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What are the advantages of using a live
band ?
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Live music provides
energy and excitement with a visual impact that simply
cannot be duplicated with recorded music. We create a mood that gets your guests
dancing and makes the party one to remember! Although
many talented DJs exist and provide musical variety, all
of the music is played from CDs or other formats.
Even though some would argue that their favorite songs
are played from "original" recordings, the
music often comes across as "canned" and
uneventful. In contrast, there is an energy, a
vitality, a freshness, and a connection to your guests
generated through a live musical group. The keys
to a memorable event are the sights and sounds generated
as the celebration unfolds. A live band is
stimulating -- it is visual, original, active, able to generate
energy that the audience can feel, and composed of a
group of "real" musicians that your guests can
celebrate with.
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| How do I find
out if the band is available for my event date ? |
| Please
e-mail us at
Matt
Ferrante or call 412-362-5266 to see if Modern Times is
available on your event date. |
| Can I see the
band live to help me decide whether to book you
? |
| Maybe :) Since the vast majority of our jobs are private events,
we need to get
permission from our current clients for you to
view us at an event. Keep in mind that we
customize each event to the client's needs and
may not play the same material that we would
at your affair. Most people make an
informed choice about the band after viewing
our video, reading our
literature and client testimonials, contacting
previous clients for references. |
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How far away
from Pittsburgh do you travel ?
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| We
normally travel within 100 miles of Pittsburgh. |
| Do you perform
for wedding ceremonies ? |
| We have
many options for ceremonies, including flute,
vocalist, trumpet, woodwind and brass quartet, and
piano. Please note: We usually perform ceremonies as part of
complete wedding reception packages. |
| How soon
before my event date must I commit to booking
Modern Times ? |
| Most of our clients book the
band at least 10 months prior to their
events. But regardless of your date, the only
way to find out is to ask. |
| What should I
expect after booking Modern Times for my event ? |
| You will receive an
Information Sheet approximately two months
before your function. This will be our guide for being the
master of ceremonies and should be completed and sent back
us to the best of
your ability. Please keep in mind that any
master of ceremony duties performed by us must
be within the time frame that the band is
playing. We will contact you the week before
your event to discuss every detail from
special dances, song requests, things you want
and things you do not want. We are always
happy to answer questions before that
time if needed.
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| Do you set up your
equipment quietly so my guests are not disturbed
? |
| We set up the bulk of our
equipment (sound system, etc.) approximately
90 minutes before the band begins, ensuring
that your party is not disrupted. Some band
members with minimal equipment arrive an hour before
start time. Vocalists and musicians with only
hand-carried bags may arrive a few minutes before
starting. We make every effort to get to the stage area
via the most discreet path, with absolute sensitivity to
your guests. As one or more of us regularly work more
than one engagement on a given day. Please notify us at
least one month in advance if you
require an earlier setup or a change in the
starting time. |
| Is it
customary to feed the band ? |
| In
almost all cases, if you are having the band
play for 2-4 hours or more and plan to serve a
meal, it is customary to feed the
entertainers. If you are having a very
elaborate affair, you do not necessarily need
to serve the entertainers the same meal you are
providing for your
guests. |
| Do
I tip the musicians ? |
|
While it is not required that you tip the
musicians or group, as with other service
provider it is customary to tip if you are very
pleased with the service you receive. |
| Is it okay
if a guest sits in to perform with the band ?
|
| We are happy to have close
friends or relatives of the party's hosts join
the band on stage. To make sure it fits within
your plans, we require that you approve guest
musicians. We also recommend that you notify
us prior to the event so we can fully prepare
to support your guest musician. |
| How do you
manage volume levels? |
| Modern Times works to keep
overall volume levels to a reasonable level,
emphasizing vocal and instrumental clarity.
Your guests don't want our music hindering
their conversations, and we're sensitive to
balancing the venue's acoustics with your
audience's energy level. If, during the event,
you ever think we are either too loud or too
soft, just let us know - we'll accommodate
you! |
| Can you do
special announcements such as my bridal party's
entrance ? |
| We offer complete emcee
services at no extra charge. In addition to
handling your special announcements, we keep
to your event’s agenda, actively guiding and
engaging your guests the entire time we are
onstage. For bridal parties, we work with you
to ensure proper name pronunciation. In all
cases, we discuss your needs ahead of time to
ensure that we understand your requirements.
