Creative Commonsense: A workshop with Craig Calhoun
Description
Creative Commonsense: A Live Sound & Stagecraft Workshop with Craig Calhoun
What actually happens between stepping on stage and delivering a great live performance?
Creative Commonsense is a hands-on workshop designed to give artists and performers a better understanding of live sound, stagecraft and the technical side of performing.
Facilitated by Craig Calhoun, this practical session will take participants through the fundamentals of live performance, covering everything from soundchecks and stage setup to monitoring, communicating with sound engineers and working alongside technical crews.
With a seven-piece live band involved in the session, participants will have the opportunity to explore these concepts in a live setting, gaining practical insight into how different elements come together on stage and what goes into creating a smooth performance.
Whether you're an emerging artist, vocalist, instrumentalist, performer or music student, this workshop is an opportunity to build your technical knowledge, ask questions and develop greater confidence in live performance environments.
What you'll explore:
The fundamentals of live sound and stagecraft
Understanding stage setups and equipment
How soundchecks work and how to prepare for them
Understanding monitors and on-stage sound
Communicating effectively with sound engineers and technical crews
Working with musicians and navigating a live band setup
Sunday 22 November 2026
Time: 11am
Venue: Captain Cook Hotel, Sydney
Tickets: $15
LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE
Places are limited to keep the workshop hands-on and allow for meaningful interaction with Craig and the musicians, so register early to secure your place.
Presented by Black Music Alliance Australia (BMAA).
Lineup
Craig Calhoun
Craig Calhoun, a world renown funk bassist, composer, and producer, was born in America but grew up in Germany because of his father's military service there. At the age of 9, waking up from a dream where he was rocking the crowd at an outdoor festival, inspired him to teach himself how to play the guitar. When he was 16, he discovered his true passion for playing SLAP bass. Three years later, Craig's band signed a six-figure deal paying each member $300 per week to focus solely on writing original music. This opportunity allowed Craig to develop his studio production skills, which he now uses to produce various artists, compose for documentaries, games, animation, and release his own music. Craig describes his original genre as "EuroFunk," a unique blend of his African-American soul and blues roots combined with his exploration of funk, rock, and improvised groove. Throughout his career, Craig has had the privilege of performing, recording, jamming, or opening concerts for iconic artists such as Santana, Joe Cocker, Kool & The Gang, The Supremes, Larry Graham of Sly & the Family Stone, Will Calhoun of Living Colour, Marcia Hines, John Farnham, Irwin Thomas, Jimmy Barnes, Renee Geyer, and many more..
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
