Rhythms of Woodstock
Besides our normal lineup of great musicians, we are happy to have with us one of the Corner Boys. Don’t miss it, it promises to be another great night of live music! See you there!
4/10/21 Group Photo:
4/3/21 Group Photo:
3/27/21 Group Photo:
3/20/21 Group Photo:
3/13/21 Group photo:
2/27/21 Group photo:
1/29/21 Group Photo
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Off Square Music “Every Saturday” Open Mic this Saturday. Doors open at 6:30 pm. This week’s performers are:
Andy Andrick Paul ‘Barney’ Barnicle Norm Siegel Les Urban Cheryl Niemo Randy Anderson
Sounds like another great line-up. See you there!
Just in case you missed it, click this link to listen! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6Afym9PR0VCi9gMgRb64KrWo7tAGQqp3
Doors open at 6:30 pm – Come on in, get settled, and visit with your friends. You can also use this time to locate your Mic control, Gallery/Speaker View switch, and (Text) Chat button. Once the music begins, the host will mute all microphones. The host will still be available by text chat, as will your fellow listeners and performers. Music begins at 7:00.
How to receive an invitation to join: If you are already on the Off Square Music Open Mic mailing list, you don’t have to do anything. If you would like to be added to that mailing list, please send an email via offsquaremusic@gmail.com so you can be added to it. You will receive a weekly reminder email with the information to join “Every Saturday.”
Optimize your Zoom experience by making a couple of changes in your setup. Here are current best-practices: https://offsquaremusic.org/2020/05/set-up-for-zoom-open-mics/
If you would like to perform, please email offsquaremusic@gmail.com no later than noon on the Thursday before the event. Andy Andrick will contact you when we receive your email. Please be sure to check out the Instructions for Performers on our website: https://offsquaremusic.org/2020/05/set-up-for-zoom-open-mics/
We look forward to your participation. This is a work in progress and suggestions are always welcome.
This week’s performers are:
Doors open at 6:30 pm – Come on in, get settled, and visit with your friends. You can also use this time to locate your Mic control, Gallery/Speaker View switch, and (Text) Chat button. Once the music begins, the host will mute all microphones. The host will still be available by text chat, as will your fellow listeners and performers. The music begins at 7:00.
How to receive an invitation to join: If you are already on the Off Square Music Open Mic mailing list, you will receive a weekly reminder email with the information to join “Every Saturday.” If you would like to be on that list, please send an email via offsquaremusic@gmail.com so you can be added to it.
You can optimize your Zoom experience by making a couple of changes in your setup. Here are current best-practices: https://offsquaremusic.org/2020/05/set-up-for-zoom-open-mics/
If you’d like to perform, please email offsquaremusic@gmail.com no later than noon on the Thursday before the event. Andy Andrick will contact you when we receive your email. Please be sure to check out the Instructions for Performers on our website: https://offsquaremusic.org/2020/05/set-up-for-zoom-open-mics/
We look forward to your participation. This is a work in progress and suggestions are welcome.
A $3.00 donation is appreciated to help us continue to bring live music to the community. You may use the button below to pay by credit card or through your PayPal account.
The maiden voyage of the Zoom Open Mic was so much a success that Off Square will continue to share live music from the talents of our music community.
When: We will get together for a Zoom Open Mic on a weekly basis, 7:00 pm (promptly) “Every Saturday.” The doors will open at 6:30 pm, and you will not need to wait to be admitted — so come on in, get settled, and visit with your friends. You can also use this time to locate your Mic control, Gallery/Speaker View switch, and (Text) Chat button. Once the music begins, the host will mute all microphones. The host will still be available by text chat, as will your fellow listeners and performers.
How to receive an invitation to join: If you are already on the Off Square Music Open Mic mailing list, you will receive a weekly reminder email with the information to join “Every Saturday.” If you are not on that list, please send us an email via offsquaremusic@gmail.com so you can be added to it.
Enjoying music on Zoom: Zoom was designed for video conferencing . . . i.e., speaking. Eventually they will probably tweak the app for the musicians that are using it, but in the meantime, you can optimize your experience by making a couple of changes in your setup. Here are current best-practices: https://offsquaremusic.org/2020/05/set-up-for-zoom-open-mics/
If you’d like to perform, please email offsquaremusic@gmail.com no later than noon on the Thursday before the event. Andy Andrick will contact you when we receive your email. Please be sure to check out the Instructions for Performers on our website: https://offsquaremusic.org/2020/05/set-up-for-zoom-open-mics/
We look forward to your participation. This is a work in progress and suggestions are welcome.
A $3.00 donation is appreciated to help us continue to bring live music to the community. You may use the button below to pay by credit card or through your PayPal account.
