Podtalk: Seth Boustead, of Chicago’s ‘Thirsty Ears’ Classical Fest on Aug. 10-11, 2019

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CHICAGO – Seth Boustead is a rock star in a different class of music. The energetic and passionate musician is also the producer of the 4th annual “Thirsty Ears” Classical Music Street Festival in Chicago, bringing the art and “classical gas” to the Ravenswood neighborhood. For more information and performer schedules, click here.

The philosophy of Thirsty Ears is to bring Classical Music back to the people, where it was always intended to be. Boustead was at another typical Chicago street fest when he had the idea, and found it amusing that when he proposed it to the various Chicago events coordinators and law enforcement. The overall reaction was “go ahead,” because Classical Music fans drinking beer will probably be mellow. He launched the fest in 2016, and has built it from there, through one of his lesson and appreciation centers, Access Contemporary Music (ACM).

Producer Seth Boustead (inset), Thirsty Ears Festival, August 10th & 11th, 2019
Photo credit: ACMusic.org

Seth Boustead is Missouri raised, and actually went to the University of Missouri as an Anthropology major, with piano as a minor, before moving to Chicago. With a variety of jobs, including playing piano for acts at Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre, he studied composition for his post-grad degree at Roosevelt University. In 2004, he started ACM with his friend Laura Koepele-Tenges, and has evolved his passion from there.

In a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com from 2018, Seth Boustead talks all about the Thirsty Ears Classical Music Street Festival. He begins by describing what he has learned in putting on the fest in the last three years.

By PATRICK McDONALD Editor and Film Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com