3 Things all Live Performing Bands wish Organizers Knew

Music is a crucial and necessary part of life, particularly events, occasions and gatherings! These could be formal; related to business, networking and clients or an important day like a wedding. They could also be something lighter and informal like a birthday bash or a welcome home party.

In any case, when you’re making arrangements as an organizer, one of the things you need to decide between recorded and live music.

If you Lean Towards Live

 

If you’re someone who values and appreciates the value of having a live band play at your event, the next step is likely looking for and hiring a band to work with. Though there are many inexperienced live bands out there, there are also those who know their stuff and have played for countless shows, events and occasions in the past.

If you manage to connect with a highly experienced live band for hire, working with them will likely be a little different than working with amateurs.

What Experienced Live Performing Bands wish You Knew

We did our research and spoke to numerous experienced live performing bands from Dallas as well as other parts of the state. Here are some things most skilled and experienced live performing bands wish event organizers knew beforehand!

We Know What We Need

Many organizers give bands a really hard time when it comes to technical requirements relating to the show or performance. Technical requirements may include stage arrangements, placements or even combinations of instrumentation.

Though there is a level of flexibility that any experienced live band will allow organizers, when they make recommendations with regard to acoustics and other particulars, they mean business. Many bands struggle as organizers try to one up them and treat them like they are not already aware of exactly what works and what doesn’t!

We Work Best As a Team

Another thing many live performers feel is that some organizers take very little interest in the planning process. They wish that organizers were more forthcoming about what they wanted by way of outfits, stage arrangements and other such particulars.

It isn’t about micromanaging and being insistent even when the band makes an informed recommendation. It’s about communicating and coordinating, something that most reputable live bands know how to do!

We’ve Done This Before

Finally, bands that have been playing professionally for years know their music, their strengths and how to execute a show. There are many organizers who panic a whole lot and among other things, overstress about whether or not the band will do their bit.

Most experienced bands wish that organizers knew that they didn’t get where they were professionally by messing shows up! The fact that they have entertained, amused and excited guests successfully for years makes them confident that they can add value to the event or occasion at hand!

Winding Down

Sure there are bands out there that can make a right mess out of things. That being said, there are others who are simply brilliant when it comes to performing live and entertaining guests in whatever capacity is needed! You just need to work with the right band! 

The Razzmajazz Dixieland Band is a Dallas – Texas based band which has been successfully entertaining music lovers, enthusiasts and guests for over two decades. Specializing exclusively in Original Jazz styles such as Dixieland and swing jazz from the 20’s to the 50’s the band offers to perform at corporate events, Mardi Gras and other desired events and functions.    

Bands like these guys know their stuff and are the sort that you can work with, communicate with and at the same time not need to worry about or micromanage!

We hope you folks found this article useful! Happy band-hunting folks!

 

Hiring a Jazz Band: 3 Things you need to Know

Jazz music is relaxing, it’s refreshing, and depending on who’s listening, can even be educational! There are numerous situations where you might be in a position where you’re about to hire a jazz band. You could be hiring a live jazz band to oversee the music at your wedding, you could be hiring a jazz band for entertainment at a corporate event or you could even be hiring a jazz band to partake in a parade!

Regardless of what you’re hiring for, here are a few things it would help for you to know beforehand!

Jazz Comprises of Numerous Styles

If you’re not a music enthusiast, you might mistake the word jazz as a description of one of the many styles that fall under the genre’s umbrella. Where styles of jazz associated with original or traditional jazz, ragtime, Dixieland and swing are conducive to most events, they aren’t the only ones out there.

You have other jazz styles like Hard Bop, Fusion, free and Latin style Jazz that though interesting in their own right would probably not be a good fit for most occasions and functions.

Different jazz musicians specialize and excel in different styles of jazz. When you’re hiring a live jazz band, make sure the musicians you hire specialize in the kind of jazz style that will add value to your event.     

All Bands for Hire are not Seasoned Entertainers

Though being a skilled musician and having high entertainment value are not mutually exclusive, every talented musician is not necessarily a seasoned entertainer. Many claim that if you want to hire a live jazz band, going for a college band or something of the sort is smart.

Though this might make sense in theory, any experienced organizer, host or event planner will probably tell you it’s a bad idea. The reason for this is, though a college band might actually have a good handle on their music and jamming together, performing for an audience at a specific event is a different matter. 

In order to provide entertainment, one needs to both excel at the talent in question as well as at reading and understanding their audience. Only a live band that has spent years entertaining audiences will have the experience it takes to do both these things and hence keep their audiences engaged! 

Make sure you hire a live jazz band with the experience and insight needed to show up on time, put on a good show and work a crowd!

Compatibility is Key

Finally, you need to know that it is important for you as a host or organizer to work with people who are compatible with you. All musicians and bands are not exactly known to be team players! The music or entertainment at your event is a major factor when it comes to how successful the same will be.

Where you want a band that is competent and knows their stuff, you also want to work with someone who is humble and willing to work with you to make your event more successful. Look for live bands that specialize in providing music for events, as such, bands will tailor everything from their playlists to their outfits to suit your event’s theme ideally.

Winding Down

As we said, having the right live band to work with can turn a great event into a spectacular one. Mess up on your band choice and that could be it! All this said, the points about should help you filter through bands that won’t work and find an appropriate band to work with.

Bands like the Razzmajazz Dixie Band have been successfully entertaining music lovers, enthusiasts and others for over two decades. Covering popular Original Jazz, Dixieland and swing jazz numbers from the 20’s to the 50’s, the band offers spectacular performances at corporate events, Mardi gras and other social functions.