Different is Good

A few weeks ago, I received a call from Monica from the Tuxtown tuxedo rental shop. Excitedly, told me that she would be launching a full-service wedding boutique in a few weeks and wanted me to perform at the grand opening! The date was Valentine's Day, a day she hoped to attract many couples that are headed to the altar.

Monica's new store, the Wedding Emporium, is located in the Carson Mall in Carson City, Nevada. I was looking forward to performing inside her new one-stop shop for tuxedos, bridal gowns, and photography. But when I arrived, Monica said, "There's a stage set up in the middle of the shopping mall. I think it would be much better for you to perform there, where everyone will see you, instead of inside my shop."

It wasn't what I expected--A lone harpist on a big stage inside of a mall? That was okay for the jazz band, which was packing up when I approached the stage, but wouldn't I get lost up there? Would anyone see or hear the harp? Would anyone be paying attention?

As it turned out, the shopping mall was fairly quiet, even with complimentary chocolate-covered strawberries handed out to patrons who roamed about on this Valentine's Day. For a harpist, quiet is a good thing. The harp music reverberated throughout the mall, and people gathered to take seats in front of the stage as I played a mix of Celtic music and modern popular love songs (view my complete repertoire list to get an idea of what I played).

Shoppers approached the edge of the stage and asked for requests, and I sold CDs that they wanted autographed. Even Monica could hear me performing as the harp music wafted into her store. When I finished playing, she bought CDs to sell to her own customers and took a large stack of brochures to pass on to brides-to-be.

Originally, I had an odd picture in my head of being ignored on a big stage in the middle of a mall, for I am a solo musician, not a band. Happily, I was wrong.

Tips for Retail Store Owners:

These are hard economic times, and that means you may need to be a bit creative about getting shoppers into your store. Many shop owners attract customers by discounting prices on selected items by 50% or more. Instead, what if you invested in a musician to draw a crowd?

In the above story, Monica didn't slash prices at all, but even on a quiet shopping day, brides were parading into her store. Of course, she sent a press release to the local paper. She also handed out fliers to other colleagues in her wedding networking group, Weddings of the West. She cooperated with other stores in the mall, too, and they all got the word out.

You could host your own musical events. I have seen a Hawaiian luau band playing in Trader Joe's grocery stores, pianists performing in music stores, string quartets in hotel lobbies, and jazz trios playing inside mall food courts. Take a cue from the folks at Disneyland-they have live music at all their eateries and even outside of shops where people are milling about. Music serves to make patrons linger, and if they linger, they are more apt to buy.

Tips for Musicians:

Don't be afraid to take on a different gig than you're used to playing. If you have never played in a department store, in a shopping mall, in a music store, in a bridal shop, or even inside a grocery store, maybe it's time to give it a try.

Sure, you may need to offer a discount off of your regular performance fees to land these gigs, but if you have CDs to sell, you will make it up in sales. Plus, you just never know who may pick up your business card and give you a call later for a much more lucrative gig. At the very least, you'll get some free promotion.

Go where you are apt to meet future clients. If you primarily play at weddings, approach bridal salons, jewelry stores, cake shops, etc., and see about performing in these retail outlets to gain exposure to brides who may want to hire you. If you primarily teach music lessons, approach full-service music stores to demonstrate how wonderful their sale instruments can sound with proper practice (you might even win yourself a spot teaching in that store, too). If you have your CDs commercially available, you can also perform in bookstores that are willing to stock your CDs. Actually, performing anywhere that people can sit down and take a listen to you can attract new fans, customers, and clients.

Many more tips are available from my book "The Musician's Guide to Brides". This book is written primarily for wedding musicians, but it's also filled with advice about marketing, advertising, and promoting your business as a working musician. It's available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, Amazon.com, and of course, at my website at www.celticharpmusic.com.

I'm looking forward to reading your feedback about performing in retail stores.

