Planning Party Music

by magnoliajazz on July 14, 2010

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Planning party music? Wedding music? Not the easiest job. But it’s close. Just ask yourself the right questions, and the answers will appear. More in a moment.

I find planning ANYTHING seems to work the same way. First, you need a vision of what you want. That’s easy enough, especially if you’re like this fellow. From what I recall, his kindergarten ambitions way back in East Rockaway focused on cookies and milk, naps, and getting a red crayon during coloring book time.

Not too many years later he was playing trumpet in a zany outfit called the “South Happiness Street Society Skiffle Band”. Photo taken in Toronto at the Mariposa Folk Festival, 1969. From today’s perspective, that fellow’s ambitions weren’t much further developed, just more complex, and with more at stake.

Who could have predicted that six years later I’d be in California, making a living entertaining at elegant celebrations? I love saying “Everything counts”, whenever I look for the “dots” to “connect”, but I confess my journey through life appears at first glance to have followed a haphazard path.

Well I’m sure I had SOME notions of what I hoped the future would bring, but I hesitate to claim that I arrived here according to some grand plan. Who could have planned all THIS? But I exaggerate. Gradually, all along the way, I learned to assess my situation, set an ambition, ask the important questions, and assemble the answers into a plan of action.

So, back to planning, particularly planning party music.

I’ve been helping people plan music for their weddings and parties since 1975, and by now the procedure is simple and straightforward. Just like trying to solve almost ANY problem, asking the right questions is 90% of the solution. Then assembling the answers is just “taking care of the details”.

If you’ve never planned music for a significant event before, the job can appear daunting, but trust me, it needn’t be. The most important first step is Clarify Your Vision. So, at last, what are the right questions? I encourage people to keep it simple and answer just a few, and everything else follows.

What mood do you want for the event? And is it one mood for the entire time, or several moods at different times? For example, a garden party, a wedding ceremony, a cocktail party, and a dinner party, followed by a dance party.
What favorites do you or your guests have? Songs? Musicians? Composers? Singers? Musical styles? Would you like me to recommend more examples in any of these favorite categories?
Do you wish to select every song to be played, or just a few for significant moments?
Are there personal preferences that need to be addressed? Will other people need to be involved in planning the music?
Finally, a few simple practical issues: Is there enough room for the musicians? Do we need electricity for amplification? Do we have time to find or learn new music?

That’s it. Can you suggest another question to include? Please tell me.

The Magnolia Jazz Band helps people planning party music for events throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. I love making a living this way, and if we can ever help you, please call us at 408-245-9120.

Please visit MagnoliaJazz.com for testimonials, music samples, videos, photos, and our public schedule, and catch us at an event soon. Our next OPEN-TO-THE-PUBLIC appearance is on Saturday, July 17, in a dinner party in Hollister, to benefit the San Benito County Homeless Coalition. See details for this event and more on our website.

In the meantime, please join our Facebook “fans”, and you’ll get a reminder for each of our public events. Thanks for reading my blog. Please take a moment to share this post, subscribe, and send me a comment.