Skip to content
Music, Narrative, and Connection: Building Events That Matter
The house lights dim. A single spotlight cuts through the darkness, illuminating nothing but an acoustic guitar and a wooden stool. 2,000 strangers fall silent in unison. For the next 90 minutes, they'll laugh together, cry together, and experience something that can't be replicated through a screen or a social media post. They'll remember this night for years.
This is why we do what we do at One Foot Productions.
In a world of endless digital noise and forgettable experiences, we've spent the last 15+ years obsessed with one question: What makes an event matter? Not just happen. Not just run smoothly. But actually matter to the humans who experience it.
We've discovered it comes down to three elements: music that moves people, narrative that guides them, and connections that transform them.
Music: The Universal Language We've Forgotten How to Speak
Music does something nothing else can. It bypasses our rational brain and speaks directly to our emotions.
We've seen it happen countless times. When a virtuoso jazz pianist improvises at our Bear Music Fest, you can feel the collective intake of breath from the audience. When a vocalist hits that perfect note during an Apollo Theater performance, you see tears form in the eyes of strangers. These aren't random reactions – they're hardwired into our biology.
Yet so many events treat music as background noise or simple entertainment rather than the emotional cornerstone it should be.
We approach music differently. We don't just book acts; we curate emotional journeys. We ask: How will this song make people feel? What memory will it create? Will they still be humming it on their drive home?
Narrative: The Invisible Architecture of Memorable Experiences
Here's what most event producers miss: humans are storytelling animals. Without a narrative thread, even the most spectacular moments become disconnected fragments rather than a cohesive experience.
We learned this producing everything from NBA All-Star Week to intimate theatrical performances. The events people remember aren't just collections of cool moments – they're stories with beginnings, middles, and ends.
This doesn't mean literally telling a story (though sometimes we do that too). It means creating a deliberate emotional arc that takes audiences on a journey rather than just entertaining them for a while.
For our Brooklyn Conservatory of Music virtual event during COVID, we didn't just present a series of performances. We built a narrative about a grandmother and grandson separated by the pandemic, with musical performances woven throughout their story. Attendees didn't just watch – they felt something.
Connection: The Real Reason People Show Up
Let's be honest. Nobody needs to leave their home for entertainment anymore. They can stream world-class performances while wearing pajamas.
People attend live events for something screens can't deliver: authentic human connection.
We've seen the magic that happens when strangers sing together at our Bear Music Fest under the stars. We've witnessed how a perfectly timed moment of audience participation transforms passive viewers into active participants. These connections – between artists and audiences, between strangers sharing an experience – are what people truly crave.
We design for these moments. We create spaces where genuine connections can form. We build environments where people feel safe enough to be moved, to be changed, to be genuinely present.
The One Foot Approach: Technology in Service of Humanity
Here's our not-so-secret philosophy: computers should do what computers do well, and humans should do what humans do well.
We've developed sophisticated technology like our dBocl platform that handles the complex logistics of major productions – not because we're tech obsessives, but because automation frees humans to focus on the creative, emotional work that truly matters.
When our team isn't buried in spreadsheets or endlessly updating schedules, they can focus on the moments that transform an event from functional to unforgettable. The handwritten note for a nervous performer. The last-minute creative inspiration. The human touch that no algorithm can replicate.
Case Study: Bear Music Fest - Our Laboratory for Connection
About ten years into One Foot's existence, we created our own music festival in California. Not to get rich or famous, but to test our theories about what makes events matter.
Bear Music Fest isn't designed to grow bigger each year – it's designed to grow deeper. We cap attendance to maintain intimacy. We book artists based not just on talent, but on their ability to create genuine connections with audiences. We structure the entire weekend as a narrative journey, with each performance building on the last.
Attendees don't just watch music – they discover it together, in the middle of nature, away from the distractions of daily life. They return year after year not for the lineup, but for the experience of being fully present with music and each other.
When Everything Shut Down: The COVID Pivot
When pandemic lockdowns hit, we faced an existential question: how do you create meaningful connection when people can't be in the same physical space?
Our team worked non-stop to reimagine what events could be in this new reality. For the Apollo Theater's virtual gala, we completely reworked the format and tone after George Floyd's murder, creating a show that acknowledged the historical moment while offering connection when people were isolated in their homes.
For Dova Dance, we built an elaborate digital experience featuring dance films shot remotely, woven into a narrative about separation and connection. The restrictions became creative fuel rather than limitations.
We learned that even through screens, people hunger for narrative and connection. Technology wasn't the answer – it was simply the new medium through which we could deliver the same human essentials.
Building Your Event That Matters
Whether you're planning a major production or an intimate gathering, the principles remain the same:
Start with emotion, not logistics. Ask what you want people to feel, not just what you want them to see.
Build a narrative arc. Take people on a journey with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Create space for genuine connection. Design moments where people can truly see each other and be seen.
Let technology handle the routine so humans can focus on the remarkable.
And remember: in a world where almost everything is instantly forgettable, creating an experience that matters – that people carry with them long after it ends – is the greatest success of all.
That's not just what we do at One Foot Productions. It's why we do it.
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.