Friday, July 16, 2010

Some Guidance About Seeking Bands To Hire

By Jean Muir

You will have a lively time if you have secured a well chosen live band for your event. Bands for hire play a spectrum of musical genres they can customize to personalize it for your entertainment. You are lucky to have the options available on the internet today for bands to hire a click away. In fact, the optimal way to locate a band is on the internet.

How to hire a band without assistance

Bands may be hired directly or through an agent. Bands may have their own websites or be part of a larger database of bands. They can be located on broker websites, and wedding planning sites where bands share room with other wedding industry professionals. You may find live performances available for your band selection, or their audio and video performances. Musicians available for your event may not be the ones in their promotional material as professional bandleaders have several musicians in able to play the same instrument and use them based on their availability.

Employing reputable professionals will give you peace of mind. You may be able to investigate the reputation of the bands with their past performance venues. A contact person from the band should be decided when you make your selection. Good bands get booked months in advance. You will need to book ahead yourself. Delaying your choice can mean fewer available acts. The location you select for your event should be suitable for your band.

The bands will confer with you about your event to nail down details like songs choices, special requests, the flow of music to accommodate the schedule of the event and relevant details about your chosen venue. At the event, they will work with any coordinator, the caterers, photographer or videographer to synchronize things when needed. Good bands will read a crowd to play the right song at the appropriate moment. In the course of a four hour function approximately fifty to sixty-five songs may be played. Most quality variety bands can cover styles ranging from the big band era to the present. Experienced and versatile bands play a selection of popular covers from a repertoire designed to appeal to a variety of guests. They are open to suggestions and, given enough notice, will perform your personal favorites that may not be In their repertoire. However, there might be an extra charge for this depending on the song and the number of musicians hired. If the band does not bring its own sound systems or a rented one, you might need to contact sound production companies; and if you are working with a broker, they can connect you with one to arrange sound for event. If you seek choice in music not available in live bands, or are looking for less expenses, you might also look into Disk Jockeys.

Indirect aids in band selection

Brokers offer a variety of reliable acts and can help you if hare having difficulty locating what you need or what to avoid the effort required to select bands yourself. They will charge a commissions; however, they are able to secure bands at better prices as they are experienced at negotiating prices.

When working with a broker you would discuss your music preferences, the type of event you plan to have, your guests and your budget. The broker would come back to you with information on the available bands that match your needs. This information might also be available on their website. If there is a particular act you are interested in which is not listed on the website, check to see if they work with them. They might not list them; but, can provide them for you if they are available. Brokers will shepherd you through the process of signing your musical entertainment.

Other indirect hiring alternatives are a wedding entertainment consultant who is a specialized broker, ; and wedding planners may also have recommendations for you. Your catering service is another option. It may suggest performers or offer them as an event package offering.

What will it cost?

Locally available jazz and acoustic performers can cost you as low as 500 USD. A band with a good reputation could be secured for a price in the 1500-5000 USD range. Websites of brokers or a database of musicians should have pricing information that provides a rough estimate, with the fees varying based on the quality and experience of the group and their number of musicians and vocalists. The actual cost would vary based on factors related to your event such as the date of the event, the time required, the location, cost of travel, and production requirements. Scrimping on the price could also be scrimping on quality, unless you are as lucky as my friend. The expense would be higher if you book a very well known band or the band uses particular equipment or performs special acts.

Food and beverages are expected to be provided to the performers. If you find a band that you like whose fees extend beyond your purse, negotiation may be permissible. If you are operating on a shoestring, you might also wish to seek less professional outfits. College bands will cost you less as student musicians charge less than professional ones. They may be contacted via their music department. You could also go the usually cheaper DJ route. Make certain that you are clear about all the charges involved in hiring musicians. Professional musicians require a deposit ranging from a-third to a half of the fee, in advance. The balance is usually payable a couple of weeks prior to the event. The amount charged to you will include the time they spend at the event, not just the time spent performing. You should request a written contract that covers all the details. You would be better off with bands that carry insurance.

Wedding music and the church rules

Churches and other places of worship have music rules to adhere to. Musical performances may be allowed during different stages of the ceremony. Should you desire, a band member can serve as your event timekeeper and announcer. For continuous music, you may request recorded music be played during breaks. Bands take time to set up. Bands can provide background music at dinner which is not vocal, whether this live or recorded. Bands to hire are an option that will bring life to your event.

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