In Jon Brown’s living room, formal wear becomes t-shirts and jeans. Stuffy theater chairs transform into sagging couches next to a staircase where students perch, bottles of beer in hand.

Since September, Brown, a graduate student studying percussion at the University, and his girlfriend Sarah Chabot have hosted small, in-home shows in their living room on North Campus, near the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Unlike the typical party, these gatherings highlight classical music and other genres typically constrained to a more formal setting.

“What we really wanted to try to do was to get people that don’t come to (formal) concerts to come out and make it a more relaxed atmosphere,” Brown said. “So it’s not just sitting in a concert hall having to be really quiet, having to sit there with your hands crossed and not say anything and not talk to your neighbor.”

Chabot originally proposed the idea of hosting the series in their home, instead of renting a venue, giving way to the name “Living Room Music.”

The mood at their concerts is casual, Chabot explained. Attendees can enjoy a glass of beer or wine while discussing and sharing notes on performances — a marked change from the traditional, stuffy atmosphere of classical music venues.

“I really love having people in my living room,” she said. “It’s a great environment to have people … playing in.”

“It changed how I view my living room,” Brown said of the first concert. “It was so communal.”

Not only is the atmosphere of Living Room Music communal, it’s welcoming. Admission is free and attendees are encouraged to bring refreshments to share.

The setup is simple: A tie-dyed green tapestry hangs behind the main performance space. According to Brown, all of the sound equipment belongs to him and consists of pieces accrued through his years as a musician.

In between sets at the second show the couple hosted, someone grabs a vinyl from Brown and Chabot’s impressive collection — showcased on a bookshelf that also hosts a White Album cover jigsaw puzzle — and throws it on the record player. Audience members mingle and wander into the kitchen for refills, discussing their favorite performances so far.

Brown and Chabot have a long relationship with music, meeting as undergraduates in the music program at Central Michigan University. Chabot has a music education degree and teaches piano and cello in Ann Arbor.

Brown — who begged his parents to let him play the drums in elementary school — drifted toward rock before pursuing classical music.

“I just found that classical music — once you really delve into it — it’s so complex and so easy at the same time, so there’s always something new there,” he said.

While most house shows around campus feature electronic music or live bands, the Living Room Music scene is more eclectic, geared toward an acoustic sound.

“I like electronic music, and that’s all very well and good,” Chabot said. “But in this environment, I love having that live, acoustic chamber music.”

The series has attracted a diverse mix of artists. Some have premiered original work in their acts, while others take creative approaches to established arrangements. During the first concert, a Fulbright scholar from India played the tabla, an Indian percussion instrument used commonly in Hindustani classical music.

But it was Brown and his quartet who kicked off the series with a piece fittingly titled “Living Room Music” by John Cage, an American composer known for his non-traditional use of instruments.

“That was just a perfect way to open up for the concert series,” Chabot said. “It’s one of these pieces where (Cage) doesn’t list what instruments you need to use. He tells you to find your own instruments.