Cheers, Anne :-)

Anne Roos
Celtic Harp Music by Anne Roos
(And contact me at celticharpmusic@yahoo.com for personal consultation and mentoring-Make a living while gigging)

A Musical School Performance is a Real Education

I visited Minden Elementary School in Minden, Nevada to give a presentation to 4th-6th grade students. But before attending, I supplied Ms. B, the teacher who invited me, with a complete lesson plan. It included what I was planning to teach: an introduction to the Celtic harp in Renaissance England and Ireland, along with a full discussion of the culture and music from that period.

I dressed in full Renaissance period costume (appropriate for a
middle-class musician from that time), and I brought plenty of sheet
music with me, just in case I ran out of what I planned to play.

When I arrived, three boys helped me bring my equipment into the
multi-purpose room where the assembly would be held. Ms. B
even assigned a young lady by the name of Kai, to make an
introduction to the students before I began my presentation.

There were some 200 students gathered. After explaining about
the culture and dress of the 1500s, I performed the following tunes,
with plenty of explanation in between:

1. Early Music-3 French Dances
2. Written by King Henry VIII-"Pastyme With Good Company"
3. Can they name this tune?--"Greensleeves"
4. O'Carolan's music:
"Shebeg & Shemore"
"Planxty George"
"Carolan's Draught"
5. Renaissance Dances:
"My Lady Carey's Dompe"
"Galliard"
"Epping Forest"--waltz
"Abbots Bromley Horn Dance" and
"The Green Man"-Double jigs
"Considine's Grove"-Hornpipe
"Princess Royal"--Hornpipe
6. Can they tell the difference between which is an air and which is a march?
"Carrickfergus" and "Brian Boru's March"

Encore:
"The Water Kelpie"

I instructed the children to hold their questions to the end of the
assembly, and there was a question/answer period the last ten or
fifteen minutes before my hour was up.

Next, I was lead into the library, where I did an additional
presentation for Ms. B's and Ms. Moyer's 6th grade classes. The
students had prepared questions for me to answer as part of their
"Music and Arts Lecture Series". They wanted to know what it was
like to be a working musician, and they asked questions like "Why
did you want to play the harp?", "Where are harps made?", "Where
do you perform?", and "Do you feel unique because you play the
harp?". I finished off the round of thoughtful questions with a few
more tunes.

Next, cookies, chips, and lemonade were served in the library and
they had "Meet and Greet". The kids thanked me and excused
themselves to get snacks. They mixed and mingled like adults at a
cocktail party! The students were all so well-behaved, and it was a
joy to perform for them.

View some great photos in the photo gallery on my website.

Tips for School Teachers and Principals:

Bringing in musical talent for performances and educational
presentations does not have to be a budget-breaker. By utilizing
the local talent in your community, you won't need to provide them
with accommodations or food. Furthermore, musicians are usually
booked up on evenings and weekends, so their schedules are more
open on weekdays and may pass along a discount to you.

Zero in on exactly what they will be teaching and how that
information or performance will fit into your present curriculum. It is
common to ask for a lesson plan and references. However, if you
require musicians to jump through too many hoops to be
considered (submitting lengthy applications, panel interviews, extensive
press kits, etc.), some musicians my simply decide against
applying in the first place.

Once you have invited a musician for an assembly, prepare the
students for the visit. A great idea is to have the students prepare
questions to ask the musician ahead of the visit, as in the above
example. And afterwards, the children can write essays about
what they learned from the visit. Of course, children who have
behavior issues should be warned or simply weeded out of the
classes who attend the assembly.

Take photos and movies of the presentation to share on school
websites and with parents. Make it a big event. Show that you
support the arts in your community. And keep in touch with the
musicians afterwards--They love to hear how their presentations
were received.

Tips for Musicians:

If you are great with kids and have something to teach and share
about your instrument and your music, consider offering school
presentations as a wonderful way to supplement your income and
do something special for your local community. In fact, there are
many musicians who travel to perform for schools far and wide-
performing for kids is their specialty.

