Mr. Steve Taylor and the musicians and vocalists he provided for our son’s wedding that past weekend were phenomenal. We had countless compliments on the beautiful music; it was the most breathtaking detail of the wedding ceremony. Ms. Kathy Jordan and Mr. Dennis Roberts were an exquisite duo on vocals, sounding as though they’d been singing together for years (my understanding was that in fact that was their first day singing together). The strings, the trumpet, the vocalists were all wonderful. Mr. Taylor was the consummate professional, giving advice on music selections as well as providing the arrangements for several of the pieces selected. They were simply amazing! Would highly recommend SMT Music, Mr. Steve Taylor and the ensemble he provided for any event you’re having that you want to be memorable.

Thank You Jackie!

Here is a recording from the wedding:

When you Say You Love me.. Dennis Roberts_

A post from: SMT Music From Louisville, Ky. Provides Live Music For Weddings And Any Other Occasion

In your wedding, after the vows have been spoken, near the end of the ceremony we come to the candle lighting, or in some cases brides are having a “sand ceremony”. That brings me to the actual music that was selected for this CD.

I decided to concentrate on that part of the wedding where the music has a special significance. Not that the bridal march or seating of the parents or entrance of the bridal party are not of great importance. However, music that you choose in the latter part of the wedding has added importance. The reason for that is there is no action taking place at this point. No one is walking or if they are it’s a very short distance to the candles. The wedding music becomes the focus of the moment.

At this juncture the readings, the vows and most of the prayers have taken place. A special song, or instrumental selection gives voice to deeply held feelings of love, commitment and joy. Everyone is held captive for a few brief moments before the official end of the ceremony and pronouncement of marriage. We hope, as you listen to this CD you’ll discover one or more pieces of music that will help make your special day more unique and meaningful. I could walk you through each song, but you might be better off just listening to the CD. I will say, with regard to the length of the songs: we recorded most of them in their full length. In an actual ceremony I find 2-3 minutes is usually plenty of time for a song. So, we often will shorten a song to fit within a 2-3 sometimes 4 min. space. If you happen to be Catholic and are having a mass then the communion will often last the full duration of a long song. But, in general you don’t want the song to “steal the show”. The purpose of the song is to enhance and heighten the mood of the ceremony.

Listen to samples from my wedding music CD by going here.

Cordially,
Steve Taylor

A post from: SMT Music From Louisville, Ky. Provides Live Music For Weddings And Any Other Occasion

We’ll assume you’ve chosen your wedding musicians. Being a violinist I tend to advocate for a string ensemble as a starting point. Either a string trio or string quartet works great for weddings. Then are options such as trumpet, vocalist, harp, organ or piano which can be added to the basic core group. Music plays an important role in the parts of the wedding I outlined. During the prelude period the music creates a certain “ambiance” as your guests are being seated. The music is in the background and upbeat in character. Often, a potpourri of light classical music and popular songs that people know and love is chosen. You, the bride, can give the musicians some input as to what sort of music you would like played but I would suggest you give them a free hand in choosing the prelude music. They will want your specific input as regards the processional music and music in the ceremony. If you do have a specific song you would like played in the prelude period that is fine, but generally I suggest the program indicates “prelude music played by” (insert the name of the ensemble). If you have a specific one or two songs you want played you can list those.
After you decide on your “core” ensemble i.e. string trio or string quartet you then might decide whether you want to have a unity candle and if so, whether you will have a vocalist for this. This decision can affect other parts of the wedding.

