list special music events like open contests and auditions.
Hi everyone,
My name is KC Wilkerson. I moderate this group and openmics.us a free Chicago area open mic listing.
From 1989, to 1993, I published a monthly newsprint magazine called "The Pro-Am Guide". The centerfold listed all the Chicago area open mics I could find. Circulation was between 2500 and 5000 copies a month. Starting with 14 hard-found listings, reproduced on a single sheet of paper via xerox machine, the publication boasted 111 open mics by 1993. With the help of many local musicians it quickly grew to 16 pages of contributed articles and information. The pub was entirely paid for by local advertisers so that I could distribute it for FREE and provide valuable information to musicians and audiences alike. This was before the internet.
"No musicians were charged for anything in the making of the Pro Am Guide!" Even the cover features were free!
When I had to stop publication for financial reasons (the National economy started to decline) the list dropped back to 30 open mics within a few months. This showed me how important it is for musicians to have a sense of community. I encourage everyone to promote and attend open mic establishements so that, more and more, creative people can share their art and enrich us all, musicians and fans alike.
In 1994 I started posting my open mic list on the internet. The listings are always free: Open Mics U.S.