Here is some information to help you get ready for your “Every Saturday” session, whether you’re an audience member or a performer:
Your Zoom music experience and performance will be better if you make some changes to your Zoom settings. The only way you can make these changes is to download and install the Zoom app to your device and set up your account (login, etc.).
Please note that responding to a Zoom invitation doesn’t mean the app was downloaded and installed. Also, even if it is installed on your device, you may need to install the latest Zoom Cloud Meetings upgrade, 5.0.4, which contains important security fixes.
After installation, locate the Zoom icon in an easy to access place on your device: for Windows and Macs, in the Taskbar.
Click on the Zoom icon to open the app and login — or create a login. You will have three options, a login with your email address and password, login with Google, or login with Facebook. Once you have done this, you shouldn’t have to do it again. When you click on the icon, you will be on your Home screen, which you can identify because it’s called “Home” — and because it has four icons on it, New Meeting, Join, Schedule, Share Screen.
Windows and Mac users should see a gear in the upper right corner of the Zoom screen. That’s your Settings. Click on that gear, choose Settings, then choose Video to test your Video settings. Then choose Audio to test your speakers and microphone.
If you just come to Open Mics to enjoy, you only need to make one additional change here. Go to the bottom right corner of your screen where you’re testing your mic and video and click on “Advanced.” At the top of that next screen you will see “Show in-meeting option to ‘Enable Original Sound’ from microphone.” Check the box. That’s it! You can close the screen.
iDevice users click on the icon to open your app. You should be on the Home screen. You’ll find the Settings gear in the lower left corner. Click on it, and in the list, choose “Meetings.” On that screen, scroll down to “Use Original Sound” and make certain it’s enabled.
Finally, take time to get comfortable with your Zoom app. On your home screen, you can click on “New Meeting.” You’ll be able to see the controls that are available to you while you’re in a meeting. Locate your Mic Mute/Unmute button, your Video On/Off button, Chat, Participants (so you can see who’s there if they don’t show up on your screen), where to Enable Original Sound (which you should always do for music get-togethers), and more. Be sure to “End” (red button) when you are finished. Jeremy Simon prepared a video for us to show you around the ZOOM app:
The deadline for emails from folks wishing to perform will be noon on the Thursday before the event.
If you wish to perform, please send an email to offsquaremusic@gmail.com and put “Every Saturday” in the Subject line. Andy Andrick will contact you about particulars and how to participate using Zoom.
While you can use the speakers and microphone built into your device or laptop, you may find you’ll have a better performance using a USB Microphone, and a standard headset or earbuds. There are several inexpensive examples of these products available online for purchase. You may find other good ideas in various YouTube videos including the one shared below.
With Windows and MAC devices, performers can make additional changes in the settings. Windows instructions are below (MACs are very similar), and here’s a video that gives you a visual:
These instructions should help everyone enjoy the best possible Zoom music experience. We’ll provide updates as Zoom adds features and we learn of additional tweaks.
Woodstock Opera House & Stage Left Café—all public performances and gatherings in both locations are cancelled until further notice, whether produced by the Opera House or other groups.
First Saturday Open Mic scheduled for Saturday, April 4th has been cancelled.
Please check here for event updates on Off Square’s website and the Woodstock Opera House’s website at https://www.woodstockoperahouse.com/operahouse.
Off Square Music has decided to cancel the open mic scheduled to be held at the Stage Left Café, tomorrow night, March 13th. We will decide each upcoming event, using the best information we can gather, but decided to not have the open mic tomorrow night. If you planned to play, please let me know you got this. Keith
Please check our site regularly for updates.
Slots are filling up fast! It is Stage Left’s First STUDENT (middle and high school) Open Mic nite! Sign up as a solo artist or a group, bring instruments (no full drum sets though), bring a recording to perform with, Students up to age 19! There are also slots for sound crew and slots for those who want to display their artwork! Slots are filling up quickly!
Here’s the signup link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f44afad2ea0fc1-youth
To sign up to perform, email Keith Johnson at offsquare@gmail.com. If you stop by the Open Mic Night early in the evening, there might even be an available slot that same night.
On Friday, February 14, 2020, our featured performer will be Jim Bartholomew and he will perform from 8:30 to 9:00.
During the last four and a half decades, Jim Bartholomew has been an Entertainer. From his earliest days growing up in a working class Polish neighborhood on the Northwest side of Chicago, and suburban Roselle Illinois, Jim has considered among his foremost influences the great crooners of popular music, the singers and songwriters of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Rockabilly, the British Invasion, Country and Western, Polka, and Soul Music. For more information on Jim click here: https://jimbartholomewmusic.com/
Open Mics are generally held on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of every month from 7 – 11 p.m. at Stage Left Cafe, 125 Van Buren St. on the historic Woodstock Square. (See below for more info.)
The 4th Friday Concert Series will be booked for the months of February, April, September and November – in which case the Open Mics will be held on the 2nd Friday of each month.