Using an agency gives you peace of mind and removes the hassle of booking musicians. You don’t have to do hours of research about what type of musician is right for you or worry about the quality or reliability of the musicians – Tailor Made Music Agency has that covered. You’ll also get a booking contract to ensure there’s no room for doubt about any aspect of the booking. And if anything should go wrong, I’ll do everything within my power to fix it for you.

Read more about the benefits of using an agency in my blog post: Why should you use an agency to book event musicians?

Absolutely not! Tailor Made Music Agency is here to guide you and offer as much advice as you need to help you decide what musicians to book for your event. I even offer this service specifically in my Overture Package. Equally, if you or some of your guests happen to be real classical or jazz enthusiasts, you won’t be disappointed by the quality of my performers!

These are not services that Tailor Made Music Agency offers. From the start, I decided to play to my strengths and be a truly specialised service. So I only offer classical and jazz musicians, which are typically suitable for background music and wedding ceremonies. My musicians are all of a high enough standard that I can also offer full classical recital performances or jazz gigs, which would fall under my bespoke service.

If your event is in the summer or around Christmas or Easter, I recommend booking around 12 months in advance to avoid disappointment. These tend to be busy periods for musicians. At other times of the year, 6-9 months is usually workable. However, it is always worth sending an enquiry, even at much shorter notice. There may be fewer choices on offer, but there is always a chance one of my artists has room in their diary just when you need them!

My signature artists are all based in and around London, and my service mainly covers London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Surrey. Some musicians are willing to travel further, including internationally. I allow for this in my Symphony Package. Your quote will include travel costs. Many of my musicians drive and will require parking at the venue. Some need to stop close to the venue to unload their instruments and equipment. I encourage my musicians to use public transport wherever practical.

The musicians set the artist fees themselves, so there is some variation according to which musicians you choose. Tailor Made Music Agency charges a flat-rate booking fee, which covers all of the services I provide in addition to the musicians’ performance. My packages set out what each level of service includes. Unlike other agencies, I don’t charge commission on the Artist Fees, so you can be sure that my advice is impartial.

The booking fee is payable to Tailor Made Music Agency. I accept payment by online payment platform Stripe (which takes credit or debit cards) or by bank transfer. The balance is usually payable directly to the musicians on the day of the event by cash or in advance by bank transfer.

Along with my artist recommendations, I will include a repertoire list for each artist, so you can see what music they play. If you want a particular style, mood or genre or a specific song or piece, just let me know when you enquire and I will do my best to accommodate it!

My Sonata Package includes the option to request a bespoke song arrangement, and my Symphony Package includes up to three. The cost of this will be included in your quote or added later if you’ve not decided at the time of booking. Both packages also include my assistance in finalising your song choices, with a call six weeks before your event. You don’t need to prescribe the entire set list, but most people like to have some say in the songs performed, particularly for a wedding ceremony.

Many pop songs sound fantastic in a classical or jazz style. Though do note that not all songs are suitable for all instruments. My musicians will always think creatively to make something work, especially if the piece is special to you. But it is important to be open-minded and aware that, for example, a punk rock song won’t sound anything like the original when played on a harp! My Overture Package is for you if you need help figuring out how to achieve a particular song.

As all my artists perform in other areas as well as at weddings and events, it may be possible for you to go and see them in a concert or a gig. I can’t guarantee it, but let me know if you’re interested.

Most of my signature artists have videos and recordings of themselves performing, so you can get an idea of what they sound like before you book.

In general, most aspects of the booking can be sorted out by email or phone, and I will handle that for you on behalf of the musicians. If a face-to-face meeting in advance is necessary, I can arrange this through my bespoke service.

My classical ensembles are fixed groups that work together regularly. Many do concerts and other projects together as well as weddings and events. That’s a different approach from many other wedding ensembles. Many wedding string quartets, for example, advertise as an ensemble but provide a different line-up for every booking and may have never played together or even met each other before the event. I believe that reduces the quality of the performance, so my classical ensembles don’t work that way.

Occasionally it will be necessary for my ensembles to use deputies, for example, if one player is ill. That’s a standard feature of the classical music industry and nothing to worry about. All my groups have a network of reliable and trusted deputies who they’ve worked with before and who know their repertoire.