The first step to performing in schools is to contact your local
school districts and find out what their requirements are. Some will
simply instruct you to contact individual school principals to see
about their interest, needs and budget. Larger school districts may
have an arts program in place. In these cases, there will be an
application/interview process before you are even considered.

Hone in on what you can offer to kids. Do a Google search on
"lesson plans" and use those outlines and examples to create
some lessons that tie in with your musical performance. Schools
will want to know what you'll be teaching, and sample lesson plans
provide the format for conveying this information to them.

Finally, include a discount for local schools. We need the arts in
our communities, and children need to see people up-close-and-
personal performing for them.

Many more tips are available from my book "The Musician's Guide
to Brides". This book is written primarily for wedding musicians,
but it's also filled with advice about marketing, advertising, and
promoting your business as a working musician. It's available
wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and
through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com,
Amazon.com, and of course, at my website at
www.celticharpmusic.com

I'm looking forward to reading your feedback about performing at
school events.

Cheers, Anne :-)

Anne Roos Celtic Harp Music by Anne Roos

Bridal Fair Madness!

Once or twice a year, I purchase a booth and exhibit at a bridal fair. I do my homework. I make sure that the bridal fair has had high attendance in past shows, I interview other exhibitors from past shows to find out if they had a good experience, and I make sure my booth will be far away from the booths of other musicians, entertainers, and DJs.

I exhibited at the 21st Annual Fantasy Wedding Faire in Reno,
Nevada, produced by the American Heart Association, perhaps
against my better judgment. Why? Because I broke my own
cardinal rule: Never exhibit in the same room as a fashion show. I
signed up for this show because several other wedding service
colleagues had participated in previous years and successfully
booked a number of weddings from the brides who attended.

The event was held in the Silver State Pavilion at the huge Grand
Sierra Resort. Very spacious and comfortable--the room was well
suited for a bridal fair. Set up was a breeze, with easy load-in, but I
didn't count on walking into DJ Bill McClain's loading cart when I
was setting up. Scraped up my foot! Ouch! Maybe it was a bad
omen?

My booth was located on the opposite wall from the fashion show,
as far away from the fashion show as I could possibly be. But once
the doors opened and the brides entered, I discovered my booth
was beneath five PA speakers in the ceiling. These speakers
belched constant announcements for raffle ticket prizes,
descriptions of dresses and models in the fashion show, and
annoying fashion show music at an astounding volume. Anyone
approaching my booth had to yell to converse with me. And of
course, no one could hear my poor little harp-my amp was no
match against those giant speakers. It was no way to introduce
my services to brides.

I commonly book weddings at bridal fairs, because I always offer a
10% discount to brides who decide to hire me at the fair. But this
show was quite the exception, when people could barely converse
with me. Or perhaps, it was a sign of our economy that a larger
discount needed to be offered for landing bookings at bridal fairs? I
may never know.

At least I do know that many brides were interested in my services,
because they waited in line to talk with me, even though they had
to shout over the din. More than 100 brochures left my table that
day. And I'll be in touch with those who entered my drawing for a
free wedding CD, too.

The networking opportunities were endless. Two very generous
florists donated flower displays for my booth: Hattie Reed from Art
in Bloom and another floral arrangement from Floral Expressions &
Events. I met Kathleen from the Harbor House at Sand Harbor
Beach, Lake Tahoe, and learned about their wonderful wedding
facilities. Maybe she'll start recommending me to brides getting
married there. Kristy Hawke who produces the Nevada Women's
Expo also introduced herself to me. Adjacent to my booth was
Andy and Jennifer from The Pampered Chef and along with my
friends Rolf and Eileen from Starling Video , helped watch my booth
when I had to take a break.

So, even if a bridal fair may look like a total washout on the surface,
the connections between the brides and the exhibitors can make it
well worth attending!

Tips for Brides:

Bridal fairs aren't just about checking out the bridal fashions,
sampling cakes, and winning door prizes. Go there with the idea to
hire your wedding vendors at the show. Here's why: most wedding
services offer budget-saving discounts if you decide to book them
right then and there. Bring your checkbook or credit card, an
envelope for your receipts, and your fiancé, mom, and others to
help you make decisions. If they cannot attend, bring along a cell
phone so that you can call them from the show and help you
decide.