During the prelude time guests are visiting and getting seated and the atmosphere can be quite lively with all the movement and hum of ongoing chatter. A vocalist can be very effective in helping to make the transition from prelude to procession. Often guests are not aware the prelude is ending unless there are candles being lit by ushers. A vocal selection at the end of the preludes gets everyone’s attention and sets the stage for the beginning of the ceremony.
The music becomes more prominent during the processional phase of the wedding. If the bride has chosen a vocalist they may decide to have Ave Maria or some other piece sung for the seating of the parents and the mothers. If there is going to be a unity candle later then the mothers will light a candle before being seated.
Even if the vocalist sings for the seating of the parents I still like utilizing them to close out the prelude. If you don’t have a vocalist then I would suggest having ushers light some candles, perhaps on either side of the aisle or up front, to help with the transition from prelude to procession. This indicates the ceremony is about to begin and helps quiet the guests.
Next, I would suggest you decide what sort of song you want to use as your bridal march. There are a number of pieces a string group can play that work nicely for the bridal march. There is the traditional Wagner March (Here Comes the Bride) and the Canon in D by Pachelbel also is still quite popular. There are a number of marches that use trumpet which also can be played by strings only. If there is an organist at the church then the bridal march works very nicely with the organ and strings and trumpet too, if there is one.
An organ can provide a “boost” to the strings for a more grandiose entrance of the bride. Or, you may like to take it up a notch and have the sound of a trumpet for your walk down the aisle. This is a personal decision and partly depends on the scope of the wedding. If you are getting married in an intimate space with 20-30 friends present it might be “overkill” to use a trumpet for the bridal march. That’s fairly obvious. If you are in a spacious church with 250-300 guests in attendance then you may find the regal call of the trumpet suits you. It’s an individual choice that has to do with the bride’s personality and style. I’ve played at very large weddings where we used strings only and I’ve had smaller weddings that added trumpet. There is no right or wrong decision.
If you decide you do want a trumpet be advised that you do have options to use it more than just for the bridal march and the recessional. Often the trumpet player sits for the entire prelude and then jumps up for the bridal march and then stirs again at the end for the recessional. And that’s fine, but there are a number of pieces of music that the trumpet can play with the strings. For example, Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring is a pretty tune by Bach that is often used for the seating of the parents or grandparents. It can also be used for both since the song is substantial in length. There is a nice choral section which repeats several times that the trumpet can play. So, it’s nice to have the option to use the trumpet. There are other songs … for example the trumpet can play the melody of Ave Maria in the absence of a vocalist. Arioso by Bach is another song where the trumpet can play the melody at times. If you like the Canon in D you can have the music leader come up with an obligado trumpet line that won’t overwhelm the strings. And there are a number of Baroque trumpet concertos
which have beautiful slow movements that the trumpet could play with the strings during the prelude portion of the wedding.
So, again it is an individual decision. Do you want to have the trumpet player or singer more involved and also get more bang for your buck? That’s a somewhat personal choice, but the purpose of mentioning this was to let you know that there are options.
If you do use a trumpet you probably will want it to be prominent for the bridal march. So, for the maids a piece like Canon in D works very well in tandem with one of the trumpet marches. You don’t want the maid’s procession to upstage the bridal procession so be mindful of what music you choose. There are lots of pieces of music which do not feature the trumpet available for the maids. Just to name a few: Somewhere Out There, Theme from Ice Castles, Marcello Psalm 19 for organ and strings, Vivaldi Spring from the Four Seasons and many others. The trumpet player will often play a brief fanfare to signal the arrival of the bride. The congregation will stand for the bride’s procession.
Next, let’s discuss the unity candle. This is an optional part of the wedding. If the couple decides to have this it normally occurs following the exchange of the rings. The officiant mentions something about lighting a candle to signify the unity of two becoming one through marriage. As the couple walk over to light the candle a musical selection is played or sung, to accompany that. A special song, or instrumental selection, gives voice to deeply held feelings of love, commitment and joy. Everyone is held captive for a few brief moments before the official end of the ceremony and pronouncement of marriage.
And then finally, the moment comes when the officiant pronounces the couple “man and wife” and presents them to those in attendance. It is a joyous moment. The bride and groom exit followed by the bridal party and then the immediate families of the couple. Music played during this of course, is the recessional music. It will be upbeat, joyful and loud. There a lots of marches and musical selections available for this which can be played by strings alone, or in concert with trumpet and or organ.
As a parting thought I would suggest if you don’t have a wedding coordinator you appoint someone to act as your “coordinator”. It can be a friend or relative. Make it someone who is not in the bridal party. They will attend your rehearsal and they will be at the wedding early to assist the musicians with any questions or needs they have in terms of chairs or lighting. They will stand at the back of the church or entrance area to help direct the bridal party and also will give a “signal” to the musicians (nod of the head or wave) when the seating of grandparents or parents is to begin. The musicians will finish the music they are playing and the next piece will be for the start of the procession.
The “coordinator” won’t let anyone walk until everyone is ready. You want the procession to have a flow without gaps. The role of a coordinator is not difficult and can be useful in helping the procession work smoothly. I hope these thoughts and suggestions will be of some use to you as you plan your wedding.

