In The Good Old Summertime

Lisa Pressman Pianist Plays On Water!

“Summertime and the livin’ is easy”- what a wonderful time of year to have a wedding! The music of summer offers many delightfully romantic songs (see my iMix link below) to use as a theme for your wedding ceremony’s live music program. Sure it’s hot – but what is a little extra heat when you are in love!

Imagine hearing the extraordinary melody of Michel Legrand’s “Summer of 42″ gently playing, setting the mood as your guests arrive and sweeping them away in thoughts of a first summer love. Memories linger in this haunting melody and the power of live music shines as it defines a special moment.

A musician’s vast repertoire (a catalog of songs that she knows) is essential when planning a ceremony music program. Their in-depth knowledge of song titles will provide the appropriate suggestions for their individual instruments when creating your themed program. A “Summer” ceremony can include such beautiful songs as The Beach Boys’ “All Summer Long” (”…Ev’ry now and then we hear our song, Oh we’ve been havin’ fun all summer long…”), George Gershwin’s jazz classic “Summertime” or Johnny Mercer’s “The Summer Wind”. A more traditional composition for a summer ceremony would be Vivaldi’s “Summer” from the “Four Seasons” concerto. This is a gorgeous classical piece that can be performed by all instruments.

Heat things up a bit more by using a rock or pop classic song in your music program. It is important to remember that this song will sound different from the original recording. Your live musicians interpretation will bring this song to life and your guests will have fun trying to think of the song title! “Suddenly Last Summer” by The Motels, “Summer In The City” by The Lovin’ Spoonful or “The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley would definitely spice up a cocktail reception, especially if played in a jazzy or classical style. And please, communicate with your musicians well in advance of your wedding date for any special requests so they may have time to learn the song if needed.

Plan for shade for your musicians and their instruments. Acoustic (non electric) instruments with strings, such as guitars, violins, cellos, and harps, go “out of tune” easily in the heat, and especially so if in direct sun. For example, when a classical guitar is out of tune this means that each of the guitar’s six strings is not vibrating at the correct pitch in relation to its other strings. The beauty of stringed instruments is their unique tunings and timbres which produce exquisite sounds when “in-tune”.

A woodwind (flute, sax) will also go out of tune because the instrument itself will expand in the heat. Keeping the instrument at a constant temperature (albeit a warm temperature) with the use of shade in the summer will produce the desired results. Electronic instruments, such as keyboards, are mini-computers and can take the heat but not the direct sun. And remember, your musicians need water, so please have this available for them.

With thoughtful care your wedding ceremony can be the hit of the summer! When contracting live music for a summer ceremony, especially one taking place outdoors, a ceremony start time close to sunset is best (great for photos too!). The beauty of a summer evening with live music floating through the air, beginning with the arrival of your guests and continuing though the evening, will create a lasting visual and audio memory.

And as Johnny Mercer so famously wrote: “All summer long, we sang a song, and strolled the golden sand. Two sweethearts and The Summer Wind….”

Check out “Lisa’s Summer iMix”  in the iTunes Music store at: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=325837194

Listen online to the Lisa Pressman Ensemble at http://www.opusfromus.com/events . Contact Lisa at lisa@opusfromus.com

Live Music Series by Lisa Pressman #2 ©2009