Vintage Music News

No. 1 — Autumn 2004

Vintage Concerts drawing crowds to special events

Vintage Music Concerts are drawing big crowds at open houses, charitable benefits and marketing ventures, said event planners, program managers and venue operators.
     In May 2004 the Wright Museum of the American Home Front in Wolfeboro, NH netted about $1,000 for its Community Scholarship Fund. Some 90 guests paid $25 each to attend the museum's Fourth Annual Spring Luncheon and Concert, which underwrites the studies of local high school graduates.

Ken Lelen at the Wright Museum, Wolfeboro NH, May 2004.

     The event's main attraction — Ken Lelen singing pop songs from the 1940s and playing six vintage acoustic guitars built between 1939 and 1944 — generated raves from the audience.

     "Love the music!" said Judy Breuninger, Wolfeboro resident and Wright Museum supporter.

Vintage Concerts for two Open House events in NC

In the summer of 2004 Ken Lelen and his vintage acoustic guitars appeared before two open house events at retirement communities in western North Carolina. Both events were publicized beyond the confines of the community, which helped draw good-sized audiences.

     In June, Central Carolina Bank's wealth management division sponsored a Vintage Music Concert and Open House at Highland Farms, a 325-unit senior center in Black Mountain, NC, 16 miles east of Asheville. About 100 people attended the 90-minute event at the community.

     "It was well received by residents, so we were pleased," said CCB's Cindy Causby. "When residents are happy, we're happy."

Ken Lelen entertains guests at an Open House held at
Roanoke United Methodist Home, Roanoke VA, July 2004.

     And in July, Roanoke United Methodist Home hosted a Vintage Music Concert and Open House to develop interest in the 112-unit retirement facility in western Virginia. Publicized in the local media, the two-hour concert and marketing event attracted 79 people, including 32 prospective residents and their adult children.

     "It was an outstanding opportunity for people in the area to see our facility," said Lori Viar, director of marketing at Roanoke-UMH. "The vintage-music style appealed to our crowd. They loved the songs."

Vintage Concerts spreading across U.S.

In the past four years Ken Lelen's light-hearted musical events have expanded along the East Coast from sites in the MidAtlantic and Southeast to venues across New England and the Midwest. The number of concerts he has presented has grown as well — from 55 in 2001 and 102 in 2003 to more than 140 events in 2004. Several dozen concerts and eight regional tours already are scheduled for 2005.
     Vintage Music Concerts combine three magical elements: vintage acoustic guitars from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s; ragtime, jazz and swing tunes from the same decades; and fun anecdotes about the era's songs, composers and performers. Filled with sly lyrics, catchy tunes and endearing themes, these events are popular with diverse audiences.
     "People of all ages love these songs," Lelen said.

     Though many Vintage Music Concerts are offered at retirement villages, a growing number of events have been engaged by special sponsors and unique venues. These include acoustic-music halls, antique shops, arts centers, charities, community groups, libraries, historic societies, museums and social clubs.

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© 2004  Ken Lelen  -  All Rights Reserved