Cordially,
Steve Taylor
SMT Music
Louisville, Ky

A post from: SMT Music From Louisville, Ky. Provides Live Music For Weddings And Any Other Occasion

The vision of an outside wedding ceremony strikes a beautiful chord in the imagination of many a bride. And rightly so. Who of us wouldn’t like a beautifully landscaped garden setting or perhaps an open clearing bordered by towering trees for that most important life event, our wedding ceremony?
As a wedding musician, I’ve been able to enjoy such scenic places and play a small role in the lives of many a bride. And those settings can be truly wonderful but…. you knew there was a but coming right ? When the stars are aligned in your favor an out of doors wedding ceremony can be a dream. But, Mother Nature can capriciously intervene and pull the rug out from under you.
So, it’s important to have a “backup plan”. Try to choose a setting that has a shelter, building, or house nearby which can be the safety net in case of sudden rain showers or high winds. Here in Louisville, Ky. I can think of a number of places that have beautifully landscaped settings with an on-site structure that can be used for receptions or in the case of inclement
weather be quickly converted to accommodate the wedding ceremony. If you’re getting married in the summer, think about the comfort of your guests. Have cold bottled water available for them to take to their seat, and consider printing your program on a fan so they can keep cool. Also, think ahead to where the sun will be at the time of your wedding. Try to position your seating so the sun is at the back of the guests, not in their eyes.
On the other hand, if you’ve chosen mid October for your wedding ceremony the mercury can dip in other direction. Here in the Ohio Valley, late September to mid October can be very warm, or it can be downright chilly. While your guests can keep their coats on and even their gloves, please consider your musicians. We arrive usually an hour before the wedding. We get set up and run through a few selections before we begin your prelude music which normally last about 30 minutes. We can’t wear bulky coats and we can’t wear gloves. Even more critical our expensive instruments can be damaged by cold weather conditions or also by direct sun especially in mid summer. We are more protective of the instruments than we are ourselves.
So, if your wedding is in mid summer make sure your musicians are in a shaded area. Try to have them on a flat surface. It’s hard to play your best if one leg of your chair is 3 inches below the other and you’re angled like you’re playing on the deck of the Titanic. Position them to the audience left off to the side of the wedding party.
To recap: temperature (heat or cold), sun exposure, rain and even high winds, can be factors in an out of doors wedding ceremony. Talk with the music leader and wedding coordinator, if you have one, in advance and plan for contingencies.
What about noise ? It’s a good idea to scope out the wedding ceremony site before you book it. Visit it the same day of the week (usually a Friday or Saturday) and time that you plan on having it. I can think of one site in particular in town we play at that, although it’s very scenic, it seems that planes are always flying overhead. It’s near a small airport and Saturdays are popular days for pilots to practice their takeoffs and landings. Another is in a park like setting but borders a residential area. Saturdays are popular days to mow the grass. I haven’t found a piece of music yet that harmonizes with a whining lawnmower! Another consideration along those lines: when you’re checking out the wedding ceremony site position a person at what will be the back row of the seating. Have another person do some speaking up where the minister will be. How’s the volume ? You may need to have sound reinforcement for your minister.I have been at lots of weddings where there are 200 or so guests and only those near the front can hear what is being said or read. Often the couple has carefully picked out a favorite poem or reading and only those who are in the first few rows or have Peter Parker (Spiderman) super hearing can enjoy the recitation. If you’re having a singer make sure you have a mike for them. We often will present a string quartet at a wedding ceremony and may accompany our singer. The strings carry pretty well and we rarely need sound enhancement, but a singer will need it. Even trained singers whose voice can project well in a hall will benefit with some miking when performing outside. The sound is dispersed very differently in an open air setting than in a church sanctuary. If you’re having a DJ or band for your reception inquire if they would be willing (for an extra fee) to take care of the sound for the wedding. Your minister would need a lapel mike and your readers will need a mike. If you have a singer, they should be able to use that same mike. Make sure you have a sound check before the ceremony. All too often, the equipment gets set up but not properly tested. So, it’s about as useful as yesterday’s news. Another word about the band. If the reception is in the vicinity of the wedding ceremony talk with the band leader and make sure the band sets up before the wedding and certainly not during the preludes. They should be set in advance if possible, and have already had a sound check. As ceremony musicians we have often been trying to create a nice ambiance during the prelude music only to have the thumping of an amplified bass or reincarnation of Jimmy Hendrix trying out his latest amazing riff simply annihilate our puny acoustic string instruments. So, a little advance planning there helps too.
What else? Well, if your outside wedding ceremony is anywhere near a lake, or low lying water you may need to plan ahead for those pesky flying critters. Have plenty of citronella candles in stock placed along each row of your guests. You don’t want see them constantly swatting the air as if practicing kung fung during your wedding. A lot of what I’ve mentioned comes under the category of “common sense”. Try to think ahead and be prepared for unforeseen circumstances and have a back up plan in case mother nature decides to throw you a curve ball.
It can take a lot of the burden off you if you hire a wedding planner. They have been through all this before and a good planner will have a long check list of to do’s and have contacts for all the services you will need. They can save you a lot of time, hassle and provide peace of mind so you can enjoy your day to the fullest.
I hope this helps a little as you plan for your outside wedding ceremony.
Cordially,
Steve Taylor
SMT Music

photos courtesy of

A post from: SMT Music From Louisville, Ky. Provides Live Music For Weddings And Any Other Occasion

