Whether you have a major event coming up, or maybe a debut party, wedding party, business anniversary or whatever planned event it may be, take into consideration that inviting a function band may be a good idea for your upcoming party. It can even make what may be a dull party into something more extravagant without ruining the theme of the event itself.

A function band can create and make your party turn from good to excellent and by providing top-notch quality entertainment you can make sure that people will not forget even for years to come. This can be achieved if you have invited the perfect band, and of course willing to listen and follow your easy instructions.

Word of mouth is the best advertisement and this is especially true when it comes to hiring a function band to perform for your special gathering. Recommendations from friends and colleagues are a wonderful resource to use if you want to find a great band, so ask around!

If you do not have the chance to see a function band perform live for you, you may want to ask them for a demo video or a cd perhaps. That way, you can get a preview of their performance and can easily choose whether you want them to perform at your party or not. It is also a great tip as it will not only get your money’s worth but also get the best band that you can find. You want them to both sound and look good of course.

Ask the function band leader for a song and price list. They should have their prices in writing and if they have no definite price structure then perhaps you should not bother with them. Professional function bands should handle themselves in a business like manner, not attempt to wing the negotiations. It is normal to put a ten to twenty percent, non-refundable deposit down to secure your date.

Also, make sure that the function band can play requests from the audience. Most of them would as long as you give them enough time to prepare for everything.

If it is at all possible you could ask to see their equipment, which should be up to date and safe. Ensure that they will follow all the safety procedures necessary, for example there should be no loose electric cables lying around.

Knowing the choice of their wardrobe would be essential in choosing a function band as well. Ask them, what are their preferred choices of clothes when they perform? If they have mentioned something that is not suited for the theme, you can give them ideas on what they should and should not wear. If the costume or attire that the function band would be wearing can be a little out of place, you can politely suggest something that they can wear that will compliment the theme of the event.

The function band should arrive one hour before the party starts. It is important that they set up all the equipment before the audience arrives. In addition, you can give the manager or their leader an overview of the party’s flow.

Everyone would be staring at your function band once they take center stage. You can take some of your time to take a quick look at how they look. Are they presentable? Doing so, this hosted party will result in making headlines all over town; you will have the neighbors talking about it for ages!

The object of this article is to give you a solid beginning to your drumming education, whether you’re a young person or an adult. It is not meant to be the only source of information for you if you want to become a drummer. A teacher who gives one on one lessons is absolutely essential. You might not need a teacher if you were born exceptionally gifted in drumming and are a complete natural. in that case, I’d love to meet you because you are unbelievably rare. As a matter of fact, I don’t know if I’ve ever met you in my lifetime. Although you might have a large chunk of natural ability, playing in a band with other people can be so entirely different from practicing alone that any advice or guidance from someone with experience is tremendously valuable. However if you do not desire to become a drummer, but want to get some education about drumming and marching, read on as today we will be talking about marching music.

The roots of march music extend into the distant past, with modern march music beginning to take form in the European military bands of the early 1500s. A major step toward modern march music occurred after Polish and Austrian armies drove the Turks out of Vienna in 1683; Turkish instruments (drums, cymbals, horns) quickly became incorporated into European military music. This contributed greatly to the beginning of the modern military band, consisting of brass, wind, and percussion sections. By the time of the American Revolutionary War (from 1775 to 1783), military bands had become commonplace, and the music had become standardized in three forms: slow and parade march; quick march; and double quick or attack march. By the second half of the 19th century the march caught on with the general public, and it reached its peak of popularity in the mid 1800s to early 1900s. By the early part of the 20th century march music thrived as the preferred music for outdoor entertainment and even dancing, as the march became the standard accompaniment for the Two Step.

During the height of march popularity, its most outstanding composer appeared: John Philip Sousa. His compositions and arrangements still stand as the definitive sound of the march genre. Marches also played a major role in civilian life. At gatherings, processionals and parades, drummers dictated the tempo of a parade formation. This was especially common among the descendants of African slaves and their descendants in Brazil, Cuba and the southern United States, especially in New Orleans. By the early 1920s, marching bands evolved further, into drum and bugle corps (marching ensembles consisting of percussion and brass sections with no woodwinds), which played marches along with other types of music. Today traditional marching bands function as entertainment at sporting events, military events, and as an indispensable element of celebrations such as Mardi Gras and Carnival. In addition, virtually every major university has a marching band. The armed forces also maintain a number of orchestral military bands (that is, Sousa style bands with woodwind sections), which typically appear at 4th of July celebrations.

The popularity of drum and bugle corps has led to the establishment of organizations such as Drum Corps International (DCI), promoting competition and tradition within the style. The most prominent march characteristics are: 1) a solid discernible beat; 2) establishment and development of immediately memorable musical themes; and 3) precise, careful orchestration. Though a marching percussion section typically contains several percussionists, a single individual can reproduce the general sound of march style percussion on a drum set. Having a general knowledge of rudiments (flams, double stroke rolls, etc.) will enable a drummer to execute march drumming fairly easily. Marches are most often performed at a tempo of quarter note equal 120 beats per minute.