Live music
Live musicians for Toronto events
One player over a DJ set changes a room more than another thousand dollars of lighting will.
Musicians who play with a DJ, in key and in time with the track, rather than over the top of it.
One musician from $700 · Two from $1,300
- Players who work with a DJ, not over one
- On our system, levels set before doors
- One track in three, chosen live
- Toronto and the GTA
Who we send
| Instrument | Best for | From |
|---|---|---|
| Saxophone | The dance set. The single most effective addition to a DJ. | $700 |
| Violin | Ceremony, aghd, cocktail hour, first dance | $700 |
| Percussion (darbuka / congas) | Bandari, 6/8, Latin: lifts the floor hard | $750 |
| Vocalist | Cocktail hour, or two features during the reception | $900 |
| Two-piece | Sax and percussion together over the DJ set | $1,300 |
How it actually works
The DJ runs the set as normal. The musician plays over selected tracks, not all of them. Roughly one track in three during the peak hour, chosen live. Playing continuously turns a feature into background noise inside twenty minutes.
Everyone is on our system, in-ear or wedge, and the levels are set before doors. A sax player fighting a DJ through a floor wedge is unpleasant for everybody including the sax player.
Ceremony and cocktail
A violinist for the aghd or the processional is a different booking to the reception feature, and it is usually a better use of the money. It needs its own small system, which we bring anyway for the ceremony.
Percussion is the other one worth knowing about. A darbuka over a Bandari or a 6/8 set does something to a Persian floor that no amount of additional lighting will. The live hit lands in a place the recording cannot reach, and the room feels it before it works out what changed. If you are choosing one musician for a Persian wedding, choose that one.
What it takes to do this well
A live musician over a DJ set is either the best money on the invoice or the worst, and the difference is entirely preparation. Playing in the wrong key over a track is not a small problem in a room of three hundred people.
How a musician feature is set up
- Keys
- The set is keyed in advance. The player knows what is coming and in what, instead of finding out from the first bar
- Monitoring
- In-ears from our console, or a wedge set before doors. A player fighting a floor wedge is unpleasant for everyone including the player
- Levels
- Set with the room empty and adjusted once it fills. A sax that sits right at soundcheck is buried at 22:00
- Density
- Roughly one track in three during the peak hour, chosen live. Continuous playing turns a feature into wallpaper inside twenty minutes
- Position
- On the floor with the guests, not behind the booth. The whole value is that people can see it happening
- Learned material
- Up to two specific songs with three weeks' notice. Send the exact recording, not the title
Check your date
The first question is always whether the date is open. Start there: the rest takes two minutes.
Common questions
How much is a saxophonist for a wedding in Toronto?
$700 for the night, playing over selected tracks during the reception. Two musicians together are $1,300.
Do they play the whole night?
No, and they should not. Roughly one track in three during the peak hour, chosen live. Continuous playing turns a feature into wallpaper.
Can we have a violinist for the ceremony?
Yes. That is a separate booking from the reception feature and it usually gives better value. It runs on the ceremony system we bring anyway.
Do the musicians need their own sound?
No. They are on our system, with in-ears or a wedge, set before doors.
Can they learn a specific song?
Yes, with three weeks' notice, for up to two songs. Send the exact recording, not the title.