The jazz world works slightly differently from the classical and is more fluid. Musicians are trained to mix and match with different ensembles and line-ups. Many jazz musicians say this creates a more spontaneous performance, which is more interesting for the listener and entirely appropriate for the genre. As a result, my jazz ensembles are put together especially for each booking, based around individual musicians on my roster and their personal network of high-quality jazz musicians. This more flexible approach allows me to expand or adapt ensembles to suit the needs of any booking.

Under the terms of their contract, the musicians are not permitted to cancel a booking once it has been confirmed unless it is due to circumstances covered by Force Majeure. In the unlikely event that a musician cancels for reasons not covered by Force Majeure, they will be liable to cover any costs already incurred by you and Tailor Made Music Agency. I will also strive to find a suitable replacement for you at the same price as the original booking.

If an ensemble member is ill on the day, the ensemble will source a deputy to replace them and avoid disrupting your booking as much as possible. All my groups have a network of reliable and trusted deputies who they have worked with before, who know their repertoire, and who they can call upon if needed. If using a deputy is not an option (for example, if you have booked a soloist), then I will do everything within my power to find a replacement for you at no extra cost.

You will have a 48-hour grace period on receipt of your contract. Within this time, you may cancel at no cost. After this, the booking is considered confirmed. If you cancel, you will lose your booking fee and may have to pay a cancellation fee, charged on a sliding scale of up to 100% of the outstanding balance based on how many days’ notice you have given. The cancellation fee covers any loss to the musicians, who will potentially have turned down other work on the date of your event. Details of this will be in the terms and conditions of your contract.

Musicians will bring their sheet music, music stands, and instruments (except classical pianists and organists, who will need an instrument provided at the venue).

Some artists play with amplification. In most cases, they provide their amplification equipment. If you’re planning a large event and using an AV company, do let me know, as it may be possible for the artists to work with them directly rather than bringing separate equipment. Please also let me know if your venue has a sound limiter installed and what the limit is.

You or your venue should provide chairs, access to the electricity supply (if needed) and a secure room where artists can change and leave their belongings. I ask that the musicians are provided with soft drinks throughout the booking and light refreshments (sandwiches or a light meal) if the booking is two or more hours long. Details of individual requirements will be in your contract.

My musicians are all required to have Public Liability Insurance. If your venue requires this, please let me know, and I can provide you with a copy of their insurance certificate.

Typically, your musicians will arrive 20-30 minutes before their performance start time to set up and acquaint themselves with the venue. Harpists, guitarists and jazz ensembles may allow more time as they require a bit more set-up time, depending on the venue. You are welcome to request that they arrive at a specific time, though there may be an additional fee if that is more than 30 minutes before their booked start time. It is always helpful to provide the musicians with a contact to report to when they arrive at the venue.

This varies depending on that act and will be detailed in your contract. If you have limited space available, let me know in your enquiry so I know what we’re working with.

If you want the musicians for your event to play outside, check with me in advance to see if this will be possible. Most musicians can play outside if required but should be positioned under cover to avoid the risk of themselves, their sheet music and their instruments being affected by rain, strong winds or direct sunlight. If amplification is required, they will also need access to an electricity supply. Some instruments need to be placed on a hard, solid surface like concrete (i.e. not gravel or grass).

Standard dress for musicians is shirts, dinner jackets and tailored trousers, or dresses, skirts and blouses. Often this will be all black or black with white shirts, but if you haven’t specified, the musicians may sometimes add a splash of colour. They will always be smartly presented. If you prefer the musicians to wear all-black or casual clothes, they can easily accommodate this. Just let me know. Specific requests for certain colours (other than black) are more challenging, so I can only accommodate these in my Symphony Package or bespoke service.

Performance start and finish times will be detailed in your contract. Typically musicians will take a break of around 15 minutes for every hour of playing after the first hour. Let me know if you require them to take a break at a particular time (e.g. for speeches). Standard timings for wedding bookings are:

• Ceremony - 1 hour total, including 15-20 minutes of background music as guests arrive and a 40-minute ceremony

• Drinks Reception or Wedding Breakfast - 2 hours total, including a 15-minute break

• Ceremony and Drinks Reception - 3 hours total, including all of the above and an additional 15-minute break