Don't want to make quick decisions at the fair? Then bring
something to take notes. Don't be caught without any way to write
down quotes from a potential ceremony site, florist, or musician.

Also prepare a sheet of address labels, and write your email
address and phone number onto those labels before you attend the
fair. At each booth, you may find a drawing for a prize like a free
honeymoon, free flowers, dinner for two at a restaurant, or a
substantial discount off of particular services. Instead of wasting
your time filling out forms for each drawing, just affix the address
stickers to each entry form you encounter and move along to the
next booth.

Follow up with those you meet after the bridal fair while their
wedding services are still fresh in your mind. The more generous
wedding vendors may extend their bridal fair discounts a few days
beyond the fair, especially if you hit it off well with them. But if you
wait weeks or months, not only will you be paying full price, you
may also find that they are no longer available on your wedding
date.

Tips for Musicians:

Exhibiting at bridal fairs is a huge monetary and time commitment.
The booth price alone is not the only monetary factor-having
brochures and promotional materials pre-printed, electricity for your
booth, and other booth amenities will add to that cost. And you
must plan to perform in your booth. The only way brides will fall in
love with the idea of hiring you for their wedding or reception is to
see you in action, as if they would see you at their wedding. You
may need to put in some extra rehearsal time with your ensemble
before the day of the bridal show.

When choosing to buy booth space at a local bridal fair, you can
ask all the right questions of the fair promoter, hear that the fair was
successful previous years from other wedding vendors, and the
event can still stink. All it takes is for the fair to be poorly attended
(perhaps due to lack of advertising or bad weather), or even
something like being placed under a string of loud speakers, as in
the above example. But there are always other wedding colleagues
to meet, and they could be in the position to send you a lot of work
in the future-the silver lining to participating in a bridal fair.

If a wedding fair was truly a washout for you, look at it rationally and
decide what you could have done differently to make it a better
experience. That's what I'm doing about my experience at this last
wedding fair. Should I be involved with another bridal fair that has a
fashion show in the same building? Should I offer a larger discount
to brides who consider booking my services at the wedding fair,
because of this down economy? Should I make a formal complaint
to the fair producers about being placed under the PA speakers or
should I not bother at all? These are some questions I'm
pondering.

I've only touched on a few of the intricacies of participating in a bridal fair
in this blog. I devote an entire chapter to this subject (including
negotiating booth prices, setting up your booth, etc.) in my book
"The Musician's Guide to Brides" available wherever Hal Leonard
Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers
including sheetmusicplus.com, Amazon.com, and of course, at my
website at Celtic Harp Music by Anne Roos.

I'm looking forward to reading your stories, comments, and
feedback. And if you have something new to add about your bridal
fair experiences, I'd love to hear them.

Sending my best, Anne :-)

Going With the Flow

Alex started planning her wedding almost a year in advance. She
met me at the Dream Wedding Show a popular Sacramento area
bridal fair, and decided right then and there to book my services.

She planned to have me perform for the wedding ceremony and
cocktail service at the reception. When Alex booked me, she
informed me that it was all at the Lions Gate Hotel.

When I spoke with Alex a week before her wedding to confirm her
wedding details, she told me that the Chapel was not next to the
reception ballroom, and I would need to load my equipment and
drive to the reception after the ceremony. She said, "I'll email you a
map."

Well, the map never came to me, but I figured it was a hotel, and all
I needed to do was to go to the registration desk and ask where the
chapel was located. Even the website for the hotel showed the
chapel and the hotel on the same grounds.

I was wrong. I had no idea where the chapel was, and I phoned the
bridal party while I was en route to the ceremony. The bride's cell
phone was handed off to her uncle, who met me at the entrance to
the Lions Gate complex, and I followed him in his big pickup truck to
the chapel.

