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- Reservations/Bookings
- Pricing & Payments
- Breaks
- Presentation
- Choosing Your Music
- Organizing Your Music
- Requests
- Emcee work / Announcements
- Schedule Of The Evening
- Ethnic Music
- Attire
- Sound Volume
- Ceremony Music
- Food Provisions
- Helpful Hints
- Contract Times
- Guest Artists
- Meeting With You In Advance
- Group Size Differences
- Other Size Options
- Summary Of Group Sizes
- Set-up Times vs. Playing Times
- Tipping
Can you tentatively reserve a date on your calendar without a deposit, while we
decide on venues?
Yes, but on these terms: A ”tentative” reservation means I hold a specific date
or dates until either of the following occurs: 1) the first person gets back
to me with a decision, or 2) another client calls with an inquiry, or intention
to book us. When a second client calls, I attempt to contact the first client
who then must either make an immediate decision, or release the
reservation.
How do we officially book you?
Booking us means signing a contract and making a
deposit. First we agree on times, price, and location. Then I email,
fax or mail an engagement agreement (contract) which requires a signed
copy returned to me with a check for the deposit. I am not officially
“booked” unless there is a signed contract between the purchaser and me, and
the deposit payment has cleared my bank. Delays in returning the contract
and deposit can result in the loss of your date.
What are your current prices?
For current rates, variable pricing and special offers, call
or email us at:
425-778-3031 (office) 206-617-3500 (mobile)
mb@michaelbensonband.com
Be sure to leave your phone numbers! Dates often book suddenly,
and at those times I must be able to reach you quickly.
Payments
Do you take Credit cards?
No, we only accept checks payable to Michael Benson, or cash. There is a
non-refundable 50% deposit due at the time you sign the contract. The final payment is due one week prior to the event.
How many breaks do you take?
We take 1 break in three hours, 2 breaks in four hours, and 3 breaks in five hours.
Some circumstances may dictate a variation of this, i.e. the need to take
one extra break, or one less break.
When do you take breaks?
We are very flexible on this. The first break is usually during the dinner hour, and the next after a very long set of dancing. Breaks are not based on the clock, or on our level of fatigue. They are based more on the needs, momentum and energy level of the party. One thing is for sure, when we take a break from dancing; the crowd will be READY for a break, because we will be relentless during our trademark 80-90 minute non-stop sets. Our work ethic is legendary.
How long are your breaks?
Generally, 15 minutes. Sometimes longer during the dinner hour, and sometimes shorter just prior to the last set of the evening.
Do you play CD's when you take breaks?
Yes, a CD player is built into our sound system. We have appropriate CD's for every phase of the party! Background jazz for the dinner, dance tunes for the dance portion, and even special or ethnic music. And if you want us to play your own mixes, we will.
Can you play for the whole evening without taking a break by rotating some member in and out of the band?
No, because our product and repertoire will suffer when one member is out. Imagine a dance band, where the drummer disappears for 15 minutes, and then the lead singer, then the bass player. If the lead guitar player was absent, we wouldn't be able to offer all our songs (and those songs might just be the very songs we need at the time!) I never want to handicap us, compromise our effectiveness or short-change our customers.
How do you normally proceed through an evening?
We usually begin playing classy background jazz when guests first arrive for
hors d’oeuvres. This takes the edge off of a cold, quiet room. During dinner we continue playing more subdued, elegant jazz, staying below the conversation level. Then we transition into fun dance music that gets everyone involved for the rest of the event. There are several variations of this format though. We are most well known for reading a crowd, keeping them on the dance floor, and being flexible and attentive to what is working for the particular crowd at hand.
How do we go about choosing music for the event?
The simplest way is to go to our songlist on the website, print it out, and mark
it any way you like. You can check off, highlight, or star the songs you like.
You can also cross off songs you don’t want to hear, or, simply make general
comments about broad areas of music you do and do not like. Then email, fax, or
mail that list to me at least 2 weeks ahead of time, and I’ll use it as your
own, personal request sheet for your event.
How do you put all the songs together, and plan the music for the event?
Reading a crowd, sensing their energy and tastes, and responding to people
spontaneously is our most celebrated ability. Once I know a client’s musical
preferences, I prefer to perform by choosing the songs moment by moment. I
rarely, if ever, pre-determine set lists or script an event in advance. This
method will most likely fail. We are at our best when we have the freedom to
make musical choices as we go, creating and capitalizing on the momentum we
build with an audience.
By starting the next song literally while the previous
song is ending, we generate a non-stop flow of music which does not allow any
dead time between songs. For dancing sets, this captivates crowds and creates an
intensity that becomes irresistible. If you give us your favorite songs –
specific or general, and trust us to do what we do best, your event will be a
great success, and well remembered for a long time to come!
Do you take requests?
Absolutely, all the time! If there are 1 or 2 songs you want but don’t see on
our list, ask for them and we’ll most likely learn them for you. When guests
request songs at the event, we are always happy to play them if we are able.
Playing requests is a natural part of entertaining an audience. Please let me
know if you DO NOT want me to play requests your guests may make, or, if there
are certain songs you don’t want played no matter who asks for them.
Do you handle the emcee work, i.e. announcements?
Yes, it's a natural part of my service and keeps the event flowing and organized. My microphone is also available for anyone else who makes welcome statements, toasts, and speeches.
May we ask you to stop and announce various events like photographs, cake cutting, sorority songs, toasts, speeches, etc.?
