FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions associated with our bookings.

How do I book?

To book we ask for 50% of the fee as a deposit, with the balance due 1 day after the date of the event. You’re able to pay either via bank transfer or credit / debit card.

Does the time I’ve booked include set up & pack down?

We do not charge for set up and pack down at either end of the booking. Our agreement with our musicians is that they will usually arrive around 30 minutes before they are due to start playing , in order to set up.

If I’ve booked for 2 hours, is that ‘playing time’ or is that the amount of time they’re booked to be at the venue?

Our quotes / bookings are based on the length of time the musicians are required at the venue (excluding set up & pack down - see question above). Any period in which they are there but not playing (ie during parts of a wedding ceremony) would still count towards the booked time period.

Will the musicians need breaks?

Playing an instrument can be an incredibly tiring activity. The longer the booking is, the longer the breaks each hour will need to be:

1 hour booking: No break needed
2 hour booking - around 2x 45/50 minute sets
3 hour booking - around 3x 40/45 minute sets
4 hour booking - around 4x 35/40 minute sets

If you need to book the musicians for longer than 4 hours, then an extended break may be needed somewhere in the middle - for a better idea of what would be needed for your event, just drop us an email!

When can I submit my song choices?

We start to liaise around song choices etc. around 2 months before the date of the booking. If we haven’t already sent it during the booking process, we will send you over the repertoire list to select from. If they are playing for a wedding ceremony the important songs we need to know are the entrance, signing the register (2 or 3 songs here) and the exit.

Please note that song choices are not possible for a jazz ensemble booking. They play / improvise around the traditional American Jazz Standards and do not take requests as part of their playing.

What will the musician(s) be wearing? Will they be smart?

Our musicians wear smart event appropriate attire for our events (unless otherwise agreed). If you have a specific dress code for your event just let us know. Musicians LOVE getting dressed up!

I’m going away on Honeymoon straight after the wedding, can I pay the balance before the date?

Yes of course! Just drop us a line informing us that you’ve made payment and once received we will send a confirmation of receipt.

Can my musician(s) learn special requests?

We will always endeavour to arrange special requests you have. For soloists it’s normally very easy for them to find the sheet music / learn some requests for you. In the case of string quartets (for example), we have a vast in-house repertoire library to choose from. However, if there are any songs not on there that you would particularly like, please let us know and we will have a look for the sheet music on-line, we can normally find it very cheaply (sometimes for free). For any requests we can’t find the sheet music for, we have a music arranger who can write the sheet music for a small extra fee.

Unfortunately Jazz ensembles aren’t able to learn special requests as their playing is improvised around the traditional American jazz standards.

Can we talk to our musician(s) before the event?

As part of our service, we liaise between client and musician to finesse all the finer details. However if you wanted a phone call before the event to make personal contact with them, we can help arrange that.

What if my musician is ill / cancels at the last minute for any reason?

One of the benefits of booking via an agency is having a ‘safety net’. Very occasionally, unforeseen situations do arise which means we will have to replace a musician leading up to the date of an event. However we have a very large list of musicians all over the country and many years experience in the industry, which means we have a vast list of musicians to call upon if anything were to happen at the last minute. We will do everything we can to make the change as seamless as possible for you.

Will they be local?

We have musicians all over the country so most likely yes (depending on where you are in the country). However don’t worry, we factor in geographical location when we quote, so travel fees etc. will never go up after booking!

What happens on the day if I need to make contact with the musician?

We swap contact phone numbers between everyone leading up to the event, so if for whatever reason you need to contact the musician on the day then you will have their phone number (which should be your first port of call). We also give you an out of office hours contact number during the booking process so we are on hand to assist should that be required.

What happens if I need to change a part of my booking?

We will endeavour to accommodate any changes to the booking that you may require. The closer it gets to the date the harder it can be, so please do let us know as soon as you possibly can if any changes may need to be made.

Why do the musicians need to be in shade when they play?

Certain instruments, like string instruments, can get damaged even if they are just exposed to direct sunlight. Our musicians instruments can be very expensive indeed so they are understandably very protective of them. We strongly advise, considering the unpredictable weather in this country, that total cover for them is provided as a contingency. For example, the shade of a tree would suffice in sunny conditions, but not in wet conditions. If our musicians feel that their instruments will be damaged due to the conditions / effectiveness of the cover provided, they won’t get their instruments out of their cases and the fee would be payable in full.

Do string quartets bring amplification?

String ensembles don’t usually have access to a PA system so if amplification is required, that will need to be provided for them. It isn’t usually needed, but if you think there is a possibility they will be lost against a rowdy crowd, we can advise.

Do you have public liability insurance (PLI) and has all electrical equipment undergone a portable appliance test (PAT).

Some venues require any visiting suppliers to have PLI and that any electrical equipment used has undergone PAT. Neither of the above is a problem but if that is a requirement of your venue, please let us know asap so we can make a note of this.

Will the pianist bring their own keyboard to play on?

If there isn’t a piano at the venue for them to use, we can engage a pianist who is able to bring a portable piano / keyboard with them. Please let us know during the booking process if this is a requirement.

When will we know who is coming to perform for us?

We engage musicians on events around 3 months before the date, from experience we have found this the ‘sweet spot’ to avoid and changes between booking and the date of the event.