Live music at a corporate dinner in Calgary should add to the evening without taking it over. That comes down to four things: where the musician plays, how loud, what they play, and how a long dinner is split into sets. Send us your date, venue and guest count, and you can compare options with prices for musicians who are available that day.
Background, or a short feature
At a dinner, most of the music is background: something good to listen to while people talk and eat. Some hosts also want a short feature, when guests stop and listen for a few songs. Tell us which you’d like, and when.
Where the musician plays
A pianist, guitarist or small group usually plays from one spot. Choose a place where the music reaches the room without being too loud for the tables closest to it, away from the kitchen doors and the bar. Ask the venue whether there’s a piano, if you’d like a pianist, and where the nearest power is.
How loud
Ask the musician how they keep the volume low enough for people to talk, and who can ask them to turn it down during the evening.
What they play
Tell the musician the feel you want, such as jazz, acoustic covers or classical, and send a few songs your guests might know. Ask for instrumental music during dinner if speeches or conversation matter most.
A long dinner
A musician plays in sets, usually with breaks. Over a three-hour dinner, ask how long each set runs, how long the breaks are, and whether anything plays during them. Tell the musician when the speeches start, so the music stops for them.
Questions to ask before you book
- Will you play background music, a short feature, or both?
- Where do you need to set up, and what do you need from the venue?
- How do you keep the volume right for a dinner?
- What do you play, and can we send a few requests?
- How long are your sets and breaks over three hours?
- When will you arrive, and what will you wear?
- If the venue asks for proof of insurance, can you send it?
What changes the price
The price depends on how many hours you book, whether it’s a Saturday or in the holiday season, a second performer, and travel outside Calgary.
How booking works with AGNT
AGNT is a booking company. You send us your date, venue and guest count, and we check which musicians in Calgary are available that day. We send you options with prices. You pick one, and it’s booked once the deposit is paid. If your first pick isn’t available, we’ll tell you and suggest a similar act who is.
Some of the Calgary musicians you can book through AGNT are ANNIKA Piano and Vocals, Jeff Catto and Lisa Graham. You can see more on musicians for hire in Calgary.
How we put this together
We wrote this from what people tell us when they ask for a musician in Calgary: the type of event, how long and how many guests. It doesn’t list prices, because they depend on your date, your hours and the musician you choose. You’ll see prices with the options we send.
Your next step
Tell us your date, venue and guest count, and we’ll send you Calgary musicians who are available that day, with prices: book a musician in Calgary
Featured photo by Skye Goosney on Unsplash
