This might seem as a very small issue, but to us it is somewhat important – where should the musicians be positioned for certain events? 

In my opinion – it depends on the event. If the musicians serve as a background effect for a cocktail hour, dinner reception, or any other private gathering, then they should not be placed in the middle of the room, or any place where people will bump into them, or where musicians will be too loud.  Also, placing them near the bar  where the drinks are served is also not a good idea.   For such events it is usually not a big issue. Wedding ceremonies, however, present a more important issue of visibility. At least one of the musicians has to be positioned in such a way so he/she may see the bridal party and the bride walking down to the site of the ceremony. That is how musicians know when to stop or fade a piece of music currently being played.   Many times our musicians were placed next to the ceremony spot  in such a way that after the bridal party walked down, they blocked our view of the bride and it was hard to see her coming down. The solution? Either the musicians should be placed where the bridal party and the bride are visible to them, or someone else (wedding coordinator or ceremony administrator) should give musicians a cue to when to stop playing.

Another issue, mostly visual. Especially for weddings, our  musicians know that wedding photographers will be taking photos of them for the bride and the groom, and having our cases, purses and bags laying around us is not a good visual on a photograph. Many times it is unavoidable due to the lack of space. Our most recent job at Robert Morris University presented just that. It was a beautiful chapel with incredible acoustics, but limited space. So, musicians ( violinist and a cellist) had to have their cases right next to them due to the lack of space. Sometimes, we ask if there is a room near by so we can leave our cases there. In this chapel there were none. Again, it is not a major issue in the big picture of wedding preparation, but it does make a photo more attractive without the clutter of our equipment!

After years of  performing as musicians in many different places in Pittsburgh and around it, I think this place has just won an award in our opinion for its’ acoustical gem! I had never suspected that this small, simple, and yet elegant chapel would have such an incredible sound. It was only two of our musicians, cellist and a violist playing for the wedding ceremony, and yet, according to many guest, we sounds as if there were ten of us in the room. It was a pleasant surprise for our musical ears…

A fairly easy to get to hotel in Greensburg, off the PA turnpike. It does have many conference rooms which is where the wedding our musicians played at took place. It looks like a convenient place for guests who travel to weddings from out of town. Plus, the wedding and the receptions were next door to each other. It might not be the most enchanting place, but it is very practical.

Although it is pretty far from Pittsburgh – almost two hours, this place has a great ambiance form 1800′s, a hidden jem in Pennsylvania hills.  The wedding coordinator was probably the best I have ever dealt with.  He was on top of things, had everything set up for the musicians, knew every step of the ceremony and when to cue us – it was fantastic! It always makes our job easier when people such as him are involved. The fountain was also gorgeous, a beautiful spot for a wedding ceremony!

Although we try to keep our web site as informative as possible, at times we are asked questions that are not as common as others. The following list  was started just for that reason. We have compiled less common questions that clients have asked us and provided our answers to each…

Your question: “What if I hire four musicians for my wedding and only three show up?” 

Our answer: Knock on wood, it is yet to happen for our musicians.  We have been playing at weddings and other events for close to twenty years and every musician so far has made it. However, it IS a fair question. In the unlikely event of one of the musicians not making it to the wedding – you will get reimbursement for that portion of the payment and we will still play with the remaining number of musicians, doing our best.  Most of our music can be performed with two musicians and still sound presentable. One of the things we have learned over the years is to give ourselves at least forty five extra minutes when we drive to certain wedding locations, those that are over an hour away from Pittsburgh.  That gives us extra time for traffic, constructions, nap times along the way!

 Your question: “What if my plans changed and the wedding will start later or earlier than I indicated on the contract?”

Our answer: Occasionally, it does happen, and we have encountered such situation several times: our wedding musicians were hired to play at a ceremony starting at 2 pm, and one week prior to the wedding, we were asked to start at 1:30 instead.  If the same musicians are booked to play before or after that wedding and there is enough time for the change, especially traveling time – it won’t be a problem. However, sometimes we might not be able to accommodate such a time change. It also depends on the number of  musicians available at that time.  Sometimes we switch players with their jobs assignments, sending a musician to a different playing job to accommodate clients.  Most often, a change within a half an hour window is very feasible. 

Your question: “Will the musicians’ outfits match the bridesmaids dresses?”

Our answer: Unfortunately, no. We have two choices for our dress codes. One is all black – black top and bottom, such as a black dress or black blouse/black slacks/skirt for women, and a tuxedo for men. Two – white top and black bottom for women and a suit/tie for men. You may always let us know your preference. 

 Your question: ” Is there a limit on how many songs musicians will be able to play during a wedding ceremony? Will I get charged if I want more than just music for the processional and the recessional?”

Our answer: You may choose as many pieces for your ceremony as you like, as long as they do not exceed the length of the agreed time in the contract. In fact, especially for weddings, we try to encourage brides to include music not only for the entrance and the exit of the bride, but throughout the ceremony as well.  The musicians are already there, might as well use them as much as possible.

Your question: “Will I get charged for prelude music, or just for the wedding ceremony”?

