At its very least, an event in The Gatherings series is a concert featuring an artist whose music possesses character, innovation and spirit. At most, it is an affirming experience shared by musician and audience together. Presenting music mainly from the Ambient, Electronic and Spacemusic worlds, The Gatherings will occassionally host concerts of World Fusion, Atmospheric Rock and Low-Intensity Noise by groups or artists who've shown a propensity towards the ethereal ethic we all are drawn to.

Although it is not expected of you to socialize with other attendees, The Gatherings is the perfect place for you to meet others (up to and including the actual performer) who share your passion for this esoteric artform. The only thing that is expected of you is to respect those around you, keep an open mind and just be yourself.

Yes. In fact there is a small area at the back of the venue where you and a limited number of other attendees may "become horizontal". People often bring sleeping bags, pillows or blankets and enjoy the music from this posture.

Advance tickets are now available for concerts that are part of The Gatherings Concert Series. As specified through the Gatherings' agreement with isotank.com; tickets acquired in advance are non-refundable and carry a convenience charge. Information about advance tickets is available from the webpages specific to each concert. Ticketing is general admission. To ensure a decent seat, you are strongly advised to arrive at St. Mary's between 7:30pm and 7:45pm night of show.

Student Rate tickets are available at the door night of show. Please be prepared to present proper full-time student ID.

Yes, please park off of Irving Street (behind St. Mary's) and ask for assistance at the main entrance to the church.

A Gatherings series concert usually begins as close to 8:00pm as possible and concludes no later than 11:00pm, depending on the evening's line-up. On rare occasions, an artist workshop or discussion group will be held prior to The Gatherings, moving up the day's events start time to about 6:00pm. Also, if the musician featured at The Gatherings is scheduled to play live afterwards on STAR'S END radio, the music could be thought of as continuing long into the night.

No, all ages are welcome. The Gatherings is open to anyone interested in the music, community and unique experiences. The Gatherings audience is quite diverse with age being one of the variables.

Please be advised that The Gatherings is not the place to teach your children how to behave in public. As a responsible concert-goer, parent or guardian you should have done this in private (like at home where those around you will not be distracted or annoyed). Thanks in advance.

Not as yet.

Our official policy is that audience taping is only permitted with the permission of the artist. Any audience taping which does occur must be discreet and not interfere with other patrons' enjoyment of the concert. Spaced omnis would not fit this because running a mic cable across a row or the center aisle or using elevated mic stands would be a hazard and conspicuous.

All of the events in The Gatherings Concert Series are recorded, and most of these recordings are eventually aired on STAR'S END Ambient radio and/or released by the artist.

For attendees arriving by 7:30pm night of show, there is ample street parking near the venue: 40th Street, Walnut Street and Spruce Street.

You are advised to please arrive early. As the night wears on, parking spaces on the streets of Philadelphia can become limited. The huge parking garage atop the Fresh Grocer Supermarket at 4001 Walnut Street is the most convenient to St. Mary's. The entrance is on Walnut Street.

Thanks for asking. For now there are six ways you can make a positive difference to The Gatherings Concert Series.

1. Come out to every event in The Gatherings series - The artists deserve your support, plus you will be part of an enriching experience
2. Tell your friends - Word of mouth is by far the most significant way to bring new people to our unique concerts
3. Show up on time - Get there well before 8:00pm so you don't miss any of the performance
4. Buy our CDs: The Gatherings and The Gatherings vol 2 are compilations culled from recordings of past events. It's a really great album for your collection, plus the proceeds benefit The Gatherings Concert Series
5. Volunteer - Ask one of the volunteers who staff the concerts how you can help out
6. Donations - The Corporation for Innovative Music and Arts of Pennsylvania oversees The Gatherings Concert Series and is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Gifts to CIMA of PA are tax-deductible and help us continue our tradition of artistic excellence and quality programming:

   CIMA of PA
   PO Box 22
   Upper Darby, PA 19082-0022

Thanks for reading the FAQ. Please submit questions about The Gathering Concert Series by accessing the Contact page of this website.