SMT Music services made both of our daughter’s weddings jump from wonderful to exceptional. The musicians and vocalists were all superior. The musical selections were all gorgeous making it difficult to narrow down. The quality added so much to the weddings I really do not have the words to say.

Mr. Taylor was always very responsive to our needs and questions. Our daughters married 28 days apart and had large Catholic weddings. We had changes along the way in which he was very helpful and accommodating and somehow both weddings went off without a hitch!
He so professionally helped us create the wedding of their dreams. The musicians and vocalist were timely, flexible, pleasant, and musically gifted. This group makes professionalism the rule not the exception.
The cost of this service is one you do want to afford. The value is more than the cost.
Flexibility…….I always felt as our needs and dreams were their goal.
I highly recommend SMT Music and would never be able to express how much their services added to our girl’s weddings. A CD is available and occasionally I still listen to it in my car and remember the two most precious days of our children’s life.
Janevera Rothenburger

Louisville, Ky.

A post from: SMT Music From Louisville, Ky. Provides Live Music For Weddings And Any Other Occasion

Your wedding day is set. You’ve got a million things to think about among which is what you are going to have for your music. Let me “stipulate” at the beginning, we’re assuming you are having live musicians for your wedding: not recorded music. You have chosen your venue be it a church or garden setting. You know approximately how many guests you’ll have. You may even know how many maids you are having and if there are any children, i.e. flower girl(s) or ring bearer(s). At least these are things that the musician(s) playing for your wedding will want to know at some point.

But, for now let’s look at it from your perspective. You are planning what is one of the most important events in your life. This is a day you’ll want to look back on with fond memories. You obviously have to be realistic in terms of what will work for your budget. Like any important undertaking, the budget can change over time. Being prepared will help to keep your costs under control.

If your wedding is at a church then something as simple as a piano or organ could suffice. Upside, it’s not real expensive. Downside, it might be a tad “pedestrian”. There are some marvelous pianists and organist who can provide variety and quality. A lot depends on who’s playing. That goes for ensembles as well. One size does not fit all. Therefore, you should ask if they can provide you with some information . Any ensemble that plays for weddings on a regular basis should be able to provide you with audio sound samples. Perhaps they have a demo CD or can send you some mp3 sound examples via the internet. Some groups post sound samples on their web site. It might be more difficult for an organist or pianist to do that. They often rely on referrals or the fact they are employed by a church to prove they are worthy. I wouldn’t necessarily accept that as “proof positive”. You could ask them to provide you a couple names or testimonials of brides they’ve played for. Also ask for a repertoire list of what songs they play for weddings. They should have musical selections organized according to what they might play for the prelude portion of the wedding which is the period when your guests are arriving, the 25-30 minutes preceding the start of the ceremony. And they should have a list of songs for the processional part of the ceremony, i.e. when the bridal party and bride and officiant enter. There are a number of standard marches and pieces commonly used for that.

The reason they are used for weddings is they can be shortened or lengthened as needed, for the walking. For example, for the maids, whether you have 2 or 10, the Kanon in D by Pachelbel works quite well. It can be a fairly short piece or it can be “stretched out” as needed. Some brides ask for music that may not be practical for “walking music”. Some songs cannot be edited to fit the length of the processional. So, keep in mind, when the musician leader recommends certain music or tells you your piece may be better for the reception, they are thinking in terms of what actually works.

Pricing
As a musician it sometimes is demoralizing to realize that a couple flower settings at a table probably cost as much your ensemble. Musicians are providing a very important service for you. This is one of the most important events in your life. You have dreamed about this day, done lots of planning and are spending a small fortune. Don’t jump at choosing the least expensive group, unless they prove to you they are up to par. The memory of a beautiful performance will long outlast the cost. Pricing will vary between groups. Most ensembles will have a web site.

