercutio, Master Songsmith of Astaria

   To entertain.. To enthrall... To Perform... These are perhaps 
the noblest aspects of our Guild..  To all of us falls the most 
noble (and oft profitable) task of bringing light to an otherwise 
lackluster world..  The events that unfold about events that 
unfold about us are our brushes; the length and the breath 
of Astaria our canvass... And with these tools, we hold the 
ability to lighten the hearts and lives of those about us..

  But, as in any form of art, if we undertake the task without 
plan and without preparation - the resulting work will likely 
have less than the desired effect.  With this in mind, I submit 
the following guidelines for bardic concerts within the realm 
of Astaria:

1) Location - Where the concert occurs is as important as 
the pieces performed at it.. All official concerts are performed 
The Astarian Amphitheater... At the entrance to our guild.. 
Small concerts and events that are not guild wide (such as
individual bard concerts, or small group affairs) should take 
place outside the amphitheater.. The many taverns within the 
realm provide a wonderful place of gathering for such events - 
and their thematic elements can aid greatly to the feel and 
tenor of a production.. 

2) Advertise - The bard that is chosen to lead an event should 
advertise it on the Astarian adventurers board approximately 
one week ahead of the production.. Approximately 1-2 days 
before the event another advertisement should be placed on 
the adventurers board, reminding all of the place and time of 
the event.

3)The Production - A bard shall be chosen by the GM for 
each bardic concert if the GM so chooses.. To that bard 
shall fall the duties of organizing those who will perform at 
the event, advertising the event itself (as in section 2), and 
serving as a "Master of Ceremony" at the event itself (In the 
event of a smaller concert this may be ignored, it is a convention 
meant primarily for large guild events)..  All performers should 
gather at the location 1/2 an hour before the event is to take
place.. At this time the "MC" should form a party and invite all 
who are to perform to join it.. This will serve as a line of 
communication as the event proceeds..  The "MC" shall be 
as the Guildmaster until the event is finished, his/her word is 
law until the end of the show.   However, the Bard Guild 
Master is the only one who has the power to officially start 
and end concerts, imposing silence upon the crowd and 
enabling the crowd to donate to the performers.  So the GM 
must be present at every concert.

4) Rewards -  Monetary rewards shall be garnered from the 
crowd.. The audience is allowed to donate money to the 
performers, which is then automatically divided up between 
the performers equally when the GM ends the concert.  
Aside from the monetary rewards, one should take satisfaction 
that they are bring entertainment to their fellow adventurers.

     By following these guidelines, we can ensure that each and 
every production by  the Bards of Astaria is one to remember.. 
By working together - and by practicing our craft, we can both 
build a name for ourselves, have a great time, and fill our 
pockets in the process..  The money is there, the people wish
to be entertained.. 

Bring forth your instruments... Raise your voices in song..  
The peoples of Astaria await you....

Mercutio

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