It may take a village to raise a child, but in the case of John Tosco, it took a living room to raise a vibrant music community that's included The Avett Brothers, Rachel Platten and thousands of regional artists.
"That connection is exactly what we’re looking for — what I’m looking for — to share.”– John Tosco, founder of Tosco Music
Interview Highlights:
On the difficulty of being a parent and a professional musician:
When it was time to have a family, it was either going to be the rock-and-roll life or family life. It was hard to really do the two because I was gone so much, and rolling in when he was waking up — you know, that type of thing.
On why he started Tosco Music Parties:
It started probably with 10 or 15 people and it got to the point where it was so many you couldn’t fit in my living room. We had to find somebody else’s home that was bigger. But it was a very beautiful thing of coming together for the right reason. It was about just loving music, singing together and playing together.
So it was the opposite of what I was experiencing [while playing for a band] in Colorado. I was like, “Ah, this is it. This is what I want to do. I’ve got my day job of teaching, but when I play music it’s not a gig for me. It’s not a job. It’s just because I love it.’
On whether the Tosco Music vibe has changed with a growing audience:
It’s still very much a living room feeling, even with 1,200 people at the Knight Theater. It’s still very casual. We still do a bunch of sing-alongs. We do about a half-dozen sing-alongs at the Knight, and it doesn’t matter if you’re an amateur who is just starting out or if you’re a professional touring musician. It’s not about you. It’s about us sharing together.
What a show is like:
Each show has about 15-20 acts performing about one or two songs each. In each show, we will have a wide variety of music. When we put it together, it’s all about trying to bring as many different styles in one evening as possible. So, you’re like, “Wow, this is so much great talent, but also, so much diversity.”
Advice for people auditioning for a Tosco show:
The most common submission we get is the singer/songwriter, and the ones that stand out are not just the ones that are super talented, but the ones where — without sounding corny — you really see their heart coming through their music. You know, we’ve even had a teenager doing an original song that’s so heartfelt and it’s just, the emotion comes through.
On Tosco Music’s role in Charlotte music:
It’s really about those connections. [It’s about] bringing the musicians together, providing them a stage and a performance opportunity and helping them make connections with each other and with their audience.
Music featured in this #WFAEAmplifier chat:
The Beatles – “She Loves You”
James Brock & Eric Lovell (Tosco Music Party - April 7, 2018)
Jessica Borgnis - “Waitin’” (TMP - April 7, 2018)
Griffin House - “I Remember (It’s Happening Again”) (TMP - April 7, 2017)
Mark & Maggie O’Connor (TMP - April 7, 2018)
Shaun Hopper - “Come Together” (Beatles cover) (Tosco -Music Beatles Tribute - June 17, 2017)
The Avett Brothers - “Please Pardon Yourself” (TMP - January 22, 2005)
Griffin House - “Better Than Love” (TMP - April 7, 2018)
Adrian Crutchfield - “Can’t Let You Go” (TMP - February 3, 2018)
Mark Kroos - “Pedals Press the Floor” (TMP - February 3, 2018)
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