On the site some will list their pricing. If not stated, you need to find out what time the group will arrive in relation to the start of the wedding. Ask how much prelude music the price includes. Some groups will provide 30 minutes. Some will play for as short as 15 minutes. So, ask if it’s not stated. Most protestant weddings are about 30 minutes in duration. Some things can cause a wedding to run long. They include starting late, a long-winded minister, dismissing of attendees by row or having a receiving line. Most ensembles play a recessional that gets the bridal party and immediate family dismissed. If you plan on having a row by row exiting of guests and you expect the music to continue throughout you should discuss that in advance with the musicians. There may be an extra charge. We anticipate some running over by including a 10 min. “margin” onto the 30 min. If the wedding runs over more than 10 min. then the bride incurs one unit of overtime. Typically Jewish weddings last about 40 min. and a Catholic mass will run about an hour for the mass not including prelude music. So, the pricing structure varies according to the type of service.

One other note about pricing. Not all weddings will occur within a convenient driving distance for the musicians. You may be having your wedding some distance from the city where the musicians live. For example, we are based in Louisville, KY. but we also play weddings in surrounding cities such as Lexington, Elizabethtown or Frankfort. Obviously, the rates posted on our site won’t apply in all cases. So, a musician will take into consideration the time involved in getting to your wedding. Most musicians I work with are paid by their time. So, if it takes 45 min. to get to your wedding they are dealing with an hour and half of extra time for the travel time. Most musicians are quite conscientious about being on time, so they will allow extra time on the front side to make sure they aren’t late due to traffic or other. It’s always a good idea  to give the leader a good contact cell number for the day of the wedding in case they get lost or there’s a traffic jam due to accident or other contingency they have a way to let you know. That rarely happens but it’s important to have a line of communication available.

Part II (Order of Processionals in Wedding)
Normally, the grandparents will enter first, if they are being formally seated, next the parents. If you are having a unity candle later in the ceremony the mothers will light a candle before being seated. Then typically, the minister and groomsmen enter. You may keep the same music playing you had for the parents or you may decide the men should have their own music. I find a robust sounding piece works well here. Something like the Rondeau by Mouret. That is a standard march played for weddings, sometimes as a recessional.

Once the officiant and men are in the maids will enter. They will have their own music. The Kanon in D by Pachelbel is a popular selection, and there are many others. The music continues for the flower girl(s) and ringbearer(s) that follow on their heels. Next comes the bridal march.

Often we will play a short “fanfare” to signal the arrival of the bride. At this time the attendees will stand. The officiant will welcome the guests and bridal party. The bride’s father will acknowledge the “giving” of the bride and be seated. Then, there are readings or sometimes poems read by close friends, maybe a short homily by the officiant or minister, and then the vows. The next music heard would be for the lighting of the unity candle. A unity candle is optional. If you are having a unity candle, then a special song or instrumental selection gives voice to deeply held feelings of love, commitment and joy. Everyone is held captive for a few brief moments before the official end of the ceremony, pronouncement of marriage and the final recessional music.

If you are Catholic and are having a mass you will need a “cantor”, a vocalist who will lead the responses to the old testament and new testament readings. There are a number of standard “responses” that work for that and the cantor will also sing and lead the mass portions that follow. We often choose the music in consultation with the director of music at the church. If you are not using an organist but are using a string quartet or trio, then the musicians will have to have arrangements of music to accompany the vocalist in the singing of the mass responses.

Jewish weddings are similar to protestant weddings in that there is a prelude music portion and the processional portion. Traditionally, the rabbi and cantor walk out first, then the grandparents. Next, the groomsmen, in pairs and the best man. Then the groom enters escorted by his parents. Then the bridesmaids, maid of honor, ring-bearer and flower girls and finally the bride is escorted by her parents. The parents will walk up under the Chuppah and the groom will meet the bride and escort her under the Chuppah. In the more traditional or “conservative” Jewish wedding when the bride and groom walk up under the Chuppah, (canopy supported on four sides) they will circle one another seven times. This is a very general outline and there can be a lot of variety depending on the couple and the rabbi performing the ceremony. But relative to the music: there will be music for the grandparents, groomsmen, groom and parents, maids and finally the bride and her parents. During the ceremony rarely is music needed outside the singing done by the cantor or rabbi which is not accompanied. The only other music needed is the recessional which happens after the breaking of the wine glass and the congregational shout of “Mazel Tov!” . Then the instrumentalist(s) will launch into the recessional song(s)…typically Mazel Tov, Simon Tov and other well known lively Jewish songs of celebration.

