WHO CAN ATTEND? Any female piano player who is career-minded and pursuing the music industry to hone and book a singing pianist show.  If you have any questions about this, please contact Susan Erwin Prowse susanerwinprowse@gmail.com

SUMMIT LOCATION:  Davenports Piano Bar & Cabaret - Chicago, IL

1383 North Milwaukee Avenue 
Chicago, IL 60622

Presenting Sponsor:  Howl at Sea by Howl at the Moon

Gold Sponsors:  
Big Red Dog Productions
Shake Rattle & Roll Pianos
Willy D's Rock & Roll Piano Bar
Dippner Entertainment Agency
The Entertainment Agency

Conference Schedule

DAY 1- Sunday Aug 7, 2022 

7:00p-10:00p - Welcome Party - Tack Room 
– Round Robin performing 
– Open to the public 

Day 2 – Monday, August 8, 2022 

10:00a-10:30a – Introductions – Susan Erwin Prowse, Desiree Irwin, Jen Porter

10:30a-11:00a – Welcome & History of Piano Bars 
Presenter: Susan Erwin Prowse 

11:00a – 12:00p - Health & Wellness
Vocal Health Presenter: Kimberly Kanitz
PANEL LEADERS: Laura Wiley, Phyllis Tilley (virtual), Anna McBryan
- Warm-ups and exercises
- Herbal help and things to stay away from
- Speech and support when singing and when talking
- Food and common issues like acid reflux
Supplemental Handouts Included 

Mindset and Mental Health: Kate LaRocque - counsellor/therapist 

The Secret to Magical Gigs by a Modern Mystic: Desiree Irwin 

Supplemental Handouts Included 

12:00p – 12:30p – Lunch provided by Pat George: The Entertainment Agency

12:30p – 1:30p - Equipment for Dueling, Solo and Bands
PANEL LEADERS: Katy Marquardt, Jen Porter, Susan Erwin Prowse
- Keyboards & Microphones
- Drum Machines & Loop Stations
- PA & Mixing 

1:45p-2:30p – Comedy: Calldowns, bits, timing & more “What Works & Why by Bill Larkin 

2:30p-4:00p - Comedy & Variations of The Show
Sharing ideas, bits, calldowns, what works, what doesn’t work in various regions of the U.S.
Bill Larkin MidWest, Mark Weiser East Coast

NIGHT ACTIVITY- Dueling Pianos at Sluggers after the home Cubs game in Wrigleyville.
Starts right after the game ends; usually between 9 and 10pm. 
3540 N. Clark Street, Chicago 

Day 3 – Tuesday, August 9, 2022 

10:00a – 11:00a - Booking Gigs & What Agents Look For
PANEL LEADERS: Tammy Tanner, Desiree Irwin, Elijah Gee, Pat George, Katie Pinder Brown, Kim Maverick, Mark Weiser
- What are agents looking for
- List of gigs and tools to get the job
- What do you need to apply/work
Supplemental Resource: Venue List (available on FB Female Dueler Group) 

11:15a-11:30p – Phyllis Tilley, Voice Health

11:55p - 1:00p Surviving the Road & Business Tools
PANEL LEADERS:  Tammy Tanner, Jen Porter, Desiree Irwin, Laura Wiley
- Travel Insurance 
- Booking travel, packing, passports, work permits 
- Europe versus islands versus US 
- Covid restrictions 

1:00p-1:30p - Lunch provided by Chi Not Shy Girls: Jen Porter, Kaleen Dolan, Elisa Carlson

1:45p - 2:45p – EPK & Getting the Gig
By Susan Erwin Prowse
- How to create an EPK 

3:00p Comedy & TikTok  
Presenter: Sarah Hester Ross  (Virtual)  
- Harnessing social media  
- Maintaining connection with fans

NIGHT ACTIVITY- Redhead Piano Bar - Ladies Night 
Two of our female colleagues – Rachel Brumfield and Jill Goldberg - will be playing all night so let’s go support!   
16 W. Ontario Street, Chicago 

Day 4 – Wednesday, August 10, 2022 

10:00a-11:00a – Dueling, Solo, Corporate/Private – Ready for any gig
PANEL LEADERS: Elisa Carlson, Kaleen Dolan, Jen Porter, Desiree Irwin, Susan Erwin Prowse
- Training players
- Differences between audiences with these different gigs
- Crowd work differences
- Repertoire/pacing
- Song Lists
- Finding specialty moments in your show that aren’t traditional bits, calldowns, etc. in the moment
- Harmonies, Instruments, and Adapting to any show.

