John Reid, Executive Director & Producing Artistic Director of The FTC,
on Music, Fate, and Miracles.
So John, tell me about yourself and also a little bit about the Fairfield Theater Company, from its history to its place in the community today.
Well this is Fairfield Theater Company’s 21st year in business. It was founded as a non-profit in 2000 with the goal of producing off Broadway and off-off Broadway plays.
Shortly thereafter the FTC started booking concerts and quickly found there was a larger appetite for live music. That pivot happened even though the plays were getting good reviews, but there just wasn’t the interest in live theatre like there was for live music. After a few concerts were booked we found there was a passionate interest in live music from the Fairfield community and beyond.
So alas, we started focusing primarily on live music about 15 years ago. And almost 10 years ago I took on the role at FTC as executive director and producing artistic director.
And me personally? I started out in music and theatre when I was a youngster in Mississippi, but my career began working for humanitarian organizations like Care International, World Vision, and The Hole In The Wall Foundation which was focused on medical specialty camps for children with life threatening illnesses.
But I’ve really had a lifelong passion for the arts, and have been involved in it all since I was a child both from the talent and production side.
My “and:then” moment was actually very similar to the FTC’s transition from plays to music. I moved to Fairfield in 2010 and shortly after I asked one of my board members at the Hole in The Wall Foundation where I might be able to volunteer - hoping for something in the arts. And in true full circle style I asked to volunteer at the FTC and they came back to me with a job offer.
So I wanted to see what it was all about, right? I came to a show and yeah, I was pretty well smitten. It was fantastic. The listening room brought me back to the coffee house movement of the 70s where artists were presenting and experimenting with their music and the people were really coming out to listen, support, and gain inspiration.
What makes the FTC such a special place in Fairfield?
Well, first of all the Fairfield community is a fantastic community to present the arts to. There's a huge appreciation from the entire Fairfield community and the town has been wonderfully supportive over the years. I’m honored to say that Fairfield takes great pride in the FTC.
So when I first heard and saw their passion I was sensitive to not tinker with anything too much, but to optimize the opportunities to stay true to ourselves and expand our artists and genres. It’s been voted as the best place to hear live music in the region and the quality of concerts too; it’s a special place that creates a connection.
The team of people here make it so special. Most of the staff today have been here as long, or longer, than I’ve been. Our core is solid. In the national music scene we have a great reputation, artists love to play here as well.
So, what makes the FTC so special for the artists?
Many of us who work here have a background in music - we treat our talent especially well, we know what they need. We know the road can be hard, so we’ve made sure the place is just very homey. John Mayall, OBE (an English blues singer, guitarist, organist and songwriter) said “this is like playing in my living room” and another said “every single person greeted me as if I was returning home.” The better the artist feels about their experience here, the better they feel, the better they play, the better the experience is for the audience.
The arts are so fundamentally human. It’s passion and emotion and when you’re performing something you’ve written and you allow people to come within that barrier into that intimacy. And that is the magic for both the artist and the audience, like clapping at the right moment, it makes you feel like you’re soaring as an artist but also as a member of the audience you’re soaring right along. Like a magic carpet ride, you’re invited to ride along. This kind of experience is very rare in the world today.
And you’re 10 feet away from these prolific artists. Truly, there are no bad seats. It’s the sense of intimacy. Artists want to know and see the people who are listening to them - it creates that je ne sais quoi - patrons are here to simply listen, connect, and absorb. There’s so much mojo from both sides you could cut it with a knife.
It’s an amazing synchrony between the audience and the performer. The whole organization feels like family, it’s wonderful and unique and it rubs off on our patrons, donors, sponsors, board members, artists - they all feel that. It’s a very depersonalized world right now, but here at the FTC, everybody knows your name.
How would you describe the patrons who frequent the FTC?
They’re just wonderful. They have such a love for the arts. If we book a known artist and fill the room, that’s really special, but we also book lesser known artists with a smaller fanbase. And our patrons trust us - they still turn out - and the next time the artist returns, we have more people coming.
There are a variety of genres we book, many are very fluid now, but the ‘Americana’ genre - which includes what I’ll call the ‘new’ bluegrass, the blues, classic rock n roll, jam bands, indie music - you name it. They’re all very well-received here at the FTC because we take great care.
