First off, I would like to give a shout out to Susan Salmon, mandolin (www.myspace.com/susansalmon) and Kahlil Gunther, piano (www.gunthermusic.com), without whom I could not have pulled off such an amazing musical event. This is the blog post I've promised you for so long!
Our bride, Laura, chose the Peter Shields Inn in Cape May. First of all, sometimes Kahlil plays there for the dinner hour (and his music is on their website), so please contact them: www.petershieldsinn.com. I digress, though.
Laura was the most fun bride in the WORLD. Because the Peter Shields has a 1920s vibe, she asked for a 1920s jazz cocktail hour. Also, since the front porch has a gorgeous balcony over some steps, Susan and I played the ceremony on the balcony and she got married on the steps! It was stunning. She selected "Is This Love" and "In My Life" for processional music, and "Once in a Lifetime" by the Talking Heads for the recessional. Way too much fun. Beforehand, she came to the screen door behind us to chat and requested "Freebird". We laughed and played it for her. I was worried a little about what the guests would think (runaway bride), but they LOVED it! What a fun bride.
The 1920s music is not in most musicians' repertoire. It took me 20-30 hours to organize 4 hours' worth of this music. Kahlil joined us at the piano inside and we rolled through songs like the Charleston, Sheik of Araby, 5 foot 2, and Blue Skies. It was some of the most fun I've ever had on a gig, and it was rollicking and sweet music. Thank you, Laura! As a side benefit, I have all this 1920s jazz music compiled now, which not many people outside of a Dixieland band would have ready to go. Fun and productive, just the way I like it! If you really love what you do, you will put extra time and love into it. I wish Laura all the best and am so grateful she hired us!
Catherine Boyd is a violin teacher and violinist living in Saginaw - North Fort Worth, Texas. Violin teaching methods and styles include: Suzuki, traditional, Mark O'Connor Fiddle Method, improv, and Celtic. Posts will focus on questions that violin students and their parents usually ask.
Showing posts with label mandolin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mandolin. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Swarthmore wedding, 10/10/10
Sometime soon I'll post about the 1920s jazz wedding from the summer. After extensive research, I compiled 4 hours worth of 1920s music into binders so other musicians would be able to accompany me easily. Dan contacted me and had a set of good ideas about the music. He liked the violin and mandolin. For a fuller sound, we added Susan Salmon on guitar. Dan asked for Django jazz (1920s style!) for the prelude and for the receiving line. I was so happy to swing that out! The ceremony tunes were: Obadiah Parker's slow version of "Hey Ya" for the wedding party + Dan, "Here Comes the Sun" for his GORGEOUS bride, Cat Stevens' "Moonshadow" for the candle lighting, and the Beatles' "I've Just a Face" for the Recessional.
For the record, the Swarthmore outdoor amphiteater is a lovely setting. Large stone steps lead down with a raised grassy stage on the opposite side and a large grassy circle at the bottom. We were surrounded by trees. The wedding planners, (I think they're called Plan to Party, and I regret not getting their business card) placed pumpkins, decorative corn, and gourds EVERYWHERE. They had apple cider waiting afterwards. It really was an autumn wonderland. Well done, Dan!
For the prelude and receiving line, Susan and I happily rocked out on: Minor Swing (here's a youtube link for an idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpmOTGungnA), Nuages, Sweet Georgia Brown, Sheik of Araby, Five Foot Two, Blue Skies, oh the list goes on...I was so happy after playing for them, with some guests dancing along, that I couldn't get to sleep for hours. Chord changes were dancing in my head! So, honestly, if you would like a more energetic, lively option, please consider my dear colleague Susan Salmon on guitar/mandolin/violin (she does it all) as backup! Oh, the fun we had!
For the record, the Swarthmore outdoor amphiteater is a lovely setting. Large stone steps lead down with a raised grassy stage on the opposite side and a large grassy circle at the bottom. We were surrounded by trees. The wedding planners, (I think they're called Plan to Party, and I regret not getting their business card) placed pumpkins, decorative corn, and gourds EVERYWHERE. They had apple cider waiting afterwards. It really was an autumn wonderland. Well done, Dan!
For the prelude and receiving line, Susan and I happily rocked out on: Minor Swing (here's a youtube link for an idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpmOTGungnA), Nuages, Sweet Georgia Brown, Sheik of Araby, Five Foot Two, Blue Skies, oh the list goes on...I was so happy after playing for them, with some guests dancing along, that I couldn't get to sleep for hours. Chord changes were dancing in my head! So, honestly, if you would like a more energetic, lively option, please consider my dear colleague Susan Salmon on guitar/mandolin/violin (she does it all) as backup! Oh, the fun we had!
Cape May wedding, October 9
UPDATE, 2/2/11: There is a short video clip of us at this wedding, plus 4 audio clips HERE:
www.gigmasters.com/violin/catherine-boyd
We had a trio on the beach for David and Caitlyn: me (violin), Susan Salmon (mandolin), and Reid Alburger (guitar). It was just too much fun. We got there an hour early to set up. Our couple wanted the classic wedding music with a twist. The bridesmaids came down the aisle to "The Way You Look Tonight," and we gave Caitlyn a heavy metal version of Pachelbel's Canon (on acoustic instruments, though, so it's not TOO heavy)! My source was TSO's version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_924414&v=wQNirj6lbGY&feature=iv, and click again in the video for sound. At the end, we did a jazzy version of Mendelssohn's Wedding March. The weather was perfect, we played a little reggae and jazz beforehand, and what a blast we had!
www.gigmasters.com/violin/catherine-boyd
We had a trio on the beach for David and Caitlyn: me (violin), Susan Salmon (mandolin), and Reid Alburger (guitar). It was just too much fun. We got there an hour early to set up. Our couple wanted the classic wedding music with a twist. The bridesmaids came down the aisle to "The Way You Look Tonight," and we gave Caitlyn a heavy metal version of Pachelbel's Canon (on acoustic instruments, though, so it's not TOO heavy)! My source was TSO's version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_924414&v=wQNirj6lbGY&feature=iv, and click again in the video for sound. At the end, we did a jazzy version of Mendelssohn's Wedding March. The weather was perfect, we played a little reggae and jazz beforehand, and what a blast we had!
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