Midnight Productions Presents:
"The Soundtrack to Your Wedding"
| Congratulations on your engagement! This page provides a wealth of information about Wedding entertainment, Please print this page right away and place it in your wedding information packet. Whether you decide to work with us or not, it is more common than you think to book a band at the last minute and we can provide you with a phenomenal band within hours of a request. It's never too late to book high-quality live music and we wouldn't want you saying, "wait a minute, what was that one company?" For immediate services, please text me with your details at 619.823.3256 Are you seeking high quality musicians and live entertainment for your wedding, reception or other special event? Look no further! We provide a COMPLETE package: The best live Jazz, Classical, Blues and Swing musicians in Southern California Midnight Productions would like to introduce you to the most exciting entertainers in Southern California, We feature the BEST Jazz musicians in Southern California. We only represent full-time, working musicians who have performed at countless weddings, special events, benefits and national venues. Our musicians are guaranteed to give you the best entertainment you can find in Southern California, working and touring musicians who are sought after individually and yet enjoy performing at events like yours! Midnight Productions' founder, David Patrone has performed countless weddings and knows what it takes to make it special. His philosophy is simple, "One mistake that most professional entertainers make when performing a wedding is failing to focus on the family. When bands play in clubs, they're promoting themselves, the club or even some product or sponsor. Most performers aren't accustomed to tailoring the focus of the entertainment to the family. The Bride, Groom and their guests are the focus of a wedding reception. It's the entertainer's job to ensure that everything moves in the right direction." Some typical questions that clients ask David about weddings are answered below: 1. How specific will the contract
be and what if we have to make a last minute change? How specific will the contract be and what if we have to make a last minute change? Our wedding contracts (agreements) don’t always include specific times or schedules because wedding schedules tend to change between the time we write the agreement and the day of the wedding. It’s a hassle for everyone to constantly revise a contract due to minor changes. We also don’t want you to feel like we’re going to force you to stick to specific times if there are changes on the day of the event. Basically, we are there to provide a full service whether your wedding is on schedule or not. Times on our agreements tend to be vague so that we can facilitate any changes without having to rewrite and re-sign contracts. Timing isn’t a big factor for nighttime events since we don't plan on making another commitment late in the evening. Conversely, events that conclude in the afternoon or early evening tend to be more specific because we'll often schedule another event later that night. If we don't have another commitment to make, we'll often offer continued services for an additional fee if you desire to extend your event for a significant amount of time (45min or more). This is uncommon for weddings but not unusual for corporate or other private events. What types of entertainment services does the typical wedding have? Jazz
Quartet with or without Vocals: Is solo piano enough for the wedding ceremony? We’ve provided full service entertainment for hundreds of weddings in the last 10 years. I’ve tried several approaches and I prefer a simplistic approach to ceremony music. My pianists are experienced in a wide variety of Classical, Spiritual and Jazz selections which are the most appropriate for the space of time before, during and immediately after the ceremony. For example, there will be a natural breaks in time between the end of the ceremony and the cocktail reception and the cocktail reception and dinner reception. This will provide a sufficient time for the pianist to move his keyboard to the cocktail area where the rest of the musicians will be already set up. The break in background music will create a natural tendency for guests to move away from the ceremony area to the cocktail area, where the trio will begin to play. We also provide recorded background music during any and all breaks in live music. Why not have the full quartet play the ceremony? The type of music which the pianist will be playing for the pre-ceremony, ceremony and post ceremony doesn’t require bass or drums and the seating process and ceremony work better if there isn’t a distracting centerpiece like a full band. A lone piano player is unobtrusive and doesn’t call attention that might distract guests when the focus should be the wedding party and the ceremony. Additionally, it is less distracting to move a keyboard than it is to move an entire band when transitioning to the cocktail reception. If the entire event is happening in roughly the same area, we may try to set the band and sound equipment in the same place for all of the services. When we look at the location, we’ll work out the best arrangement for the space and the logistics of the event. We also provide other options for the Wedding ceremony such as brass or strings. Why not have vocals during the cocktail hour? The cocktail hour is the first opportunity that most guest have to converse and get acquainted with each other. Vocals tend to draw more attention to the band. I think it’s more appropriate for the band to prove more of a background ambiance during this time. I also like to use this time to familiarize myself with the Mother