By Joe Doherty
When Jeff Marsha dropped anchor at Buffalo State College more than five years ago, neither student nor faculty had ever heard of the Great Performers Series.
Why? The series did not yet exist.
Half a decade later, Marsha, the director of operations for the series, has introduced a steady flow of national touring acts to BSC’s music environment. He puts on roughly 10 concerts a year—one a month in the academic semester. The series continues in April with a performance by world/Flamenco guitarist, Jesse Cook.
“I thought we needed to get to the Artvoice kind of crowd—a little bit younger demographic,” Marsha says.
Prior to his arrival, the Performing Arts Centerat Rockwell Hallfeatured only small theater productions and dance recitals—each play made up of only four or five people. Marsha dressed up BSC’s live music scene by showcasing notable acts such as Roger McGuinn of the Byrds.
Marsha says it’s all about the business. While BSC pays Rockwell’s utilities and keeps up on the building’s maintenance, Marsha receives no additional funding from the college. He has learned to choose wisely when it comes to booking performers.
“We’re an earned-revenue facility,” he says. “Every dollar I make is how much I can spend, so each show really needs to keep up for itself.”
While attending SUNY Fredonia,Marsha hopped on board the college’s concert committee. This, he says, gave him “the bug” of the industry.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music business—one of the first ever at Fredonia. He worked as small-time promoter in central New York before landing a job at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo for five years.
“In the beginning we couldn’t take a bath more than once or we’d go out of business,” Marsha says. “That was probably the best teaching curve because I learned how to market shows without a lot of money. I got fliers out everywhere. If you closed the bathroom door—there was a poster for my show.”
Promoters don’t always come out smelling like roses, he says. Sometimes they make mistakes that, years down the line, take on a comical aura.
“I was pitched Norah Joneswhen she was first starting and I passed,” he says. “Six months later she’s winning every Grammy known to man and is one of the most popular artists on the planet.”
Such experiences have done more for Marsha than bring a smile to his face—they’ve taught him business savvy. He believes Cook, a Canada native and Toronto resident, will attract droves of folks from north of the border.
“If you’re Canadian you’ll do good in Buffalo,” he says.
Others, including faculty, believe he has done BSC a great service by bringing in the series. Chuck Mancuso, a professor of music history, says Marsha has a keen eye for what people want to see.
“He brought Roger McGuinn here twice and he’s bringing back Steve Tyrella second time as well,” Mancuso says. “It’s a tough. I mean an 850-seat place is a pretty big nut to crack.”
For Marsha, it’s just business as usual.
To respond to this article, email Joe Doherty at dohejp91@mail.buffalostate.edu
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