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music, or give the guests a rest."
Cherkasky says the band should
understand what kind of music the
bride and groom are looking for, be it
disco, classical, jazz or Top-40. If the
music doesn't fit the audience, it may
not be the band's fault. It is up to the
bride and groom to provide direction
in advance.
The bride and groom may enjoy
hip-hop, but if the majority of the
guests don't know Eminem from
M&Ms, they might consider adding
more mainstream or traditional music
to the song list.
In addition, most bands charge extra
to play all night without taking full
breaks, but those breaks can disrupt
the flow of the party.
In her 20 years of party planning,
Cherkasky says she has seen it all. She
tells clients to make certain that some-
one has the cell-phone number of the
bandleader. "For one wedding," says
Cherkasky, "the band did not arrive at
the pre-arranged time; and the bride
got incredibly nervous. As it turned
out, there was a huge traffic jam on
the freeway and the band finally
arrived 45 minutes late."
Luckily, they were able to set up just
in time.
Scores of bands are available in
metro Detroit, playing a wide variety
of music in every price range. So how
to weed out the mundane from the
marvelous? Cherkasky recommends
people pay attention to the band at
every function they attend.
Jennifer Sternberg Ellenbogen of
Birmingham was watching a friend's
wedding video and loved the music,
performed by the Bill Meyer Group. A
few months later, when boyfriend
Aaron Ellenbogen proposed, Jennifer
knew immediately which band she
wanted. "Even though it was just a
video, you could see that everyone was
dancing and enjoying the music," she
says.
At her wedding in November 2000,
Meyer, a pianist and bandleader, per-
formed with seven other musicians.
"We wanted the kind of music that
everyone can dance to, like Frank
Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Nat
King Cole," Jennifer says. "We didn't
want a lot of disco or pop music. I
told Bill more of what I didn't want
than what I did want."
Because Ellenbogen wanted a lot of
traditional Jewish music, she asked
Meyer to include a vocalist who spe-
cializes in Hebrew songs. She was in
luck: Meyer's song list includes a large
repertoire of Hebrew and Yiddish
tunes, and he works with Cantor
Barry Ulrich regularly for clients
requesting more than just a few stan-
dard horas (Israeli dances).
Meyer strives to be flexible in
adding additional musicians for differ-
ent musical styles, such as local jazz
talents Marcus Belgrave or George
Benson, cantors such as Ulrich, and
Klezmer musicians for more Jewish
music or members of the salsa band
Orchesta Inspiracion for Latin music.
There is a wide range in pricing,
from $350 for one musician to more
than $5,000 for 11 musicians.
Ellenbogen's mother had heard local
jazz trumpeter Marcus Belgrave at a
Kadima (Southfield-based Jewish men-
tal health agency) fund-raiser months
prior to the wedding, and hired him
to perform with Meyer's band. The
result was a dream come true for
Ellenbogen. Meyer also provided the
music when the bridal party walked
down the aisle.
Stop in to your local GFS Marketplace store and let our
experienced staff help you plan your next special occasion.
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Professional Help
Working with a booking agent can
simplify the search for a band. Nancy
Bridwell, who owns Bridwell
Entertainment in West Bloomfield,
explains that an agency can represent
numerous groups and will work with a
client one-on-one to find the right
band for the right budget.
Bridwell shows clients videos of
bands she recommends, and will pro-
vide dates and locations where bands
are performing so they can be seen live
as well. "Working with an agency can
give a person an extra safety net,"
Bridwell says. "My reputation rests on
the product I'm selling:"
She works on a contractual basis
with every band, following up to
ensure that everything goes according
to plan.
A common misconception about
using a booking agent is that the client
will pay more for the band. Not true,
says Bridwell. "The agency's commis-
sion is built into the price of the band,
which is almost always the same price
they offer around town."
Rosellene Rosemberg, 28, of West
SINGERS on page 22
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