Our years of experience working with caterers,
party planners, DJ’S, photographers,
videographers and florists will ensure that
your party runs as smoothly as possible. |
| Do you play
during dinner and cocktails ? |
| You have the option of
having a duo, solo or trio perform for
cocktail hour and/or ceremony if wanted.
(Separate purchase) Consider enhancing your
dinner and cocktail periods with the ambiance
of subtle background music. Our expert
musicians have years of experience playing
pleasing jazz, classics, and standards. |
| What are
your staging requirements ? |
|
If there is not a stage at
your function, we would suggest putting up
risers when available . This will improve your
guests enjoyment of the band and will allow
those not dancing to see and hear the
performance.
Small Band
recommended size 12' x 16' minimum 8' x 12 ‘
Big Band
recommended size 16' x 24' minimum 12' x 16'
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| How many
breaks do you take ? |
| The band takes two
20-minute breaks during a standard four hour
performance. We play appropriate digitally recorded music
during our breaks. If you intend to provide
your own break music for us to play on CD or IPod,
please let us know in advance. |
| What types
of music do you play ? |
| One of our greatest
strengths is that Modern Times has a very
diverse repertoire, with styles that include
contemporary pop, 70s-80s rock, jazz
standards, swing, Latin, Motown, ethnic
dances, and much more (see our song list for details). Our skilled,
experienced musicians perform all material
with authenticity and precision. |
| Do you play
songs not included on your song list ? |
|
Our published song list
represents only a portion of our complete
repertoire, so we may already know a song you
want. If we don't know it, we specialize in
learning new material just for you.
Because we
want to be accommodating to everyone that we
work with, we have set up the following
criteria for songs not on our list.
If we do not already know
the song, we are happy to give you one
special
request per function.
We will
need the sheet music and a digital recording of
the song six weeks before the event. Some good
resources for sheet music are Volkweins
Music store (1-800-553-8742),and
sheetmusicplus.com. If
sheet music is not available, we would
suggest an alternative song, or could play
the actual compact disc.
Occasionally, we must turn
down a request. Some reasons why would be:
graphic or offensive lyrics, computerized
music, out of
range, very obscure, etc. We would again
suggest an alternative song.
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| How many
songs do you play during a typical event ? |
| At a typical event, the band
plays 40-45 songs. This assumes that the band
is hired for four hours, and plays three
sets, separated by two short breaks. For continuous
music, professionally recorded CD's are played on
breaks. |
| Do you play
ethnic music ? |
| If requested, we have a number of ethnic
songs in our repertoire, including Jewish,
Italian, Irish and Polish. We can also learn
special songs for your event. If you need a
more substantial amount of ethnic music, we
suggest that you provide your own CDs for us
to play during our breaks. |
| Can
guests request songs during your performance ? |
| We do accept special
requests during performances from you or your
guests. We are careful to ensure that
requested songs are consistent with the hosts'
desires, and appropriate for the event. If
desired, take our song list and highlight some
selections that you definitely want played and
scratch off songs that you do not want to
hear. Include the song list with your
information sheet. We also ask that you trust
our professional expertise in determining when
to play these songs. |
| Are the
musicians genuine professionals ? |
| The Modern Times musicians
are true professionals, most of whom derive
their entire income from performing, teaching
and recording music. They have performed and
recorded with numerous national artists, and
are considered by their peers to be among the
best talent in the Pittsburgh area. You can be
comfortable that the expertise of the Modern
Times musicians will give you a polished,
enthusiastic music performance. |
| What
are your payment arrangements ? |
|
We generally ask for a
50% deposit:
25% due on the date of
booking and 25% due either six months after
the date is booked or six months before the
event, whichever comes first.
Balances can be paid in any
of the following ways:
CASH the day of the
engagement, given to Matt Ferrante;
OR
Check or money order
payable
to Matt Ferrante the day of engagement.
Checks made out
to Modern Times cannot be accepted!
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