The hills are alive with the sound of music. And it’s a beautiful thing, thanks to Groupmuse and its founder, the intriguingly-named (more on that in a moment) Heavy Meadow.
Groupmuse is an international organization that pairs home owners and musicians where a homeowner can host an event on their porch, deck, backyard or living room, and Groupmuse will supply outstanding musicians to entertain their friends and the broader community.
Mister Meadow founded Groupmuse in 2012 in Boston, where he grew up. He has lived in Topanga for a year and fits in perfectly with our Bohemian ethos. I met him at a concert hosted in Topanga by Clark Brown and Robert Scheps in their stunning garden. This was their third time hosting a Groupmuse event. It was a pick-up band with no name but excellent musicians, put together for the night by a terrific keyboard player and musical director, Max Berlin.
Host Clark Brown said, “It’s an amazing experience to have live music in your home. I am in love with jazz in particular. It’s a great way to share love of music, build community in Topanga, and share the beauty of Topanga with other music lovers. There are many great backyards or living rooms in Topanga — all great for a concert.
“Topanga has a rich music history, particularly from the 60s on. And we are blessed with the anchor music venues of Corazón, the Community House and Canyon Bistro. So I like to add little special events like Groupmuse to our treasured music scene. And it allows young L.A. musicians with deep conservatory backgrounds to play standards from the American Songbook, and try out new jazz compositions of their own. Both the audience and musicians of Topanga are very savvy and appreciative.”
I had such a great time at Clark and Robert’s event that I went to another, smaller porch concert in Topanga two days later, hosted by Melissa Sunshine and featuring the extraordinary virtuoso vibraphone player, Jake Chapman. Both evenings were absolutely wonderful. Great music and a chance to meet and mingle with new people.
Heavy explains how a Groupmuse concert works. “A Groupmuse is a classical, jazz or roots music gathering in a living room, on a porch, backyard or forest, wherever people may gather. Wherever musicians may tote their instruments, you can have a Groupmuse.
Vibe player Jake Chapman has 274,000 Instagram followers @chappymilkshake.
“The purpose of Groupmuse is to build beloved community around this wholesome musical community. But it’s also about generational reverence — maintaining the long song. At Groupmuse we have a commitment to music that connects us to our past. First and foremost, it’s about community building as much as it’s about celebrating the musical tradition.”
Attendees reserve a place at a concert on groupmuse.com (a user-friendly website) for $5, then the address is given the day before the event. “The five dollars doesn’t cover our expenses, but it makes a dent,” said Heavy. “Most of our revenue comes from partnerships with major institutions. We work with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Ballet. They give us stacks of tickets to shows that are undersold and then we sell them to our crowd at a discounted rate, and they pay us in kind to bring this crowd of largely new and enthusiastic listeners.”
A pot is handed around during the intermission of the concert and the musicians receive everything collected. At least $20 per audience member is recommended. If you don’t have the ready cash, you can pay the musician via the website.
“We don’t use the word ‘donation’ and we don’t use the word ‘tip’ because we don’t want it to sound voluntary. But at the same time, we’re not shaking people upside down, saying: if you don’t give, you have to go.”
Anyone and everyone can host. There is no money paid to the host. Attendees bring their own drinks, chairs and blankets. The host isn’t expected to supply any food or drink, just use of their bathroom. The bulk of Heavy’s responsibilities is going to Groupmuse events, spreading the word, and trying to recruit the next generation of hosts. “We can have 10, 50 or more people at Groupmuses. We believe that this sort of musical gathering should be part of our weekly lives.
“It’s a portable ritual in a format that makes people feel comfortable about the idea of hosting a musical performance in their home. Most of the time, people haven’t considered that their spaces are potential venues, but actually this is where music began. It began around the hearth and the fire. The one with Jake Chapman is considered a porch concert, whereas the bigger one Clark and Robert hosted is more of a backyard terrace. A magnificent one, at that.”
The standard of music is always high, whether it’s a solo performer, trio, band or orchestra. “Unless the musicians are personally known to an organizer like myself, we ask everyone who wants to perform to submit links to YouTube performances so we can see they are serious, professional, or conservatory trained.” Last October, Groupmuse organized its 10,000th concert.
Right then: Heavy Meadow. A magnificent name, but what’s the story?
“I was messing around with my buddy, who was making Mexican fondue, and he was telling me that in Mexico you layer on the cheese. I said ‘Deep Cheese. That should be your performer name.’ And he said, ‘Yours should be Deep Meadow.’ I said, ‘No. My name should be Heavy Meadow’ making a pun on Heavy Metal. When I started Groupmuse, I was not a musician. But some years into it, I found my own creative path and started writing songs. Having something to call this new self felt like a good idea,” said Heavy, also known as Sam Bodkin.
Speaking of names, if I was the manager of the amazing vibes player, Jake Chapman, I would have strongly advised not to have @chappymilkshake as his Instagram username. But what do I know? He has 274,000 followers. In his introduction, Heavy said that Jake would blow our minds. And he did.
If you would like to host a musical gathering at your home, play at one, attend one, or find more information, go to groupmuse.com.
@groupmuse
@chappymilkshake
@themaxberlin
