STEP ONE: THE PLAYERS
For the majority of the events I call people for, it is to play with me as a trio. This is for a variety of reasons but primarily because it is cheaper for the client. Fortunately God has blessed me with so many friends who are phenomenal players that the personnel decisions do not need to be based on talent. So I mainly go with location and availability to pick my players.
STEP TWO: THE MATERIAL
Once I have my players confirmed I draft up a song selection based on the playing attributes of my personnel, the repetoire they are already comfortable with, and most importantly, any requests that the client has regarding birthdays and other special music.
So after phone calls, meetings, and emails containing important information such as dress code, call time, and location of the event, we are ready to go.
The event was really a fun event to play. There was a pleasant vibe that was immediately picked up on by my players. A Christmas fake book magically appeared so our setlist grew larger. I can now tell people I played the Chipmunk Song on a gig. And I'm doing it again. The grand piano in the lobby was a unplanned treat that changed the quality of our cocktail set for the better. This meant that the keyboard could stay in one room and we didn't have to move it.
This picture is of us playing the dessert set to close out the evening. I would like to thank Chris Zegers (Marketing Manager, DUCA Financial Services and Credit Union) for getting me the picture very quick. I'm talking less than an hour after I emailed my contact. That is awesome service. To everyone at DUCA, have a Merry Christmas.
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