I was still there in plenty of time, and with my roadie Ben's help, I
got settled quickly and was ready to play. Pastor Tom gave me all
my cues upon my arrival, and the DJ, Terry Stewart , even volunteered
to patch my harp microphone into his speaker system.

Alex loves the sound of the Celtic Harp and wanted to weave a
mixture of holiday music, Renaissance music, and Irish and
Scottish favorites into her ceremony. Here's what I played (for more
information on these songs, check out my repertoire list.

Pre-Ceremony Seating Music:
1. "What Child Is This"
2. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
3. "Rorate" (Scottish Christmas Carol)
4. "Pastorale" from Corelli's "Christmas Concerto"
5. "O Come, O Come Emmanuel""
6. "Pie Jesu"
7. "All Through the Night" (traditional Welsh)
8. "O Holy Night"
9. "Heart's Cry" from "Riverdance"
10. "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming"
11. "The Holly and the Ivy"

Seating of bride and groom's parents:
"Kelvin Grove" (traditional Scottish)
Wedding Party of 4 Bridesmaids and 1 Flower girl:
"Simple Gifts"
Bride's Entrance:
Pachelbel's "Canon in D"

There was no music played during the ceremony, and the bride's
cousin played Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" on the chapel organ for the
recessional.

As soon as the wedding party had walked back up the aisle and
was outside the chapel for photos, Ben helped me pack up and I
was off to the reception. Fortunately, someone was kind enough to
post signs so that we could find the ballroom, or I'd probably have
to pick up the phone and call Alex's Uncle again!

Terry had recorded music playing in the ballroom as guests began
to arrive, allowing me time to set up. When I was tuned up, he
turned down his music, and I started to play a variety of rousing
Celtic tunes, as Alex had instructed.

After Alex and her new husband, Rob, entered the room under a
sword arch, Terry announced that guests at certain tables could
proceed to the buffet line. This wasn't his only announcement. I
would play for five or ten minutes, then Terry would give me the
signal to stop, and he'd make another table announcement, then I'd
resume playing. There were more than 150 guests in attendance,
so he made these announcements a number of times. It was a
delicate balance of respecting Terry's cues and his respecting that I
was on the clock to continue performing.

This arrangement was fine with me. Terry was easy to work with,
and we were both there to please the bride and groom. This was
exactly how Alex wanted things to flow, so who was I to have an
ego about it all?

When my time was up, I thanked and congratulated Alex and Rob
and said my good-byes to Terry. Alex's uncle stopped me as I was
leaving. He beamed, "I will have a wonderful story to share for
years about escorting the harpist to Alex's wedding!"

Tips for Brides:

With all the planning in the world, little things can be left forgotten
just days before your wedding day. In the above example, it was
the map for the harpist. I ran under the assumption that the map wasn't
so necessary and I would find the location, but not even a GPS
would have helped me, as the chapel didn't have a separate
address.

How do you remember all these wedding details? Write them down
and follow through with everything you plan to provide for your
wedding vendors. Delegate when it becomes too burdensome.
Give other people tasks, like making maps to the ceremony and
reception sites. Or simply hire a wedding coordinator to help you
out--It's money well spent if you and your wedding party want to be
completely free of overseeing all the nitty gritty wedding details.

Tips for Musicians:

Make that call to your clients one week before the gig. Go through
all the wedding details-location, arrival time, and balance due,
everything on your performance agreement. You'll be amazed, but
every once in a while, a necessary piece of information will come
up in that conversation that you never heard before. For instance,
the time of the ceremony may have changed and the bride
completely forgot to inform you.

Keep in mind that things can still go awry, even if you have had this
pre-date conversation. Something can even change at the wedding
rehearsal. This is the reason why you also need to check in with
the officiant and wedding coordinator as soon as you arrive.

Just go with the flow if things unfold differently than what you
expected. Being escorted by a man in a big pickup truck to a wedding
site is certainly not what I expected. Nor did I think that the DJ at
the reception would periodically interrupt me. I didn't panic. Really,
it was all fun.