You may interrupt me as much you like, since it's your party. However.... may I gently suggest that once we get rolling with dancers, you don't interrupt that flow until our next break time? I have seen many receptions where doing that has absolutely killed the energy and momentum we had built up, and those parties never really recovered afterward. It's best to lump toasts, cake cutting, and first dance into one segment, and/or perhaps later do bouquet/garter toss at the next break. The more times you stop people while they're dancing the more likely they are to fade away.
Do you play ethnic music, such as Jewish, Italian, Norwegian or Hawaiian?
Yes, absolutely!
What do you wear?
Black tuxedos, most of the time. Other options include suits, jacket and ties, business casual, sports casual, and Hawaii shirts.
Does your group get too loud for small spaces, or sensitive ears?
No, not unless the people in charge who are paying for my service want it that way, and are happy with our playing volume. I ALWAYS check in with my clients throughout the evening to be sure they are satisfied with the level of our sound, and whether we are too loud or not loud enough. I respond immediately if they ask me to turn the volume down. We have had 5 pieces playing in a room seating only 50 guests, and not been too loud for them.
Do you provide music for ceremonies?
Absolutely! Typically, I play piano, organ, or guitar, and also sing when necessary. I can accompany other vocalists too. Sometimes a flute or trumpet player joins me to make a piano/flute, guitar/flute, piano/trumpet, or piano/flute/trumpet ensemble. I also have excellent references for string quartets if you prefer that sound.
What do we provide for the band in terms of food and beverages?
Food and beverage provisions are expected. Our clients include us in their meal count - either plated or buffet. Alternatively, arrangements are made with adjacent restaurants, such as Newcastle's "Calcutta's" bar and grill, for ordering from their menus.
No "boxed lunches", please. Bar access on our breaks is expected.
What are some tips you have to offer from your experience?
- To keep the party as cohesive and unified as possible, avoid planning to have a bar OUTSIDE of the area where the band and dancing will be. A bar will always draw people to it, where they will get involved in conversation or just wait their turn in line. If this happens in another room, guests will be removed from where the music is,
miss many of the best songs for dancing, and be cut off from the flow and momentum we create.
- Keep speeches and toasts brief. If possible, incorporate them into the tail end of the dinner hour. The longer your guests sit or stand and wait to get moving, the more lethargic they become. Plus, the musician's time you've paid for is shortened by lengthy talking.
Can we adjust the times from what we initially put into the contract?
Yes, this is fairly common when we book so far in advance. If we have another same-day performance, time changes may be restricted.
Do you ever allow guests or friends of the family to sing or play with the band?
Yes. However, this must be discussed in advance, with standards of ability, conduct and playing etiquette agreed upon by the purchaser and myself. In some cases, a damage deposit will be required. I will retain sole discretion when considering spur-of-the-moment requests to sit in with us.
Is it necessary to meet with you in person before our event?
Not usually. Most of our planning and communication can take place very conveniently by telephone, conference calls, and/or email. However, if you do wish to meet ahead of time, I am happy to do so at a mutually agreed upon location. I treat such meetings as consultations, and I charge $50/hr. for my time. This excludes travel fees if the time or distance is significant (i.e. greater than 30 miles or 30 minutes, one way).
What are the musical differences between your various group sizes?
To best serve you and your guests, we prefer to work as a quintet, and most
always do. With that we offer our complete repertoire and can best meet the
needs of any audience, any request, and the varying moods that can occur –
ranging from classy cocktail jazz, to elegant dining music, to energetic dancing
from all styles and eras. Rarely are there settings that are too small for
our quintet. We can adapt to any situation, even acoustic environments requiring
low sound levels for conversation or intimate table configurations.
When we scale down from a quintet to a quartet, the lead guitar is the
instrument we lose. Without guitar, there will be a loss of the most upbeat,
current songs in our repertoire, because that instrument is integral to
contemporary music’s sound and style. The result will be not as broad a
capability, and less contemporary energy and feel. Songs that feature
guitar obviously won’t be played.
Scaling down from a quartet to a trio leaves the sax player out, who also
doubles on flute, clarinet, hand percussion and backing vocals. For events
where dancing is anticipated it’s best not to leave the sax player
behind. Saxophone is indispensable as a bridge between big band swing and
contemporary musical styles, and provides great energy for a crowd.
Our trio is ideal for intimate locations, or lower key events where the goal is
background music for listening. It can have a lively feel, or a subdued
elegance for more formal settings. The trio can provide light dance music
too if needed, but in more of a swing-era application. It’s a light,
classy, sophisticated sound.
All group sizes are presented either with or without vocals, depending on our
client’s objectives.
Are other smaller configurations available?
Yes. Other options include duo and solo applications. For example:
solo piano, piano/bass, piano/sax, solo sax, guitar/sax,
guitar/flute. These options work well for small cocktail receptions
and background music.
So how would you quickly sum up your group differences?
The quintet carries our complete repertoire, with the broadest musical
choices including the most current, upbeat material. The quartet is more
limited, but capable of providing great swing and jazz for listening and popular
songs for dancing. The trio is superb for easy listening jazz, as well as
light dancing situations. Understandably, clients compare group sizes for
budget concerns. But I recommend you also carefully consider the outcome
you want for your guests, and how you want the event to be remembered for years
to come.
So when do you set up and how long do you actually play?
Our starting and ending times, as listed on the contract, indicate when we will
actually begin to play and when we will stop. Our set up and tear down of
equipment takes place BEFORE and AFTER those times. We typically arrive for set
up 1 hour before we are scheduled to start playing.
What about tipping?
Gratuities are always appreciated. When you feel that our service was
extraordinary and played a pivotal role in making your event an unforgettable
experience... please consider a gratuity in the range of 5-10%.
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