and Father of the Bride and Groom as well as the wedding party. I’ve experienced that it is much better to do this after the ceremony when the stressful anticipation has subsided. If I am going to announce the wedding party, I also use this time to coordinate the order of the bridal party and go over any potentially difficult name pronunciations. When will the band take breaks and how many will they take? I normally have the band breaks during times when the band wouldn’t play anyway (during toasts, announcements, cake cutting or the bouquet toss). If the band has been playing for about an hour with no break, I will usually give them a fifteen minute break. During this time I will play a background music selection from a CD or from my computer. The transition is virtually unnoticeable. Can you learn a specific or special song for our wedding? Learning new songs is the everyday routine for any accomplished musician. We'll learn and perform any song that you want for a special occasion. Make sure that you mention this so that we have time to learn and adapt the song to our style. Obviously we're not going to erupt into a rendition of a heavy metal favorite but we'll do our best to incorporate your favorite into a rendition that we can perform in a way that honestly represents our style. What about the stage and/or the lights? In most wedding venues, staging is provided by the venue and band lighting is not necessary. Staging is usually not necessary but in some instances it makes a substantial improvement in the presentation. For our style of music we don't usually need an elaborate lighting presentation, although it certainly makes a difference. Our DJs can provide some special lighting (strobes, flashers and fog) in order to create a dance-floor atmosphere; however, the band doesn't need that type of lighting to successfully provide appropriate entertainment. In most wedding situations, the reception room is not equipped with, nor will it need an elaborate nightclub style lighting array. If we think it would be necessary to provide this, we will discuss it with you and demonstrate the difference in service. Many venues are already equipped with extensive lighting equipment and will provide their own lighting technicians. All of these aspects are enhancements to the entertainment and will usually incur an additional expense. Although they may not be necessary, it is ultimately up to you to decide the level of service you desire. What other services do you provide? Other services are unlimited; however, one of the more common additions that we provide include professional dance lessons for the Bride and Groom (or even the entire wedding party). Frequently a Bride and Groom have amazed the room with a special dance after secretly taking a few lessons from one of our favorite instructors. We can also add performance dancers or dance instructors during the event. There are many types of presentations that we offer from tribal fire dancers to a fully choreographed swing session. Special performances from any of the many dance troupes in Southern California can uniquely energize your event and tantalize your guests to "get outside the box". You can imagine the photo opportunities that this provides! We also offer references to other wedding service providers that we have worked with. After playing hundreds of weddings, a few specialists tend to distinguish themselves over and over. We'll get you in touch with the ones that have impressed us. Even if you don't hire us, we'll point you in the right direction. We know how confusing it can be to sort through the endless barrage of marketing. We know the folks who consistently deliver the best services. David Patrone Productions also represents other musicians in Southern California. We're dedicated to bringing the highest quality musicians to any special event. We know that we're providing "The Soundtrack to Your Wedding." We focus on representing professional, talented musicians who consistently provide top quality entertainment. David is serious about providing the best entertainment available, “When selecting a band or DJ for a wedding or special event, it's essential to utilize an experienced leader. I've found that even an excellent band isn't a guarantee for a great performance when dealing with the complicated aspects of a unique event. Experienced wedding coordinators and entertainers know the type of last-minute changes that typically arise during these events. Unfortunately, many entertainment booking agencies will recommend the band or DJ who they can pay the least and charge the most for. It’s a tragedy to see this, especially at a once-in-a-lifetime occasion like a wedding. We won't represent an entertainer unless they are talented, experienced and professional. Out of respect for the musicians and the client, we don't take excessive booking fees As musicians ourselves, we appreciate the unscrupulous nature of this practice. We disclose all fees to the entertainers we hire. Ask any booking agent (even for a DJ) if they do that. Most bands or DJ's will be shocked to find out that they are getting paid less than half of the fee that you (the client) are being charged. I know, it's happened to me several times. One of the main reasons I started Midnight Productions was to keep this from happening to myself and to other musicians." For more information on booking,
www.davidpatrone.com/promo.asp
Otherwise, please feel free to give us a call and we will ensure that you have the best entertainment possible for your wedding. Outstanding references are available upon request. We also accept Visa, MasterCard, The Discover Card, American Express, and E-Checks online through PayPal.
David Patrone
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