HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT SOUNDTRACK FOR YOUR EVENT

There are many opportunities to plan events around holidays, weddings, celebrations, etc. As you begin the planning process you may wonder if music should be involved, and if so, what to choose? Well, of course music should be involved… so now the question comes to choice.

To get to that answer, you must first decide whether to share your personal taste with guests, or to have a more standardized soundtrack. The type of event you are planning will help to determine what the appropriate choice is, though it does not need to be exclusively one or the other.

• A personal soundtrack highlights individual tastes, enhancing the unique stamp of the host(s), and is often more informal. Some examples of occasions where a personal soundtrack might be appropriate:

• weddings

• engagement parties

• proposals

• baby showers

• holiday parties

• cocktail parties

• family reunions

• A general soundtrack caters to a general audience, setting an innocuous atmosphere. Some examples of occasions where a general soundtrack might be appropriate:

  • events from the list above with a more traditional feel

  • events in a professional setting

  • events in a house of worship

  • funerals or memorials

Moving beyond the listing of specific occasions, it is good to ask yourself the following questions when trying to decide on an appropriate soundtrack:

1. What would the guests deem appropriate or inappropriate?

2. If the occasion is sponsored, what would the sponsor(s) deem appropriate?

3. Is the occasion seasonal, a celebration, a memorial, or simply a reason to get together?

4. Is the occasion for festive or austere purposes?

5. What statement do I want to make, or are there multiple statements to be made?

Examples for how this might play out:

What would the guests deem appropriate or inappropriate?

1. You’re a younger couple getting married and want to showcase you and your spouse's personalities though music, but both sets of parents and grandparents are quite traditional in their tastes.

• For the ceremony you might choose a few specific songs that are most important to you, and pepper them throughout a more traditional selection of wedding music.

• For cocktails and/or dinner you might talk with the grandparents about what they would like to hear, and pepper those songs throughout a soundtrack more of your choosing.

• If the occasion is sponsored, what would the sponsor(s) deem appropriate?

• You’re planning a 4th of July party for the startup that you work for. We never want to upset the purse strings, so ask the sponsor(s) what they want or expect.

• If you receive a non answer, use your best judgment. Would they want traditional patriotic music, do they like a specific genre of music, would they be okay with some tongue-in-cheek choices or would that offend them, would a smattering of different genres be acceptable…?

2. Is the occasion for festive or austere purposes, or is it simply a reason to get together?

• You’re hosting a themed cocktail party. Stick to the theme.

• You’re hosting a cocktail party for friends. Assuming you have knowledge of the types of music you all have in common, start from there. If you don’t have knowledge of their tastes, work with music that your particular generation tends to enjoy.

• You’re hosting a cocktail party that is a bit of a mixer. Here you might want to start with a soundtrack centered around the cocktail music of the 1950s/60s. It’s evocative of a particular era, and can set a nice low key mood.

3. What statement do I want to make, or are there multiple statements to be made?

• You’re planning your engagement party, and you want to highlight you and your spouse’s personalities, relationship, and individuality. Let the ax throwing commence as the food truck pulls up! By all means, let your personal tastes show.

• You’re planning your engagement party, and you want to stick to more traditional cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and strive for elegance. This might mean light classical and pop standards.

• You’re planning your engagement party where you want to make sure the parents and grandparents are comfortable, and agreeing that they will exit at a given time so the party can open up. Start out with light, elegant choices, and let your flag fly later.

In closing, knowing what type of mood you want set for your event will help you focus your soundtrack. From there you can personalize by making your own song choices, you can seek out what traditional choices are, or you can have some form of hybrid.