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Courtesy
of
Common Ground Band, Boston
Live music adds many wonderful elements to any
gathering. A band is visually entertaining, creates
excitement, energy and fun for your guests. The band
will act as your partner and will help you to
orchestrate perfect moments to be caught on film,
video and create memories to last a lifetime. In a
wedding reception talented musicians and singers evoke
emotion thru exchange with the bride, groom, family
and guests. Professional wedding bands do not take
that role lightly.
Finding a band: First…like all wedding planning, start
early. It is not unusual for wedding vendors in
general to book popular dates a year in advance. Most
bands have websites and you can find them through
geographic searches on the internet or from popular
wedding websites which link to vendors. Ask a friend
who they used. You’ll find that if a band is already
booked they will usually refer others to you. It
should not take long to identify a handful of
potentials.
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Choosing a band does not
have to be a difficult task. A look at the song list
is a good place to begin. But just because you don’t
see a song that you like or want in particular does
not mean that the band won’t play it!! Talk to the
band leader and you’ll find that he or she will be
very happy to bring special songs of your choice that
may not appear on the song list. Most bands will send
you a package of material with a video or CD and that
is a great way to start but you should try to get out
and see the bands you like. Viewing the band live can
be arranged through conversation with the band leader.
Ceremony and Cocktail music. Most bands will have 1 or
2 musicians that you can hire to perform for your
ceremony and or cocktail hour prior to the reception
should you want that.
The MC: The bands’ front person acts as MC. He or she
will be a skilled public speaker able to address the
audience professionally precisely timing and
announcing the various events that will happen
through-out the day. This is done through coordination
with the customer in advance. A worksheet is provided
which tells the MC exactly when you want special
events to take place. The MC is with you during the
bridal party line-up too and final checks are done to
assure proper order of names and pronunciations are
correct.
Song selections: Many bands have a wide range of
styles and extensive repertoire. Appropriate songs for
special dances will be on their list but usually they
will also allow you to suggest up to four songs that
may not appear on their list. They will prepare those
songs for your reception. In four or five hours the
band can not play every song on its list. It’s common
for the client to go thru the song list and highlight
selections they would like to have played, or not
played. During the performance the band leader will
“read” the crowd and call songs as they go along
feeding off the energy that is created. He or she will
not leave gaps between songs. As the crowd responds
the band leader knows how to keep the energy up or
cool it down if need be. Requests are always
considered but the band leader reserves the right to
hold the request if the timing is not suitable at that
moment…unless of course the request comes from the
Bride or Groom!!
About volume: Most bands have a great sense of volume
and they usually have played any given venue before so
they should know the sound of the room. But sometimes
the room can reverberate sound to a certain area that
might be annoying to a few of the guests....no
problem. Speak to the band leader and you’ll find that
things will change pronto.
Breaks: Most receptions are either a four or five hour
format. In four hours the band should take about 45
minutes of break time in total. Thirty minutes of that
time is during dinner. During any break the band will
provide background music on CD or DJ style to keep the
party pumping between sets. At least one band member
will be minding the music at all times throughout the
day and with the exception of dinner someone should be
on-stage all the time.
Arrival, Dress and set-up: It is common for a band to
arrive two hours early, be set up and dressed in
formal attire by the time guests are arriving. Bands
know their gear. Extensive sound checks are not
required.
Choose live music: Musicians spend years developing
their skills for precise performance. “Live Music” can
be flexible too. A live band has total control over
timing, and timing is critical in creating perfect
moments to be remembered long after the party is over.
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