Many more tips are available from my book "The Musician's Guide
to Brides" available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and
bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com,
Amazon.com, and of course, at my website at www.celticharpmusic.com

I'm looking forward to reading your stories, comments, and
feedback. Have a very prosperous, Happy New Year!

Sending Warm Wishes,
Anne :-)

Anne Roos
Celtic Harp Music by Anne Roos

Julie and Ryan Mix it Up for Their Wedding

Julie and Ryan are seriously into music-She is a flutist and Ryan sings in barbershop quartets. So, they wanted to include all kinds of music at their winter wedding.

Here's what I played (for more information on these songs, check out my repertoire list).

Pre-Ceremony Seating Music:
1. "Star of the County Down" (traditional Irish)
2. "Unchained Melody"
3. "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty" (Christian hymn)
4. "You'll Never Walk Alone"
5. "Silent Night"
6. "La Vie En Rose"
7. "In Dreams"
8. "Come What May"
9. "Canon in D"
10. "Clair de Lune"
11. "Arabian Dance"
12. "Annie's Song"

Wedding Party of 3 Bridesmaids: "Ave Maria" (Schubert) 

Bride's Entrance: "Here Comes the Bride" 

Music played softly behind Ceremony: "Some Enchanted Evening" 

Music during the Lighting of Unity Candle: "You Raise Me Up" 

Recessional: "March" from the Nutcracker Suite

Post-Ceremony Music Played During Photo Session:
1. "The Angelical Hymn"
2. "Into the West"
3. "(Everything I Do) I do It For You"
4. "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow"
5. "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes"
6. "Ice Castles (Through the Eyes of Love)"

The scene was set for the wedding, with candles lit throughout the indoor gazebo at David Walley's Resort in Genoa, Nevada.

When Reverend David Beronio arrived, I checked in with him about my cues for the ceremony and then seating began. He checked in with Wendy, the wedding coordinator. I began playing "Ave Maria" just as Reverend David walked up to the altar with the gentlemen. Trouble was, I had not set my harp in the correct key after coming off of playing "Annie's Song" for the seating.

In walked the bridesmaids on cue, and I just continued flipping harp levers, playing an errant note here and there, until the harp was finally in the correct key. I felt like a gymnast who starts off her routine a little wobbly and has a flawless finish. All else went perfectly. The bride walked in to her majestic music, and I was in sync with all my cues from the minister.

Did the bride and groom notice, in that candle-lit room decorated like Christmas? Did the bridesmaids notice? Not that I knew. Everyone complimented about the music. Only Reverend David took notice and mentioned afterwards, "Was wondering about that first song, but it all came out beautifully!" (Rev. Dave is a fan of music played during the ceremony).

As I left at the end of Julie and Ryan's photo session, Julie gushed about how she loved "Some Enchanted Evening" played during her ceremony, and off they went to their reception.

Tips for Brides:

Go ahead and mix up your music list for your wedding. Like Julie and Ryan, you can let your music selections be a reflection of you and your fiancé. Just make sure to clear your ceremony music choices with your officiant, especially any tunes played during the ceremony itself. 

In the above example, you'll notice that I was in touch with the wedding coordinator and the minister before and during the ceremony. When you hire services providers who are professional, they work together as a team to make everything come out perfectly. It is a plus if the service providers have worked with each other in the past, too. For instance, I am familiar with Reverend David's ceremonies, so I know that he welcomes music played within the ceremony.

When you hire your wedding service providers, ask how long they have been in business as well as whether they know some of the other providers you have already hired. Then, you can relax in the knowledge that you have hired a team of professionals who will take care of your wedding needs.

Tips for Musicians:

Check in with everyone prior to the wedding ceremony to get your cues, even if you have worked with the minister and the coordinator in the past. Every wedding is different, and you might find out that there was a change made in music or cues at the last minute.

And if your instrument, your voice, or your ensemble members crack a wrong note, just keep on going. You can't go back and fix that moment, but you can perfect the remainder of your performance. We're all human, and stuff just happens. Professionals make mistakes all the time--they just know how to cover for them.

