Break Away II

You are at one friend’s party. The music is music that you have heard plenty of times before. It is going up the charts, and every pop and alternative station is playing it nonstop. Some people are dancing, but a lot of people are still sitting staring off into space or are talking quietly. Those who are dancing are being a bit awkward, as the music isn’t exactly dance music. No one is all that into it, as they have heard it all before. It is the usual music: it is no private party band.

Now imagine a second scenario. You are dancing, and feeling lots of energy flowing through you. Just about everyone else is dancing as well, and they all seem really happy. You have never heard music exactly like this before. You hear voices from microphones, and the sound of live instruments. You are in the zone with a live wedding band.

A private party band can be fun for many functions, including birthday parties, bar/bat mitzvahs, and weddings. They are full of energy, so they may just energize the guests as well. Live music comes from people who live for the music, who love what they do, and people can enjoy feeling the love and excitement emanating from the band members. Live dance music can just be more fun than recorded music.

People often like listening to old favorites, but dance song recordings can get old. When one goes to more than one wedding in a short period of time and both weddings use DJs, it is likely that they will hear many of the same songs. And these songs will be the original recordings, so they will be played exactly the same.

However, with live bands you can hear either original music or new renditions of the classics. Some bands may also offer a mixture of both. Also, with a live band you can get more creative with the type of music played at your wedding or function. When people see a DJ, they often request classic dance songs that everyone has danced to before. However, with a live band they can play swing music and no one will request a rock song, for instance.

Because these bands feature live people, they can interact with guests in a good way. DJs tend to keep the ball rolling, while live bands are out there with the people. They may have some audience participation.

Bands are also great to hire because hiring them means supporting several people. You may also be supporting their dream to “make it big.” Even if their dreams are small, you have supported them in their endeavors.

Private bands are great for all of these reasons. They can be costly at times, and they are not perfect for every single party. However, if the setting is right they can give your energy much more party, and improve the experience of the party guests. They can also make your party more unique and memorable.

Wedding Band

Planning a wedding is a huge undertaking. There are so many details to think about and so much work to be done. One of the most essential parts of the planning process is your reception. There are many things to think about when constructing that portion of your event, and one of the most important is the music.

There are different ways that you can go, but the two most common are typically a DJ or a live wedding band. Live music can really help to give your event some life and spark, but what should you look for when hiring your weeding band?

One thing that you will want to try to do is to catch the wedding band during one of their performances. Many bands play gigs that are open to the public so you might have some luck catching them playing. If you do not have any luck with that, you might want to ask for a demo CD or a video that shows them playing at a wedding reception. This will help you understand whether or not they have the right look and sound for you.

If the wedding party band that you are looking into has a website, you will want to start your research there. They should have some photos, musical tracks and videos for you to look at. These will help you decide whether or not the band is professional enough for you.

If there are testimonials on the website you will want to look at those as well. This will allow you to see exactly what previous clients have had to say about them and their music performances. If there is a repertoire, you will want to look at that as well.

Try and find a band whose music is likely to appeal to a lot of different people. For example something like progressive jazz music or heavy rock may be a bit specialized for the type of people who are likely to be at your wedding. Something like 70′s soul or disco music appeals to most ages.

Make sure that you are also looking over the price of the wedding band as well as the price is always a determining factor. You will want to make sure that you are at least having one conversation with the band manager and that you have decided a clear and fair price for the event. Be prepared to give a non-refundable deposit when you go to turn in your contract.

And then about a week before the wedding, you will want to make sure that you are giving the band a call, just to make sure that everything is still on track and in order. This might also be the time to make sure that they are allowing enough travel time so that they can set up without a problem.

Remember that the band is likely to have travelled a long way to play at your event so it is only common curtesy to ensure that you provide them with a meal. Lastly, be sure that you give your wedding band a timeline of events for the evening so they are able to work with the flow of the event.