“We want to provide a different type of content to the local cultural scene”

Low-Fi’s Host of the Month in May is Nina Ry-Mikkelsen and Thomas Sørensen, the couple behind PARADISET. Nina and Thomas have been hosts on Low-Fi for a year and have already hosted five concerts, and more are on the way.

At PARADISET in Silkeborg, Denmark, Nina and Thomas live with the three kids Bjørg, Tone and Sejr. The dog Luna and some rabbits and chickens in the garden are also part of the household. Nina and Thomas want PARADISET to be a cosy venue where nature and the panorama view in the living room set the scene for an intimate experience.

When they are not hosting concerts, Nina works as a psychologist and spends her spare time enjoying the beautiful surroundings of PARADISET, arranging small events and spending time with the family. Thomas is studying to be an outdoor guide.

Trying to normalise touring life

When Nina and Thomas found Low-Fi, it was just what they were looking for: “We wanted to provide a different type of content to the cultural scene in our local society. Thomas has previously worked with home concerts, and we liked the idea of being able to meet the neighbours and other people in a different context and present them for some artists that they might never have heard of”.

The most important for Nina and Thomas as hosts, is that the artists feel welcome and at home when entering PARADISET. “Touring life can be a bit lonely, and we try to normalise that experience by inviting the artist to eat with us as a family. We also give the artist space and room to just be and perhaps be able to relax a bit”. 

The barrier between the artist and the audience gets blurry

Nina and Thomas want their audience to experience entering a home where different people meet in a relaxing setting and where music becomes a conversation. Nina and Thomas explain “For us, we want the audience to experience that an artist is a whole person with stories and ideas you can engage in by having a conversation with the artist. In our view, that is one of the strengths in having home concerts – the barrier between the artists and audience becomes a blur and turns into a dialogue”. 

For Nina and Thomas, marketing has been the most challenging – especially in the beginning. They spent a lot of time explaining that they are not making money on the concerts, but they are arranging them because they find them exciting and interesting. “Also, we explained that the drive for us to make these events will vanish, and thereby make these events disappear if no one showed interest”. 

“Make your audience ambassadors”

Nina and Thomas use Facebook to promote their concerts. However, they mean that the focus on marketing and selling tickets online can be challenging – not all people are using Facebook and the concerts can vanish with all the other opportunities presented online. Therefore, they promote their concerts offline as well:  “We have a couple of chalkboard signs that we put where people can see them, and we make sure to mention the upcoming concerts as much as possible to people we meet”.

The response of Nina and Thomas’ concerts has been positive among their guests: “They often comment on the home concert format as an interesting way to meet artists. We talked to a couple who had never been to a home concert before, because they felt it was challenging to attend a concert in a private home where they did know the owner. But now that they have tried it, they will be coming back”.

Finally, Nina and Thomas send some advice to other hosts: “Make your audience into ambassadors for your next home concert . Also, you need to make sure the artist you pick is able to deliver in a quality that fits with your audiences’ expectations”. 

Looking ahead, several concerts are in the planning process at PARADISET. For instance, on August 26th you can attend a concert with the Danish folk/indie singer Rasmus Nelausen.

Do you want to attend a concert at PARADISET? Follow PARADISET and stay updated on upcoming concerts in their home.