If you ever hire a live band, here are suggestions based on years of experience:

[Ron Green]

1. Hire a band or group appropriate for your event, considering type of music, variety and loudness.
2. Deal with one person in the group and trust him or her to communicate your wishes to the others.
3. Decide if the music is for dancing, concert or background, plan accordingly, and let the band leader know. Don’t wait until they have started playing to tell them it’s too loud.
4. If you decide to invite the musicians to eat, let them know well in advance so they may plan their own day’s meal schedule.
5. Select an area with plenty of room for the players and their instruments, and make sure there is electric current available at that spot. Remember that a raised stage is not necessarily the best place for background music.
6. Musicians expect to play sets of 45 minutes to an hour, with 15 to 20 minute breaks. If you plan special speeches, toasts, auctions or other activities, let the leader know the schedule before the music starts.
7. Pay in cash, preferably after the first hour of music but certainly at the end of the engagement. The best way is to give the leader bills that can be easily divided among the musicians.
8. Remember that most musicians are paid much less than their talent and training would bring in other fields, and that even a short engagement has occupied their entire workday. Following these simple suggestions shows respect for them and contributes to a better performance for you.


(Feel free to copy and distribute - help make the world a better place for musicians.)