Randy Hanson is bringing new talent to the island stage.

Although he plays no instrument and warbles no song, Randy Hanson felt the pull of a musical muse.

After nine years as a pediatric trauma technician in Harborview Medical Center’s burn unit and suffering the loss of his father, Hanson was ready to change his life.

Hanson has reinvented himself as a manager and concert promoter for performers who have not yet staked a claim in the Pacific Northwest.

His wife, Clara, a parent educator at Wilkes Elementary, handles the business side of their 18-month-old local venture, Concerts West One Productions.

“This is about diversity and uniqueness,” said Hanson, an island resident since 1983. “It’s a way to introduce new artists and fresh ideas and a way to touch the community through education.”

Hanson is booking independent folk/blues/pop/country/indie artists for the Playhouse, the Admiral Theatre in Bremerton and the Jewel Box in Poulsbo. The solo performers and bands hail from throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

“A lot of musicians from Nashville and Austin, Texas, have never played the Pacific Northwest,” Hanson said. “Where does the country music fit in? Where does blues kick in?

“We want their influences. There’s more than Kurt Cobain and Pearl Jam.”

To further support their community, the Hansons are making their concerts fund-raisers.

Hanson sees a direct link between education and enrichment and music. In his earlier years, he traveled extensively and the more he delved into music, the more he began to understand himself as a person.

He still travels a lot in search of new talent. His first local concert is Marti Stevens, a Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter whom he found on the Internet a year ago.

“He talked about bringing me up. I met his wife and son and really quickly I knew he was real,” Stevens said. “He’s a real blessing in my life. He’s opening doors in the Northwest for me (and is) so supportive and kind.”

Stevens and her acoustic band will perform at the Playhouse Feb. 7 (see box). The show is a benefit for Sakai Intermediate School, part of the Hansons’ ongoing effort to help one child each year attend WorldStrides, a national travel program that brings sixth-grade students to Washington, D.C., for a week of history and culture.

“I would introduce Marti as an ‘Americana’ emerging artist,” Hanson said.

Big plans

Hanson’s growing stable includes several artists who hail from the Puget Sound area and migrated south to Austin and Nashville, including Garr Lange. But where musicians are based doesn’t matter to Hanson. He bases his decisions solely on what he hears.

On April 22, he will bring Diane Zeigler to the Playhouse to benefit Helpline House. The Christian folk artist has never played on the West Coast.

“I like diversity,” Hanson said, “(and) artists who have been around awhile but aren’t known up here.”

He is all about “integrating new artists’ philosophies to this region.” Two of his favorite music festivals are in Texas: South by Southwest and the Old Settlers Music Festival. And he’ll fly anywhere to see a performer on stage.

Hanson is happy to book acts at the Playhouse, yet he has bigger ideas for the Bainbridge music scene.

“The Playhouse is a 240-seat venue that is very intimate,” he said, “and Mark Sell, the director, is so gracious to work with. Everybody’s really stepping it up a notch. (But) we need a 1,200-seat venue.”

In addition to figuring out how to make that happen, Hanson is working with Bainbridge Island Television to develop a show he calls “The Island Acoustic Music Lounge.” He wants to put artists who are new to the area in front of a small live audience, in the vein of Austin City Limits.

Hanson envisions a video production/interview format that, he says, would be “a nice thing for the whole peninsula” and allow high school students to play a part, whether it’s selling tickets or filling the role of video makers and other internship positions. The concert shows would enable families to see artists, not just those 21 and older.

“The Playhouse is for all ages. It’s an acoustic setting. People will say, “Gosh, we need more of this,’” Hanson said.

Having community supporters would help his cause immensely.

“Down the road we’re looking for corporate sponsorship to bring in bigger acts,” Hanson said. “We focus on the community. Everyone we bring in stays at the Island Country Inn. We keep it strictly Bainbridge Island.”

Hanson also wants to know what types of music islanders want to hear.

All these musical aspirations, he said, came to Hanson in a dream. His father died of an aneurysm three years ago and the closeness they shared gave Hanson this inspiration: “Do what you love to do, not what you have to do.”

“Music is my life. I have no musical ability. I have the gift of promoting,” said Hanson, whose first live concert experience was the Beatles when he was 9 years old. “People are thirsty for fresh music and fresh ideas.”

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Concert One

Singer/songwriter Marti Stevens and her acoustic band will make their Bainbridge debut at 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Playhouse. Intricate four-part harmonies and folk rock/country-esque songs that make audiences feel and think are Stevens’ trademarks.

General admission tickets are $26 and available at the door – cash only, one hour before the show – or at www.frontgatetickets.com. For more information see www.concertswestone.com, www.worldstrides.com and www.martistevens.com.