Our answer: Any time that the musicians are playing we will charge for.  Wedding Prelude and Postlude ARE parts of the wedding ceremony.  Please make sure to include the time for Prelude and Postlude in our contract. If the wedding starts at 4 pm, and you wish the musicians to play a Prelude beforehand, you may put starting time for musicians as 3:30 or 3:45, depending on how long you wish them to play prior to the ceremony. The same logic applies to Postlude. You may opt out of Prelude and Postlude being played by musicians. In that case, we will play ONLY for the wedding ceremony. 

 Your question: “My event is for two hours,but I only need the musicians to play at the beginning and at the end, with one hour break in between. Do I pay for one hour or for two hours”?

Our answer: Any time that the musicians are at the ” job site” they get paid regardless if they are playing or not.  We have committed that time to a given job and ask to be paid for. 

 Your question: “Am I able to reserve a group while I think about it, without putting any down payment?”

Our answer: Unfortunately, not. The only way to reserve musicians is to put a down payment.  We receive many weekly requests for our availability, and cannot rely on a verbal agreement in case a client changes his/her mind.  In order to accommodate more than one event per day, we need to know for sure which ones of our musicians are booked and which ones are still available.  

 Your question: “My wedding was in October. I received one price quote on a string quartet when I called in January, and a different one when I called in September.  The September quote was a little bit higher. Why is that? 

Our answer: The closer a client contacts us to the date the higher price might be quoted.  At times it is harder to find musicians who will be available on a short notice, especially for our company since we work only with the top professional string musicians and do not hire college level musicians. amateurs, or those with only a few years of experience.  We suggest to contact us at least four weeks prior to your event to book musicians, especially for wedding ceremonies. 
 

This was a nice place for a wedding, with a beautiful fountain in the background. In fact, as our musicians were setting up to play, there were at least three or four wedding parties that drove up to the fountains for the wedding photos. The only downside is absence of shade. We got lucky since the wedding we played at took place at four in the afternoon, and we found a shady place for the instruments. The wedding couple did try to put up a tent for us, but it was put upside down and kept falling down – so we decided against it! There are a few pine trees where we could have been seated, but the sap and bugs were not conducive to playing! Another good thing – plenty of free parking!

Another nice place in the Pittsburgh area for wedding and banquets. A slight negative is parking is your event is during the day. After six in the evening, though – it is free.

Not  only our bird accompanies me when I play at home, but within a last week I found this quartet (quintet if you count the mom) in the tree next to our house – they were so loud when I started playing my viola one day that I had to go and find them. If only I could figure out if they are approving my playing or if they are annoyed by it and in their bird language are begging me to stop!

On a truthful note, we  have no way of distinguishing between true and false facts.  Surely, some of these are true or have nuggets of truth and history in them, especially those having to do with wedding traditions. Nevertheless, they are interesting…

…Did you know that one of the reasons that professional classical musicians wear black forperformances is that it has been found that black color is less distractive to the audience. Studies have found white color to be more disruptive and listeners have harder time concentrating on serious classical music if musicians are wearing white as oppose to black… 

 …Did you know that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe described chamber music (specifically, string quartet music) as “four rational people conversing.” This conversational paradigm has been a thread woven through the history of chamber music composition from the end of the 18th century to the present. The analogy to conversation recurs in descriptions and analyses of chamber music compositions.

…Did you know that it takes at least on average seventy pieces of wood to make a violin?

...Did you know why a wedding ring is worn on the third finger?  It was once believed that a vein of blood ran directly from the third finger on the left hand to the heart. The vein was called vena amori, or the vein of love, and early writings on matrimonial procedure suggested that it would be appropriate for one’s wedding ring to be worn on that special finger. Source: Ever Wonder Why? Douglas B. Smith / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1992

… Did you know that in the 1500′s most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and were still smelling pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.

… Did you know that the second Saturday in September is a popular date for weddings, but not in 2004 when the second Saturday fell on September 11th.  Most couples did not want their wedding anniversary to fall on that date.

… Did you know that a wedding shower originated with a Dutch maiden who fell in love with an impoverished miller.  Her friends “showered” her and her groom with many gifts so the couple could do without her dowry.

 …Did you know that the second Sunday in February each year is World Marriage Day. The National World Marriage Day brochure says that “by 1982, 43 Governors officially proclaimed the day and celebrations spread to U.S. military bases in several foreign countries.”

      … Did you know that classical music affects the brain’s organization and abilities, through its melody and rhythm. The rhythm raises the level of serotonin produced in your brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, involved in the transmission of nerve impulses that helps maintaining joyous feelings. When the brain produces serotonin, tension is eased. In fact depression is a consequence of the scarce production of this hormone. Serotonin is released when the brain is “positively shocked”. For instance: if we look at a splendid painting, smell a delicious scent, feel an extraordinary sensation, eat something delicious or listen to some charming music, then the brain lets off a certain amount of serotonin which arouses and maximizes pleasant feelings. Music’s rhythm can also stimulate other natural cadencies of the body, resembling the heartbeat, or the Alfa-rhythm of the brain, and this effect is used to counter the development of clinical depression. The melody instead, is the “sparkle” that catalyses the creative process in our minds.

I found the PDF file below not long ago… It has some interesting facts on connection between music and education. I am not sure how many of these studies are true, but I do agree with some of them. Double click on the link below to open the PDF file.

Music and Education facts