TEACH-I teach advanced violin or viola and very serious students. I also teach adults. My  teaching focuses on a holistic approach to the person, their instrument and music. I do not teach according to a set "prescription" but to each person and their interests, abilities and goals.

 

​​​​Note about booking:  if you are wanting to book us around a holiday, Memorial Day, Freedom Day, Labor Day or in June or late September/October, those dates typically fill about one year in advance. Holiday weekends may have an uncharge, but ask.  

 

​No outdoor performances after November 1 or before May 1.

 

 WHAT WE DO. PERFORM. I/ We perform live, elite and elegant, personalized and your preferred style and selections (if applicable), classy and elegant music on location for you and your guests.  The duet is Violin and Cello, and solo violin is electric violin with backtracks, or violin only. Requested songs for all sections of the wedding or event should be sent by email.  I/we are your personal musicians for your special day.  We cannot accept an entire play list, such as you would use for your DJ.  

 

We are experienced and interact with guests and choose music that is both beautiful and appropriate. ​​We are musicians not entertainers: we will sit (or stand for solo performances) and do not jump around on a stage, nor dance,  or wander throughout the venue to play. We do not try to draw attention to ourselves.  I am not a strolling violinist as I don't want to be in the way of servers or floor activity.    We are happy to interact with guests, and often play their requests, and I/we are quite approachable and love people, but we are there to play for you. Nonetheless, your guests are welcome to ask us questions or request songs we might have in our books that day.  If you have songs that we should not play, let me know by email.​​​​

 

We are unable to provide free performance services for any reason, and all performances require a non refundable retainer fee, and all performances require the full amount to be paid two months (eight weeks)  before the performance date. Life happens, but if anyone cancels the date with us, there will only be a partial refund of fees, and the retainer is not refundable. ​I/we and our manager do not “bargain” or debate fees.

 

I am a professional musician and have been for many years.  ​I/we do not perform a wedding or any other service and then be asked for refunds.  Samples of our playing is on this site so you can hear what violin and cello sounds like together, or what violin sounds like with backtracks.  We understand if you want more of a band, or a folk group and that's fine.  

 

We appreciate the professionalism and understanding of all clients.​​​

 

I/we am/are non judgmental and perform for anyone, anywhere. We welcome LGBTQ+ weddings.

 

  ​​​For weddings, we play 30 minutes of "prelude" music for your guests arrival, which creates an elegant ambiance for your special day. I/We will play, within reason, the music you request. We read music.  We will even get music we do not have in our collection if you ask three weeks in advance, to a maximum of 6 songs and after that, there will be an upcharge of $150 for music acquisition and printing.Under no circumstances or requests will we violate copyright or "learn" music from youtube or any other video.  Song writers need to be paid for their work and "taking" someone's music from Youtube is illegal.

We purchase music and make arrangements of songs we do not have, or purchase music from professional arrangers.

 

For electric violin with backing tracks, not all music is available, and if I cannot get a backtrack, I can play the piece solo, without acccompaniment. ​

 

If we are playing a WEDDING, we can choose the prelude (pre ceremony) music and for processionals (walk in music).You can choose. Typically if you want, we play special music for Mothers/Grandmothers seatings, if you choose to do this. It's optional.The Processional of the bridesmaids/or wedding party has their own special music.  The bride/partner,  has a special piece of music.  If you are doing any mid ceremony event, such as lighting a candle, planting a tree, smashing a glass, pouring sand, creating a quick canvas art work, etc., we will play any song you request during this time.  The recessional is the "march out" and is an upbeat piece for the two of you to stroll away to happy land.  We then play one or two postlude (ending) pieces as your guests move to the reception.   Any of these sections  can be modified to suit your requests and need to communicated in writing at least three weeks prior to your event.  We are happy to play any music you want if we can get legal copies of it.

 

​Our most common booking is for a wedding and one hour cocktail hour, though occasionally we are asked to play an entire wedding celebration.  ​We can play outside, but we absolutely must be in shade and out of direct sunlight. It is for our instruments, which are very delicate and old, and they have to be shaded from the sun (the varnish will soften, and possibly melt). It is quite difficult to play well when sweating so I cannot hold my violin under my chin.  Shade from a tree is ok.​We cannot play outside in weather colder than 60 degrees nor in rain (or snow).  It's because of our instruments and it is very difficult to press down steel strings in cold weather. Cold and damp weather affects how our instruments respond. We can play in tents, pavilions, itipis or shade, or relocate indoors. If the weather is marginal "cold" we can bring a portable heater and would need electricity and permission from the venue to plug in heat. ​You should ALWAYS have a backup plan for a wedding outdoors, and we are fine moving to an indoor setting in the event of inclement weather. Again, we cannot risk our instruments and electronic equipment to play in wet weather.

 

​When performing, we need two armless chairs and an approximate 6x6 foot area out of the way of activity.  A corner of a room is ideal so we are out of the way of your guests. ​If playing for an event with food, we need to be out of the way of servers, constant people traffic and entranceways.  We ask that your guests not congregate in our playing space. 

