Do I Need Background Music at My Event?
Background Music Helps You Achieve Your Event Goals
As your planning your next event, you might be wondering if you should hire musicians to provide background music. The answer is yes. Background music has a huge effect on people and by using it appropriately you’re actually more likely to meet the goals of your gathering. Not convinced? Here are a few examples of how music has helped people and organizations to achieve their objectives.
As a high school teacher, my husband has to create an atmosphere that promotes learning in his classroom. One of the things that he has to deal with on a daily basis is the varying moods of his students from class period to period. How does he do it? “I usually try to play music during the passing period. The kind of music I play affects the way the kids come in and perform in my class. At 7:30 in the morning the kids are all tired, but if I play something upbeat and energetic then that energy transfers to my students and they’re more awake and willing to participate.”
Retailers also make use of background music as a way to influence the behavior of their shoppers. Retail psychologists have done all kinds of experiments and they’ve shown overwhelming that they can actually affect not only how you think but how you behave in a store. For example, if they play music that is thought of as “classy,” such as classical or jazz, then the consumer actually believes that the goods for sale in the store are more valuable. Another example has to do with how much time you spend in the store. If a store plays upbeat music with an unhurried tempo, it will slow your shopping down. You’ll spend more time in the store which means you’ll spend more money.
Movies and TV shows use music to tell the audience how to feel about a scene or a character. Watch this training scene from Rocky without the scoring playing underneath.
Here’s the same scene, but this time it’s the finished version in the film that includes Bill Condi’s triumphant score cueing the audience that Rocky isn’t just repeating some dull and painful exercises-he’s becoming a warrior!
Hopefully these examples have convinced you that music, even in the background, can have a tremendous impact on the emotional responses of your guests. The musical atmosphere of an event can actually motivate your guests in ways that can help you achieve the goals of the event.
If you’re not sure of what kind of music will help you best achieve the perfect atmosphere, here are some suggestions.
Corporate Event
Why do companies throw parties? They want to make connections and build relationships with their clients or employees. The best way to do this is to keep people mingling and talking. At this kind of event, the music needs to be electric and stimulating, but can’t get in the way of people chatting. String Love is a fun variation on the typical classical quartet. They can do the classical music on the periphery, but they can also add some energy to your event by playing recognizable pop and rock hits in a classical style.
If your corporate event is less mingle and more party, then you may be interested in booking Electric White Orchestra. The Electric White Orchestra plays a variety of music styles and the song list is versatile, but the energy is high voltage.
Weddings
A wedding is made up of several different “big” events. Background music at a wedding is most useful to help ease transitions and to underscore the emotion of the events. Soft vocals crooned during shifts between the ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner, cue people to relax and enjoy the down time, maybe even strike up a conversation with a neighbor. By including this atmospheric music, you can create the friendly and romantic mood any couple wants on their big day.
Check out Mimi Valentine and the Gentleman’s Club for a fun, style-bending take on some music you’ll immediately recognize.
For a more intimate event, Will & Dave’s guitar/vocalist and trumpet duo will dish out smooth hits to keep your guests smiling.
Fundraiser
At a fundraising event you have the very specific goal of making and keeping your guests happy and feeling generous. The more successful you are at creating that particular atmosphere, the more money you’re likely to raise. Creating an upscale vibe will help your guests to feel like they belong to the crowd of people who like to donate money. An ipod plugged into a speaker can’t get the job done like an up-tempo jazz combo.
You can go with traditional jazz favorites performed by groups like the DanceBands.com Jazz Combo or hire a more unique variation – the Zenith Vibes Jazz Trio.
There's a reason that we call it "dead air" when there is no music playing. Music, even when it's playing in the background, brings energy and feeling to our lives. Make sure your next event succeeds by keeping the background music at the front of your planning.