ATLANTA, GA.
​ In 2024, Festival of Friends (FoF) Events will begin serving recreational musicians across the Atlanta metro area with our unique brand of live performance programming and community-building events!

FoF's mission is to foster the development and growth of community between recreational musicians who are passionate about playing and performing without the constraints, pressures or judgment of the professional music scene.​ 

​We bring exciting innovation to recreational musicianship through uniquely curated band programming and live music events with ​our programming approach focused directly on the practiced recreational musician who wants to challenge themselves in new ways and apply their existing skill set in a band-centered environment with other like-minded players.

Festival of Friends event programming formats are designed to be no-pressure and non-competitive live performance experiences for everyday recreational players.  We're excited to be serving the Atlanta metro area in 2024!

Songmixers Format Overview
Songmixers is the flagship Festival of Friends live event performance format.  Songmixers events feature a pre-registered, rotating roster of up to 25 to 30 musicians that showcase a range of players and performers in the Festival of Friends Events community.  Collectively the musicians perform a 20 to 24 song themed (curated) set from some of rock music's most iconic bands and artists.  

The twist: No group rehearsals beforehand.  It's plug-n-play live performance.
Songmixers events are made up of:
  • Pre-organized cover​ song performance collectives​ showcasing material by iconic bands and artists performed by a rotating cast of musicians over the course of the evening​.
  • Guitarists, bassists, drummers, keyboardists and vocalists (available instrumentation is material dependent) who've registered and accurately learned in advance the songs they want to perform on their primary instrument(s) based on the event's theme and song selection.
  • During open registration participants choose a minimum of 1 song and a maximum of 4 songs (based on your primary instrument(s).  If there are additional songs available that you're interested in playing on (beyond your initial selections) we'll notify you about remaining options (at no extra cost) after open registration has closed. ​
  • Festival of Friends Songmixers events include an event registration fee of $129. In addition to your performer slots/songs and respective stage time you'll receive one complimentary drink and are allowed one event guest.
  • An optional Friday night (pre-event), Meet-N-Mingle happy hour will be offered  (no host, cash bar) as part of your event package at no additional cost. Attendance is highly encouraged for pre-event group camaraderie-building as well as some laid-back fun and social-connection time with new friends and familiar faces. Location and Time TBA.

The benefits of participating include:
  • Convenient, fun and unique way to play in a band and perform live with new faces and even old friends.
  • Being connected to like-minded musicians with similar skill-sets and playing abilities through curated live performance experiences.. 
  • Belonging to a musician community where you can spend less time organizing a band and more time applying your passion and skills.
  • Providing a purposeful reason for at-home (i.e.) solo practice time, whether you're self-taught or working with an instructor.
  • The motivation to honestly learn songs as originally recorded and apply what you've learned on the live stage.
  • Improve your overall musicianship through focused, goal-oriented practice time and live performance gigs.
  • Try out new musical styles you might otherwise not have considered or had the opportunity to explore. 
  • An exciting opportunity to do something new or outside your comfort zone within the live band/performance environment.

Songmixers events are for:
  • Armchair, everyday musicians as well as routine players with an intermediate to advanced-level skill set (even if its been a while and you're just looking to kick off the rust).
  • Who can accurately learn material on their own and readily apply it in a live event setting. There are no auditions or formalized rehearsals with the Songmixers format. Please review our FAQ for more information. 
  • The requirements for participating musicians is to meet the minimum playing ability requirements, accurately learn your respective playing parts before you arrive, come to the show ready to perform and be respectful to and support your event band mates and have lots of fun!

Atlanta 2024 / FoF Songmixers Events

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Saturday, March 30, 2024 (Venue TBA)
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Saturday, September 14, 2024 (Venue TBA)

FoF Community Member Experiences

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"As a musician with a full-time work schedule and a family to care for, Festival of Friends bandshare events solves a lot of issues for me. One, it's low pressure and fun. I don't have time to commit to a full-time band and FoF Events gives me the satisfaction of learning and performing a few great songs in AWESOME venues that are pre-booked for myself and the other participants. Love the convenience of it all. I'm hooked and I'm already looking forward to performing in future shows!" - Jody D.
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"The community of musicians at Festival of Friends are magic. With founder, Tom Tafelsky’s contagious peaceful positivity at the helm, this diverse community shows up to put all they have into the music simply for the love of doing so. They encourage each other, they support each other, and they learn from each other. Some of them are conquering their fears. Some of them are helping others conquer theirs. Together, they put on one hell of a show! From the back of the stage to the back of the house, the energy remains the same. The performers are the audience, and the audience are the performers. Tom hasn’t just built a community of musicians, he’s built a family." - Greg B.
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​“What a great way to get out of the living room and onto a stage! And the variety is so much fun, playing with different musicians and playing different material each show. The changing material keeps my practicing and at home playing focused, as I have specific songs and parts to learn, practice, and develop a strong comfort level with. And waiting at the end of my efforts is a show in front of friends, family, and supportive fellow recreational musicians.” - Damon C.
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"Festival of Friends musician platform has given me the ability to venture into music and perform with a live band. I grew up singing in church when I was young. The opportunity to continue singing never presented itself until now. Singing is a very vulnerable art form, and it can be so difficult to master your nerves and stay away from your inner critic. This is a safe and supportive musician community that celebrates and encourages those who want to participate. This has brought me growth in music theory, exploring what I am capable of singing, and most importantly building my confidence in singing and being able to work at conquering my inner critic." - Kellie G.
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"Festival of Friends have been an absolute blast to be a part of. There's something truly amazing about jumping on stage with a group of musicians who haven't rehearsed together ahead of time and naturally falling into sync with each other while cranking out some killer tunes. I've gotten to play some of my favorite songs live and meet some awesome musicians at the same time. Without a doubt, I plan to keep joining in these events as much as I can!" - Dave G.
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"You love performing. In school you played in bands and orchestras. Then career and kids suck up your free time and there's little opportunity to continue expressing your passion for music. Maybe you're lucky and have a group that plays in your garage once in a while. The genius of FoF is providing regular opportunities to perform and bringing together people who never would have met otherwise. I feel fortunate to have fallen in with this bunch, make new friends, and pretend for one night that I'm a rock star. FoF Founder, Tom Tafelsky is a hometown hero, helping to make Seattle the most livable city in the US again." - Kerry F.
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"My experiences with the Festival of Friends community platform has been nothing short of awesome. Along with broadening and challenging your musical abilities, selecting songs of your choice, and networking with local-area recreational musicians, the real thrill and excitement is to share this experience with total strangers on a special night arranged just for you. That's where the real magic happens! - Michael G.
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"There’s really nothing like the personal connections created at FoF. More so than even rec league sports, there’s something about recreational music and FoF musicians that fosters community on stage and off without judgment, ego, or chest thumping. And it starts with Tom. If ever there were a person put on earth to bring people together and build community, it’s Tom Tafelsky. Once you enter the FoF world and hear those opening drumstick clicks, that family becomes your family. Yes, FoF improves your musical skills and where you once played in front of a couch there’s now a screaming, friendly audience who only want you to succeed." - Mark B.

FoF Community Member Survey
Please note: Any information provided below is strictly for the use of Festival of Friends Events future programming.  We will not share or sell any of the information you provide. We look forward to serving your area!

Be sure to check out our FAQ and Songmixers Video Showcase pages below for additional info and past performances. 

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