DoylestownMusicScene.com - How It Started:

     About a year ago, after a personal trauma, I felt the need to escape. The local live music scene was just the ticket. Friday night we danced to Little Red Rooster at a venue new to us. Saturday we listened to the most incredible harmonica player and blues singer, Steve Guyger. While sharing tables we met some great folks, fellow music lovers.

     Within a month, as we continued to frequent free local live music venues, we lamented the fact that musicians with amazing talent, some of whom had toured the U.S. and Europe playing to large crowds, were now entertaining at venues with just handfuls of folks. How could the venue owners afford them? If people who liked these kinds of music knew that they could find them right here in Bucks County - often with no cover charge - surely they’d flock to the venues.

     After a plethora of such experiences my husband asked, “Why don’t you develop a website?” Not being techie, I initially demurred. Needing a focus, however, I decided to go for it.

     My vision was to list free music events in the Doylestown area for each day of the week. That way when I left work I could check my own web site via mobile phone to find out what was going on musically that night. How cool! And, yes, we’d eat dinner there too! This would be especially helpful because even I, who scoured printed media for live music, had previously often forgotten about things I’d really wanted to attend.

      That month the local branch of SCORE sponsored a free workshop on starting a business! What timing! Using their materials I developed a business plan, decided how much money I’d need, purchased a domain name, signed up with a webhost, paid for a fictitious name, chose a template, experimented, & made my own very basic business cards.

     Challenging as those activities were, the greatest challenge for this relative introvert and non-sales person was yet to come: approaching venue owners and managers to ask for their advertising business. Those I approached early on (& maybe those I approached recently) could attest to my awkwardness. They were gracious nevertheless, and some agreed to advertise.

   Meanwhile I made the site known by handing out cards at well-attended events and by becoming a sponsor of a local radio station.

     Now, nine months after launching the website, I find myself returning to the original vision: that of allowing folks (including me) to discover, with a click, info on who’s playing where & when each day at local venues.

     Let me know if this is what you want! Point out anything that needs updating. Refer your favorite venues to me! If you arrange for a venue, musician, or promoter to advertise their live music event(s) at this site, or for a music-related business to sponsor the site, there’s a nominal bonus for you! I’d love to have a more comprehensive listing for my own enjoyment and yours! Contact us @ info@doylestownmusic.com.