WAA 2025 Indie Showcase

WAA 2025

Independent Artist Showcase

Thursday, September 4, 2025

One Night Only!

Now accepting Artist Submissions for Independent Showcasing!

Shatto Chapel

First Congregational Church L.A.
540 S Commonwealth Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90020

Venue

Just a 9-minute Uber drive from JW Marriott Hotel, Shatto Chapel—one of Los Angeles' premiere performance venues—offers artists a powerful space to showcase. This neo-Gothic architectural gem—rich in history, stained glass, and stunning acoustics—sets the stage for a curated, one-night-only (Thursday, Sept. 4) independent showcase designed for artists working in classical, neoclassical, dance, jazz, world music, and other expressive genres.

This intentionally crafted program will be part of a programmatic flow that honors artists with style, atmosphere and sonic depth. Shatto Chapel’s warm acoustics naturally enhance the emotional range of your performance where presenters can experience your work in its ideal setting.

Presenters can pick and choose the performers they want to see between that evening’s juried showcase (at Grand Performances) and those at Shatto Chapel with just an 11-minute Uber ride.

This evening is perfect for artists whose work thrives in visually stimulating and acoustically rich environments to be seen and heard in a space designed to elevate your work as you compete with juried performers. Optional video package available (highly recommended) for your marketing and promotional needs throughout the year.

Specs

Performance area 22' x 22'. Access to large stage screen and projector, basic stage-wash lighting, sound amplification, grand piano.

Fee

$1,200 flat fee (without extras) for up to 20 minutes of performance. Only a few slots remain—apply now! The artist or artists' agency must be a WAA member to participate.

IMPORTANT: Artists MUST purchase their own WAA showcase listing.

Views from the alter/performance area looking into the seating area of the chapel.

Views from the seating area looking at the alter/performance area of the chapel.

For more information about the Shatto Chapel at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, please click on this link.

Conveniently Located

Short and convenient Uber/Lyft rides from Thursday evening's event locations. We'll be promoting the benefits of the rideshare options to presenters, highlighting the advantages of this flexible option that saves them time and puts them in control of who they want to see. Rideshare options give presenters the flexibility they seek to see the acts they want, when they want. No need to be locked into shuttle departure and return schedules.

Skip the Shuttle.

See Who You Want, When You Want.

11-minute Uber ride

9-minute Uber ride

Showcase Marketing

Descanso Music is launching a dynamic, high-impact marketing campaign to spotlight the incredible artists featured in our showcase at the WAA Conference. Our goal is simple: to make sure presenters see you, remember you, and want to book you.

Our promotional push includes:

Personalized, one-on-one outreach to presenters before the conference.
Strategic email announcements to WAA Conference attendees before and during the conference.
Vibrant, full-color, one-sheet flier distribution throughout the conference by Descanso Music in-house agent.*
IMPORTANT: Your personalized independent showcasing listing on Swapcard (the conference app). Each artist must place and pay for their own listing. The listing is $50 and can be purchased at this link.
Encouraging artists to offer exclusive showcase-attendee-only discounts on their base musician fee (not including travel or lodging) for a 2026-27 season booking. When you're competing against juried artists and in a time of tightening arts budgets, give them a compelling reason to see you perform! Budget-conscious presenters are looking for options.

*If you are interested in receiving one-sheet fliers featuring the showcasing artists at Shatto, the cost is $50 for 50 one-sheet fliers and will be handed to you at the first day of the WAA Conference. Please contact Angelica Brunetti at angelica@descanso-music.com if you would like to receive one-sheets.

To maximize impact, we strongly encourage all showcasing artists—and their agents—to launch their own campaigns in tandem. Coordinated outreach, direct connections, and compelling materials from artists themselves are key ingredients in making this showcase an unforgettable success for everyone involved.

Video Option

This professionally shot, high-quality video captures your showcase performance at WAA with the clarity, sound, and polish that today’s presenters expect. In an industry where video is the currency of credibility, this footage becomes your calling card. It allows you to reach presenters who couldn’t make your showcase, follow up with those who did, and pitch to presenters who didn’t attend the conference at all.

Want to book more gigs? They’ll want to see you in action. And what better proof than a professionally produced video of you commanding the stage at WAA? It’s more than documentation—it’s a powerful marketing tool that keeps working long after the conference is over.

For independent artists, the $799 video package is more than just a recording—it’s a long-term marketing powerhouse. Captured with professional-grade quality at your WAA showcase, this video becomes your proof of presence, your artistic highlight reel, and your follow-up tool, all in one. But it doesn’t stop there. Post it on your website, your YouTube channel, and across social media platforms. With today’s AI tools, you can easily break it down into punchy 60-second clips that keep your feed alive and your artistry top of mind—for months.

In a world where video is the gold standard of artist marketing, this package offers the credibility, visibility, and versatility to open doors long after your performance is over.

About the Show Producer

Executive Producer & Creative Visionary M. Scott Martin is the powerhouse behind MaxMar Productions—a seasoned executive producer whose portfolio spans high-stakes political events, unforgettable documentaries, character-driven series, and music concerts. With a career rooted in versatility, Scott has:

Produced and directed across formats, from presidential debates and global corporate events to network television series and live music performances.
Founded and leads MaxMar Productions, a boutique content studio known for blending cinematic craft with compelling storytelling—whether capturing the pulse of a live event or crafting long-form narrative .
Mastered the full production spectrum: his projects encompass film production, video direction, event staging, crew organization, and post‑production management.

Beyond logistics, Scott’s signature lies in something more elemental: transforming moments into experiences. He sees every pixel, every vocal inflection, every cut as part of a powerful narrative. His work is an intersection of world-class execution and deeply human storytelling.

His reputation for precision, creativity, and leadership has made him a first call for clients seeking polished, purposeful storytelling—on screen and on stage.

Contact

For more information, questions, video package, and to book your showcase, contact: M. Scott Martin at mscott@maxmarproductions.com

To request promotional one-sheet fliers for distribution at WAA, contact: Angelica Brunetti at angelica@descanso-music.com