We help develop careers of local artists and introduce new music to patrons they may have not heard before. Multiple generations come to a show and you’ll have a grandparent, who saw the artist coming up, and their kids who heard it from their parents, and their kids too - it’s fascinating and part of that community vibe. They meet here, and I hear it, “ah here you are at FTC!”
I feel confident that if you come to a concert at FTC you’ll never leave thinking, ‘that wasn’t all that.’
What sets the FTC apart from other performing arts venues?
Our venues have outstanding sound equipment and have invested heavily in the warehouse stage - almost ⅓ of the cost was in sound and lighting. It’s not just a cool place but it’s like “wow, this is a really different experience.” We invest in the technology because it’s not just the instrument - it’s the sound system that fills the room and the engineers who monitor it. The performers know they don’t have to worry about the quality of their sound. They know we pay vital attention to the experience on both sides - the seats, the kindness, and you know, I have a “no mean people” policy around here and the only person allowed to break that is me. And I usually don’t feel like it.” For artists and patrons it's a welcome home.
What are you most excited about for this summer? What shows or events are you most looking forward to?
First of all, a big part of the excitement is that ‘welcoming back’. Seeing our friends and artists we’ve been longing to see for so long now. I go to every show, and the past year has been tough not being able to mill about and talk to people and listen. But to give you an answer, as you know, I’m originally from Mississippi and love the blues, so the North Mississippi All-Stars, Justin Hayward, Kevin Moe, and Lee Rignauer, who I’ve been wanting to get at FTC for quite a while now.
We’re announcing new shows almost daily now. It’s like a rebirth. Seeing somebody I haven’t seen in a while, I can give them a hug and not be afraid, it’s bringing the excitement and connection of the arts back.
So many people have such a great sense of relief that through the pandemic we didn’t close our doors and organized some free virtual shows to continue our presence.
We put a sign on our door when the lockdown started, “FTC is here to stay” and we meant every word of that. And I think the community came along with us by matching that same hope and optimism. When I see people it’s a celebration.
What are the future plans for the FTC?
Yes, so job #1 is really getting the business back to the volume that we were at before safely and responsibly. Based on how the music industry is coming back to life we think that by the fall we’ll be at capacity. Beyond that, strategically, we were talking before the pandemic about an overarching theme for a glidepath to sustainability; sufficient resources, capital reserves. Things you need to sustain a business in times of stress. We survived and were prudent financially.
We’re very focused on that path towards sustainability. An endowment, expanding our donor base and asking for support is key. FTC is a non-profit so it doesn’t belong to me or anyone singularly. It belongs to the people of Fairfield. I don’t think it’s going to take any convincing of our supporters to invest in the sustainability of the arts organization.
Like all the great cultural institutions, that’s how we want to position the FTC. We don’t think there should ever be a time where the arts are not fundamental to the everyday life of the Fairfield community.
[The writer interrupted and voiced his appreciation for facilitating this kind of human connection and artistic appreciation, to which John responded, verbatim]:
This miracle of the arts - we’re experiencing this over the phone. This is not an illusion - this is real. The arts connect people on an elevated and intimate level.
When you think about all the fantastic work that was done by those who came before me and the people who came beside us - we raised every nickel to expand our offering. It was like an old fashioned barn razing and we had contractors come saying they love this place and we want to help build the vision, “what can we do”
This is a model for how the arts can transform and build value for the whole community. It’s not just about the venue. Cultivating and nurturing that impact the arts have on an entire community - it’s that palpable sense of “this is right”. I feel so fortunate to be able to experience this. I've had a great career, but there’s nothing that comes close to FTC in terms of the experience we offer to everyone.
Is there anything I haven't asked that you might like to include?
We have a tagline that was created by our great marketing folks, “Get out and come together” and live music had retreated a decade ago because of some happenings in the music industry but there has never been a time that tagline has been more pertinent.
It’s time to get out and come together. To celebrate life, the arts, music. I can’t tell you how excited I am to see that people are okay and they’re back and just dying to come to a show. It’s that whole spirit that has propelled us to get through this horrific disaster that has caused such harm - to get through that it’s the community that’s given us the strength and support to get us through it.
I’m so grateful for the town and the community to be a part of something that’s bigger than all of us.