Many more tips are available from my book "The Musician's Guide to Brides" available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, Amazon.com, and of course, at my website at www.celticharpmusic.com.

I'm looking forward to reading your stories, comments, and feedback. Have a wonderful Holiday Season and a Very Happy New Year!

Sending Warm Wishes, 

Anne :-)
Celtic Harp Music by Anne Roos

P.S.--Musicians--Get a jumpstart on your New Year's Prosperity Plan. Attend one of Bob Baker's workshops.

‘Tis the Season to Party—The Economy Isn’t That Bad

Rich contacted me to perform at his company's "Holiday Family Luncheon". He was desperately looking for some kind of entertainment that would fit the budget he was given. When I gave him a quote, he exclaimed, "You're much cheaper than a dance band or a DJ! Those guys want $1500 or more, and that doesn't even include their mileage." Within 24 hours, I was hired for a 4-hour holiday party.

About 250 employees, along with spouses and children, attended the banquet. Trees with twinkle lights, fountains, and park benches decorated the Tuscany Ballroom of the Peppermill Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada for this special event. And there I sat, with my harp, dressed in my white and gold gown. Rich said I looked like a snowflake.

I played every holiday classic tune you could imagine, including Victorian Christmas carols and music from the Nutcracker Suite. I also took requests, playing "Stairway to Heaven" for Rich (never mind that it wasn't a Christmas song). And then, when Santa entered the room, I played "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". (For more information of the extent of my song list, check out my corporate repertoire list).

I was tickled to hear from so many guests that the music set a wonderful backdrop for the occasion. People could visit with each other without having to shout over a loud PA system. Many of the attendees stared at me while I played, mentioning later that they had never seen a harp before and were amazed. At the end of the party, Rich, and another company event coordinator Sheryll, said they would certainly consider me for their future employee events and next year's holiday party.

Though there is so much talk of a bad economy and companies pulling back on their holiday festivities this year, this example proves that there are companies that are not in trouble. Rich and Sheryll worked for two merged companies that make chocolate and pet food-both staples that people continue to buy, even in a recession. Holiday cheer still exists.

Tips for In-House Corporate Event Planners:

A down economy does not mean that you have to say, "Bah Humbug!" And put the brakes on your annual employee holiday parties. They can still happen-Just scale them back to fit your present budget.

Instead of the expensive DJ or dance band, opt for soloists or small ensembles. Your guests will be able to mix and mingle without shouting, and not as much space will be required for the performance area. If it is a family party, you can even host a talent show or have employee's children perform, with a little backup accompaniment from a professional musician. There are many inexpensive ways to entertain.

You can also opt to have your party in a smaller venue, go with a buffet service instead of a sit-down meal, or serve only one course, for instance appetizers or desserts. What other budget-saving ideas can you think of?

There are many ways to trim the expenses on your holiday festivities without nixing them altogether, and you can always afford live entertainment.

Tips for Musicians:

Do you truly think that the economy is so bad that no one is partying this year? Think again. Companies that are in recession- proof businesses are doing just fine.

Make yourself affordable to your clients. If you are a large band, let clients know that they can hire just a portion of your group. If you are a soloist, you are probably charging quite a bit less than bands or DJs, and this is a major selling point.

Give the client one quote for the entire package and don't itemize the cost of everything that you are including. Give a secondary package quote if the client doesn't have the budget for the first quote you supplied. Offer to match the theme of the event with your costumes and repertoire. Offer no-cost amplification or other complimentary frills to land the gig.

When you are at the event, be willing to take requests. Play an encore--be generous with your abilities and your time. Bring a few CDs to give as gifts to those who hired you and to the CEO. Realize that corporate clients are in a position to hire you for their future events. The goal is to attract repeat business, and this is accomplished by bending over backwards for your clients.

Stay positive in this tough economy, and you will attract clients to you.