We usually do not require a vocalist for a Jewish ceremony. I did have one a few years ago where the bride’s father sang a special song but that was an exception. The only singing at a Jewish wedding is done by the cantor and is not accompanied.

For Protestant or Catholic Weddings
If you are using a vocalist for your wedding you might consider having a vocal selection as the final prelude piece. I have found that works well to get everyone’s attention focused on the wedding ceremony which is about to take place. Your ensemble or organist is playing prelude music and the change to a vocal selection signals something special is happening. People stop visiting and talking and direct their attention to the front. That makes a nice transition into the start of the processional music.

If the wedding is outside most string ensembles will require that the musicians be shaded or out of direct sunlight. That is not so much for the musicians but for their expensive instruments which can be damaged by exposure to direct sun. The same goes for rain. Also, we’ve had brides who schedule outside weddings in mid to late October. Sometimes the temperature can dip quite low. Again, instruments can be damaged and it’s important to be considerate of that. What I’ve experienced is it can be uncomfortably chilly, with varying levels of humidity outside.
Consequently, the guests will often stay inside until the last minute and the poor musicians will have been outside for nearly an hour before the actual start of the wedding. In cold weather we risk getting cracks in our instruments, our hands are freezing, and there will be only a handful of guests actually seated. Brides and their mothers, who I’m sure under normal circumstances are even tempered fair minded people, given the stress of preparing for a wedding and unpredictability of weather conditions can become somewhat unhinged and lose their normal equilibrium. So, contingencies should be planned for in advance in case of possible rain, or inclement weather conditions.

Most groups will have you sign a contract in advance and also receive a deposit which will guarantee their service. I recommend you get a contract from any vendor that is providing a service for you. And while not every possible detail can be included in a contract it will provide a basic framework of what you can expect to get for your money. And of course, doing your homework by getting information about your vendors, (musicians, in this case) in advance will stand you in good stead.

Please contact me at smtfiddle@insightbb.com for any questions or comments.

Cordially,
Steve Taylor
SMT Music
www.smtmusic.net

A post from: SMT Music From Louisville, Ky. Provides Live Music For Weddings And Any Other Occasion

Whether you’re a resident, visitor, passerby, or looking for a place to to raise a young family or simply relocate, Louisville has much to offer. Our city is a vital center for medical education and research via the University of Louisville, James Graham Brown Cancer Center and other area hospitals. Large companies such as Humana, Brown-Foreman, Yum, Kindred Healthcare, and UPS are based here. And there is plenty of stuff to do. If you’re into college sports you can’t have a stronger rivalry than the local University of Louisville Cardinals and it’s “cousin” the University of Kentucky Wildcats just 90 min. east of here: both are nationally ranked basketball teams. This past October the new “Yum Sports Center”, a 22,000 seat Waterfront Arena which will house all types of events, including basketball, hockey, national musical acts, was completed. And just down the street from the Arena is the showcase Kentucky Center for the Arts. A virtual arts “hub” the Center is the home for the Louisville Orchestra, Opera, Ballet and Broadway Series. The Center also is actively engaged in Arts outreach through partnerships with the Ky. Arts Council, Gheens Foundation, Kentucky Education Television (KET) and a host of state arts organizations and user groups.As a violinist with the Louisville Orchestra, I see classical music as one of the vital ingredients in the Louisville arts community at large. The Louisville Orchestra provides the live music for the Opera and Ballet. In addition, the Orchestra has an active educational component which takes us both into the area schools as well as brings the students in busloads to hear concerts and presentations on stage at the Ky. Center and at the Brown Theater, a 1400 seat showcase.

The Louisville Orchestra has offerings to whet any musical appetite. We have a classical music concert series, a pops series, Orkidstra (for the kiddies), Nightlights – with a somewhat informal non-intermission format and an Alternative Rock Music series for young adults. As was mentioned, we also perform educational concerts for both middle school aged children and concerts for high schoolers.

There are numerous opportunities for children to learn to play an instruments or sing in their local school orchestra, band or chorus plus, there are three tiers of Louisville Youth Orchestras for children up through high school age who wish to be more involved.

Louisville also is unique in that it has a Performing Arts High School (YPAS). The school offers advanced instruction in stage, dance, instrumental and vocal music, art design and production. Nearby DuPont Manuel High School is where the students receive excellent academic instruction.

This short article only begins to “scratch the surface” of the many activities and opportunities the city of Louisville offers to it’s residents and visitors.

Steve Taylor

A post from: SMT Music From Louisville, Ky. Provides Live Music For Weddings And Any Other Occasion