 

​​We can accompany a singer or other music person with the rehearsal being directly before the ceremony or occasion.  If the person is an amateur and additional rehearsals are required, there will be additional fees. We would need the music two weeks in advance. ​​

 

What we wear: we typically wear our professional "concert black".  We can add colorful tops with the black, though we prefer being in black.  It's very elegant. We feel very "diva."​​​

 

Rates--Contact me for exact quotes: we are not able to negotiate rates for anyone or any reason, per our manager. We are far less expensive than our big city  counterparts. The Pittsburgh solo gigging violinist's rate starts at $1295 for a ceremony, and that person does not hold a music degree and is not conservatory trained.  There are wedding violinists who charge $1800 for a wedding ceremony, and another who charges $3000.  AI results for a ceremony with reception price is more than  $1500 for a duo plus travel expenses.

We are reasonably priced. ​

 

No referrals are given for  any other musicians or other vendors.  We do not want to leave anyone out, or be responsible for other people who may not show up for you. Our manager does not allow us to do that. ​We have a few venues where we have performed many times, and we are happy to recommend our friends, but if we haven't played at a venue we are not comfortable recommending it.  Vendors: photographers, consultants, planners, day of coordinators, etc., come and go quickly or change often.  We can only suggest venues.​​

 

​Performances are first-come-first-served, by contractual agreement after verification of your wedding. Verification is needed in order to verify sincere inquiries.   In order to hold your date you need to sign an agreement and include the required retainer fee. The retainer fee will not be refunded for any reason.

 

 We do not and cannot perform without the full fee being paid two months in advance.

 

 If you have questions, please ask. The agreement will detail the fee, exact location, times, contact person(s) and travel information and specifics about any special music you request. Our agreement is simple and is what we will follow.  Changes to any part should be in writing, (email) so we have that information that we can print out. I can receive texts, but sometimes they get caught as spam, and may come at inconvenient times when I am teaching, etc.

 

 Please send requests by email. I answer emails and texts as soon as I can, but not between 9pm and 9am the next morning.

 

​​​​There is not a need for us to attend wedding rehearsals.  We are ignored when we do.  If you request someone to be present for a rehearsal there is a $200 fee plus any applicable travel fee,  for doing so.  Non -verbal communication (Hand signals) from your designated person, or coordinator,   let us know when to begin or when to change pieces.  It always works. Again, I have played hundreds of events, and the duo has performed together for close to 30 years and over 900 weddings.  We are some of the most experienced you will find anywhere.​​​​​​

 

​We will travel to locations approximately 150 miles (approximately less than 3 hours)  from our home base 26505. There are moderate travel fees and mileage/with travel costs (the longer the travel time, the higher the rate) in the quote you will receive. Contact us for quotes. Our prices are highly competitive and less expensive than "big city" musicians of similar background.  

 

We are conservatory trained PROFESSIONAL musicians.  We are highly trained and highly skilled and experienced in what we do.  I and we have played many weddings and other events throughout our performance years. 

 

Should I ever need to find a substitute player, I will find the best available and most qualified person to play with me.   ​​​​​​​​If you need to change the ensemble or cancel the contract, it must be done in a timely manner and retainer fees are forfeited.

 

Depending on the time in which you cancel, you may only receive a portion of the fee.  Cancellations within a month of the performance are not refundable. All changes need to be done by email.​​

 

LATE or LONGER events.  If your event goes over 45 minutes past the contractual scheduled time, additional fees will apply. We are not going to leave a ceremony, but we expect that events start and end on time.  We may have another engagement to get to, at a different location.

 

​​​We begin playing 1/2 hour before wedding ceremonies.  We will be on location approximately one hour before the performance time. 

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For receptions and all other events we will arrive approximately one hour before start time. This will allow us to set up, check equipment, check sounds/acoustics, tune, and get things together. 

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If I/we perform longer than 90 minutes, we will need a 10 minute break. We are happy to adjust breaks to go with the flow of the event.  We must have breaks for longer performances.  

 

If we are at a reception or event and have finished performing, if you want to offer to allow us to eat or snack, please let us know. We will appreciate the offer.  Making music is hard work.​​​​

 

When we are traveling distances to perform for you, we always allow an extra amount of time, usually an hour,  in case of "issues" along the interstate highways.

 

We always need a contact person who will be present for the event, in case we are tied up with travel. We will be in contact with you the week before your event, or you are welcome to contact us.​​​​

 

Performances for social events that are not weddings are cheaper and fees are figured for the first hour with hourly add on fees. The fees are not negotiable and I’m not able to “bargain” with anyone.  My luthier expects to be paid the going rate for repairs to my instrument. 

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 ​​Thank you for reading.

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 If you have any questions, and surely you will, please contact

 divaduoviolinandcello@gmail.com.​​​​​​​​​