Many more tips are available from my book "The Musician's Guide to Brides". This book is written primarily for wedding musicians, but it's also filled with advice about marketing, advertising, and promoting your business as a working musician. It's available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, Amazon.com, and of course, at my website at Celtic Harp Music.

I'm looking forward to reading your feedback about performing at corporate functions. Check back here again for next week's story.

Cheers, 

Anne :-)

Anne Roos
Celtic Harp Music by Anne Roos

Karen’s Happy Wedding Day

Karen had everything lined up months in advance for her destination wedding at the historic Cal-Neva Resort at the north end of Lake Tahoe. Karen scheduled a lovely November wedding inside the Lakeview Chapel. The alpine views were gorgeous.

Karen was precise about every detail for her wedding. The autumn bouquets and the rust-and-gold color scheme matched perfectly. But there was one thing that was out of her control—Reverend Dan thought the ceremony was to start at 4 pm, not 3:30. He arrived 30 minutes late to the ceremony!

Karen was cool about it and happily walked down the aisle without taking notice at all (I think she was too happy to worry about the time on her wedding day!).

Fortunately, I always book ceremonies with a cushion of extra time, just in case the ceremony starts late or runs longer than expected. So, the 90-minutes I scheduled worked out just fine. The newlyweds were whisked off to their reception immediately following the ceremony, and I did not go beyond the time I booked for my performance.

Although the ceremony took place in a chapel instead of a church, Karen wanted Christian hymns intertwined with modern popular selections for her ceremony music. So, she requested to have every other song as a hymn for the seating of the guests. Here’s what I played (for more information on these songs, check out my repertoire list.

Pre-ceremony seating music:
1. “Wind Beneath My Wings”
2. “Amazing Grace”
3. “Imagine”
4. “Morning Has Broken”
5. “From This Moment On”
6. “Be Thou My Vision”
7. “You Raise Me Up”
8. “We Gather Together, A Prayer of Thanksgiving”
9. “Hero”
10. “Blest Are They”
11. “Once Upon A Dream”
12. “Here I Am, Lord”
Mother’s Lighting the Unity Candle: “Ave Maria” by Schubert
Wedding Party of 6 Bridesmaids, 1 Flower Girl, and 1 Ring Bearer: “Canon in D”
Bride’s Entrance: “Here Comes the Bride”
Recessional: Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March”

Karen still had a ceremony full of live music--A ceremony that starts late does not need to ruin the bride’s entire wedding day.

Tips for Brides:

Having a timetable for your wedding day agenda is important, but realize that there can be a delay in your ceremony or reception events. You may have absolutely no control over these mishaps—a bridesmaid may rip her pantyhose before she walks down the aisle, the ring may have been left back at the hotel room, or the minister may arrive late (as in the above example). Don’t let these things get under your skin.

Plan for an extra cushion of time by hiring your wedding and reception services for longer periods than you think may be necessary. You’ll avoid the possibility of paying costly overtime fees. Reserve the ceremony and reception sites for more time, too.

Why feel rushed if some things don’t start exactly on time?

Tips for Musicians:

Always book your wedding gigs with more time than anyone thinks is needed. Anything can happen to delay the start of the ceremony, and the ceremony may run longer than anyone anticipated.

This goes for reception musicians, too, because if the ceremony starts late or runs long, the reception may start late, too. And what if the meal is late being served?

Keep in mind that the larger the guest list, the longer it takes to move the crowd—Seating will take longer, and so will exiting. Therefore, book extra time for larger groups of attendees, too.

When you are generous with the time you quote for weddings, you won’t need to ask for overtime pay. Overtime pay may be a great boon for your bank account, but it is a major bummer to have to request it from the bride.

Many more tips are available from my book “The Musician’s Guide to Brides” available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including Sheetmusicplus.com, Amazon.com, and of course, at my website Celtic Harp Music by Anne Roos.

I’m looking forward to reading your stories, comments, and feedback. Check back here again for next week’s story.

Cheers,
Anne :-)

And Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the U.S.!