Musicians wanted for award-winning airport arts program

The City of Houston is looking to hire local musicians to perform for millions of passengers of each year at some of the biggest and best airports in the U.S.

June 6, 2023

Houston Airports and the City of Houston are seeking qualified musicians and/or musical groups for Harmony in the Air, a performing arts program at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport.

Selected musicians will enter into a contract with the City of Houston and Houston Airports to provide professional services as musicians under Harmony in the Air for a term of 3 years with two 1-year renewal options. Each musician or musical group will be afforded at least 26 performances during the contract. Contracted musicians will be paid for 3-hour performances.

Harmony in the Air is part of the award-winning arts program at Houston’s airports. In 2010, Aviation Director Mario Diaz identified the passenger experience as the ultimate measure of success. Diaz recognized then that entertainment within the airport would elevate the passenger experience. Harmony in the Air launched in 2015 and quickly became a passenger favorite at Bush and Hobby airports.

The Program was created to:

Provide a stress-free and pleasant atmosphere
Showcase Houston’s talented and diverse performing arts scene
Reflect Houston’s status as a vibrant, friendly and global city
Contribute to the creative economy of Houston

CALL FOR MUSICIANS

Performing arts organizations and/or individual professional musicians must apply to be considered by an evaluation committee.

Music Genres

Classical: Chamber music, baroque, early and late periods
Jazz: Mainstream, smooth, cool jazz
Popular: R&B, Pop, Country Western
International: Bossa nova, Flamenco/Spanish, Caribbean/Calypso

All performances, regardless of the genre, shall be appropriate for an airport setting and should provide a pleasant listening experience.

Selected music must be compliant with BMI, SESAC and ASCAP license agreements.

If performances include lyrics, the lyrics shall not contain obscene, sexually explicit, social, political, religious or racially demeaning words.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Below is a quick look at the application process and criteria so interested professional musicians can gain insight into the process.

ALL DETAILS AND APPLICATION INFORMATION CAN BE ACCESSED HERE.

Program participation requires applicants to register as a City of Houston vendor. Click here to register.

Applicants must provide:

High-resolution photographs of the musicians
Preview videos of performances
Submit a brief description/biography (1-2 paragraphs) of the performer(s) and the type of performance.

Applicants shall agree to:

Support Harmony in the Air on social media
Include references to Harmony in the Air in their websites and newsletters
Adhere to a dress code, stage presentation and no visible tattoos during each performance

Qualifying criteria:

Each musician must reside in Harris County or an adjacent county.
The main office for a performing arts organization must be in Harris County or an adjacent county.
Ensembles cannot exceed 4 performers, including pianist, if applicable.
Each musician must have a minimum of 8 years of professional performance experience.

Applicants will need to provide names of and locations of where musicians are employed and venues where they have performed and will need to provide materials like CDs, videos and social media posts about their performances. Applicants will also need t to provide references from 4 former or present clients.

Musicians must have a college degree, preferably in music. If they do not, they must have equivalent professional musician experience of at least 8 years, and 2 letters of recommendation from established professionals with appropriate credentials.

Security

All Harmony in the Air performances takes place in secure areas. Therefore, each performer must obtain and airport ID badge and wear it at all times while on airport premises. To obtain an airport ID badge, every performer must go through a strict security check process and be vetted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other federal and local agencies.

Selection process:

An evaluation committee will review submissions based on criteria.
The committee may develop a short list of approximately 40 musicians or musical groups that meet the technical competence requirements.

Shortlisted respondents:

May be scheduled for more than one structured oral presentation/audition, demonstration and interview.
Musicians should be prepared to perform two musical arrangements for their audition.
The evaluation committee will then summarize their findings and recalculate their scores, if needed.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION

Below is a quick look at the submission process so interested professional musicians can gain insight into what's required.

ALL DETAILS, INCLUDING SUBMISSION INFORMATION, CAN BE ACCESSED HERE.

All documentation shall be submitted in a single package in accordance with the specifications below.

Submit one printed original submission with an Offer and Submittal form signed in BLUE ink.
Submit five printed copies of the submission
Submit five electronic copies of the submission on USB drives, sealed in a separate single envelope bearing the assigned solicitation number.