11:00a-12:00p – Online Streaming & Virtual Gigging
PANEL LEADERS: Laura Wiley, Jen Porter, Susan Erwin Prowse
- Twitch, Zoom, YouTube, IG
- Equipment specific to streaming
- How to do it and how to make it lucrative
- Second half more technical setup info: streaming software, techniques, hardware 

12:00p-12:30p Lunch provided by Tammy Tanner and Monica Happysun, Dippner Entertainment Agency AS Norway 

12:30p-2:00p – Words from Wise Women (Veteran Piano Ladies)
PANEL LEADERS: Henrietta Lee Boggs, Tammy Tanner, Daina De Prez, Elisa Carlson, Desiree Irwin, Susan Erwin Prowse, Jen Porter
- Recorded Interview with Jennifer Lane
Vet status is defined by working 15+ years as a professional musician 

2:00p – 5:00p - Headshots w Jennifer Knuth (Offsite at Jennifer’s Studio) 
Jennifer is offering a discounted mini-headshot session, so please talk to her if you are interested!  She will be at Tack Room Sunday and at some of the conference events as well. 

NIGHT ACTIVITY - Howl at the Moon Dueling Pianos 
The national flagship club 
26 W Hubbard St, Chicago 

~End of 2022 Summit~

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Thursday, August 11, 2022   **Attendees flying home**

Feel free to reach out to Mike Potts, who has offered to do video promos for your press kits.

TRAVEL & LODGING

Airport Identifier:  ORD or MWD. They are both equidistant.

Lodging & Hotel Recommendations

We are in Wicker Park and the nearest hotel is Hyatt Place Chicago / Wicker Park. There are other hotels nearby, just search the address below and include Wicker Park.

Feel free to get together and Airbnb.  Make sure you are close to the venue - Davenports, Chicago, IL located at:
1383 North Milwaukee Avenue 
Chicago, IL 60622

Public Transit Directions to Hyatt Place - Wicker Park - 1551 W. North Avenue, Chicago  
FROM O'HARE AIRPORT 
From baggage claim, follow signs for “CTA to City or Train to the Loop.”    
Purchase a daily pass (or multiple days). This pass will work on all forms of CTA (buses & trains) for 24 hours upon activation.  You can also purchase a 3-day or 7-day pass as well.  
Take CTA Blue Line train (only choice at O’Hare) towards the city.    
Get off in around 40 minutes at the Damen Ave. stop.    
You are on Damen Ave. and North Ave. (Milwaukee is the intersecting diagonal street. Davenport’s, the conference venue, is just south on Milwaukee Ave, for reference).    
The Hyatt Place Wicker Park is .5 miles east on North Ave at Ashland.  
You could walk east on North Ave, or take the North Ave. CTA bus (towards Navy Pier to go east on North Ave.) 

FROM MIDWAY AIRPORT  
Follow signs for “CTA to the Loop or Train to the City”.    
Purchase a daily pass (or multiple days). This pass will work on all forms of CTA (buses & trains) for 24 hours upon activation.  You can also purchase a 3-day or 7-day pass as well.   
Take CTA Orange Line train (only choice at Midway) towards the Loop. 
Get off at Clark & Lake and transfer (downstairs) to Blue Line towards O'Hare. 
Take Blue Line towards O'Hare to Damen Avenue Stop. 
You are on Damen Ave. and North Ave. (Milwaukee is the intersecting diagonal street. Davenport’s, the conference venue, is just south on Milwaukee Ave, for reference).     
The Hyatt Place Wicker Park is .5 miles east on North Ave at Ashland.   
You could walk east on North Ave, or take the North Ave. CTA bus (towards Navy Pier to go east on North Ave.)

 

Questions?  Email Jen Porter: jen@jenporter.com. Jen has lived in this neighborhood for over 20 years.