What should I look for in a band or vocal/instrumental performer? As with all performeres, no two bands, insturmentalists, or vocalists are alike. your primary consideration when considering a live performer should be " does their style fit my event?" If, for example, your occasion is a corporate holiday party, you will need a musician that can play a broad range of musical styles and selctions. If you are searching for a performer for your son's graduation party, you will want someone capable of motivating a high-school crowd with current hits from the pop, rock,hip-hop, and R&B charts, along with a powerful light & sound setup. Once you have narrowed down the choice to those bands, solo, due acts, or classical intsrumentists that fit your occasion, you need to determine their ability to meet your needs ( also know as " are they good? and can I afford them?) These two questions can easily be answered with a little homework. "Are They Good? A song list is also important in this regard, as a performer or group of performers cannot memorize an infinite number of selections. A new start-up band may have 40-60 songs in their repoertoire, whereas a tried-and-true party band may have music for hundreds of songs, either memorized or in printed music, that they can select from on-the-fly. "Can I afford them?" When you look at price for a band, soloist or other ensemble, you need to ask yourself not " what do they cost" but rather " what are they worth?" A discount performer will not be much of a bargain if they put your party to sleep at 9:30pm. Conversely, the "top of the line" party band may be too much if you are having only a few guests in your back yard. Should I choose a DJ or Live performance for my event? This is commonly asked question by people searching for music for all types of events, including corporate parties, weddings, dances, retirement parties,graduations,etc. There are several things to consider. First, do you need the flexibility to please a broad range of ages and musical tastes This is most commonly encountered at weddding receoptions and corpaorate events. If so , a DJ will provide you with maximum flexibility, offering you the ability to select music from among thousands of song titles. A band, orchestra, string quartet, duo or solo performer will be limited to performing songs they have already rehearsed and will have significalntly fewer songs available to them than a DJ (dozens vs. thousands in a DJ's CD collection.) Also, a good live act can add atmosphere to your event, but just like with a DJ, you get what you pay for . Be prepared to spend into the thousands for a good eight-piece party band that can handle a wedding. Also, make certain any  live act has experience in your type of event. We are planning a wedding but don't really know what is supposed to take place at the reception. Can the DJ or live sound performer help us? Definitely. An experienced DJ or musician can enhance your special occasion not only by providing music, but also: 1. Acting as master of Ceremonies 2. Assisting you with commonly observed wedding tradtiions 3. Working with you and your photographer, videographer, wedding   planner, and      party host to ensure a worry-free evening. Remember-your entertainer, whether a Dj or live performer, will be acting as Master of Ceremonies (announcer) for your event. That means they will have to coordinate with the photographer, videographer, and party house staff prior to announcing events at your reception (cake cutting, special dances, toasts, etc;) This puts the entertainer in the unique position of being the captian of the team for the reception because they work with you to control the flow of events throughout the evening. An experiencedMC will bring value to your party not only as an entertainer, but also as a coordinator of events. In other words, when you hire your entertainment you are getting more for your money than just music.