You listen to music every day; you know all about music. But how often have you been responsible for hiring live musicians for one of the most important days of your life no less? Never before, probably.
Here’s a check list that we, as professional musicians, would like to offer to help you book musicians who can set the right mood for your special event, whether it be a private party, a corporate event, a wedding or some other special occasion.
BEFORE contacting musicians
□ Consider ensemble size
- The venue of your event will help determine what size ensemble would be best. Remember that musicians need space to set up equipment and instruments and enough room to perform on their instruments.
- For a small indoor space, a solo or duo may be just the right size to maintain an intimate feel.
- In larger spaces, you have the choice of using a small ensemble with amplification or a larger ensemble that may not require amplification.
□ Consider ensemble type
- For a very traditional sound, couples often choose a string quartet or organ for church ceremonies. Traditional wedding music is also beautiful on a harp, flute and guitar.
- When planning an outdoor wedding, remember that instruments often need to be amplified to be heard, so power will be required. For smaller outdoor weddings, a string quartet or wind instruments can be heard without amplification.
- Couples often ask for a piano, forgetting that keyboards are difficult to transport to outdoor locations.
- While string instruments can play jazz and contemporary music, these styles tend to sound more appropriate with guitar, voice or wind instruments (flute, trumpet, etc.)
□ Research Musicians
- Once you have determined what size and type of ensemble would work for your venue, begin researching potential musicians.
- We suggest you do an internet search for musicians in your area such as “wedding guitarist in Scottsdale” or look on wedding vendor sites such as WeddingWire or GigSalad.
- Determine if the musicians are students, hobbyists, young professionals or seasoned professionals. Professional musicians who have college music degrees will most likely be reflected in price and quality.
- Take the time to listen to the musicians’ audio and/or video demos.
If you’re looking for musicians for a special event or party, following these tips should help you make a good choice. Of course, we’d love to talk to you if you think flute and guitar music might create a nice mood for your event. Contact us today!
