When you’re hosting or organizing a formal event, the music you play or have performed is of extreme importance. This is because music helps set the mood and the ambiance for your function. If it’s a business or corporate social event, the music might actually help make your guests more receptive to what you have to offer them. In any case, being careful about what you play and how you have it played can make or break your event!
What to Play and What Not To!
You might not know this, but there are over a thousand musical genres in the world today! This is so according to one article published by the Guardian online. Though there is a lot to choose from, there are a few basic musical do’s and don’ts that are helpful in making your formal events successful if followed. Here they are!
Do Go for Non-Intrusive Genres, Don’t go for Intrusive Ones
You may be wondering what intrusive and non-intrusive means when it comes to music. To make things simple, what we mean here is this:
Intrusive Genres: Those with heavy base tones, loud or shrill instruments, heavy melodious arrangements and on occasion, jarring vocals. These could include techno, heavy metal and even some forms of hip hop.
Non-Intrusive Genres: Those with more mellower and gentler instruments and instrumental arrangements that can be listed to devotedly but may also be played in the background. These include many forms of classical music, folk and of course, good old traditional jazz!
If you have a formal event with intrusive music blaring, your guests will probably want to leave sooner rather than later. Go for non-intrusive genres as opposed to intrusive ones.
Do Keep It Classy, Don’t Go for the Crass
Paying attention to the lyrical content of the music you have played is extremely important. This is because there is a lot of music whose lyrics might not be best suited to a formal event or formal audience.
It is important not just to stick with genres that are non-intrusive but also to stick with those whose lyrics are not crass or violent. Do stick with the classy, pleasant and mellow. Don’t go for genres that are angry, negative and crass!
Do go with Versatile Genres, Don’t go for the Limiting
Last but not least, you don’t want the music for your formal event to become monotonous. For this reason it helps to look into genres that offer versatility by way of tone and tempo. Don’t go for musical genres where the tempo becomes restrictive.
Western folk and country for instance are great to listen to on a Sunday (or any other day), but might not be the best fit for your formal event. Do look into musical genres such as traditional jazz, swing and ragtime. Don’t cage yourself in with music you can’t swing in another direction if need be!
Winding Down
Keeping these musical genre dos and don’ts in mind will help you formulate a playlist that is perfectly suited to your formal event. One last piece of advice; if you’re having a formal event, maybe speakers and an audio player aren’t the best option.
Search for and connect with bands that perform live. Live performance makes your events all the more unique and more memorable! If you’re looking for a live jazz band, we’re based in Dallas – TX but offer to play across the country! In any case, good luck with that event!