[00:00:06] Speaker A: This is the EMG podcast.
I'm going to start today's episode with a little backstory.
We have been trying to record this episode for two weeks now.
[00:00:21] Speaker B: Yes, sir.
[00:00:22] Speaker A: And we got to do it. We got to do it. We got to do it. We got in here, and we both looked at each other and said, all right, what are we talking about? And we both said, we have no idea.
[00:00:31] Speaker B: No, I know what I'm supposed to talk about, but you asked me if I wanted to host, and I'm like, dude, this is your rodeo.
[00:00:36] Speaker A: We had two weeks to prep, and we don't know a damn thing.
[00:00:39] Speaker B: Two weeks of prep. I just got the information an hour ago. Not even an hour.
[00:00:42] Speaker A: Ten minutes ago.
[00:00:43] Speaker B: Yeah. Go, Mike. We're here. Hey, everybody.
[00:00:48] Speaker A: Here's how random this story started.
[00:00:52] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:00:52] Speaker A: I was sitting at home, and I got an Instagram DM from someone named Rachel Casella, who I did not know. And she said, hey, I write for brides.com, which is a pretty big website, and I'm writing an article about string quartets. Can you answer some questions for me? Okay. To which I thought was impressive, since I am illiterate.
No, I'm just kidding. Those questions typically come to you as our music director, but obviously, I know.
[00:01:22] Speaker B: How you would answer them.
[00:01:23] Speaker A: And I said, yeah, sure, send me the questions. So she sends me a list of questions, I answer those questions, and then I forget all about it. Next thing you know, I get pinged about a month later that we are featured on brides.com, and I'm the expert on the thing. And it was actually a really nice article.
[00:01:40] Speaker C: It was good.
[00:01:40] Speaker A: She interviewed a few other people, so we thought we'd hop on and talk about the contents of that, which is, of course, how to select a string quartet.
[00:01:50] Speaker C: Yeah. Okay.
[00:01:50] Speaker A: Right.
[00:01:51] Speaker B: So we are now trying to redefine. To redefine what a string quartet is. Meaning, like, with different combinations, like four strings.
[00:02:03] Speaker A: Now it could be three drummers.
I just redefined it.
[00:02:07] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:02:07] Speaker B: So we'll talk about some of the newer things that we're incorporating, but we'll go through the questions first, and then I can give you my little take on it.
[00:02:14] Speaker A: What did you mean by that, though? What did you mean by.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: Well, now, since we reshot some of the videos, I personally like incorporating keys with a string trio, which makes it a quartet.
[00:02:23] Speaker C: Right?
[00:02:24] Speaker B: Or keys with a string duo, just not a true. Not necessarily the second violin coming in, because, to me, having an octave below, which we'll explain in a second, sometimes isn't necessary. On that particular type of event.
[00:02:37] Speaker C: Right.
[00:02:37] Speaker B: For a ceremony or cocktail?
[00:02:39] Speaker A: We'll go out of order. One of the questions that she asked me was something to the effect, I have it here. Is there another comparable live alternative to a string quartet that couples could consider?
[00:02:49] Speaker B: Yeah, of course.
[00:02:50] Speaker A: The answer is yes. We always go with trios. Why is that?
[00:02:53] Speaker B: Why do we go for the traditional way? Yeah.
[00:02:57] Speaker A: Let me ask this a different way.
[00:02:58] Speaker B: I know what you're asking, though.
[00:03:00] Speaker A: Should I go, Mike, with a string duo or trio? We give them a very different answer than if I say, should I go trio or quartet?
[00:03:06] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:03:07] Speaker B: So a string quartet is two violins, a viola and a cello. Okay. And your question of, if not with the string quartet, what else should I go with? We always recommend the string trio. And the reason is, because of that second violin, unless you actively listen to string quartets, it's very, very hard to hear the difference between a trio and a quartet. Vice versa. A string duo to a string trio is a much, much bigger difference.
[00:03:34] Speaker C: Right.
[00:03:35] Speaker B: Because now you're adding in that viola, which then puts it into what's called a three part chord, a triad. You have three notes in a chord. You have three players.
[00:03:42] Speaker A: You have a fuller sound.
[00:03:43] Speaker B: You have a fuller sound. The second violin is extremely hard to hear if you don't actively listen to string quartets, which is. Now, I approached that question a little bit differently. I said, well, you don't necessarily need to do a traditional version of that quartet.
The second violin plays what's called an octave below the first violin. It's the same exact note just at a lower, lower pitch. All right, so it's the same exact note, but it's a different pitch.
[00:04:09] Speaker C: Now.
[00:04:09] Speaker B: It's hard to hear. So what I now recommend is, which is why I'm saying redefine a quartet, is that instead of incorporating that second violin, bring in the keys.
[00:04:19] Speaker A: So a totally different. We should.
[00:04:21] Speaker B: In post, I'm going to give you some more work. Let's play it.
[00:04:23] Speaker C: Right.
[00:04:23] Speaker B: So let's play what that would sound like. And so incorporating the keys with the string trio, violin, viola, cello. Now, you have two hands, a little bit of a different timbre, a different tone, and to me, it's a little bit more modern of a sound. Sounds a little bit more orchestral to me.
[00:04:39] Speaker A: So just in layman's terms, basically, if you don't have a musically trained ear, you still will be able to hear a bigger difference going from duo to trio as compared to trio to quartet. Once you get into quartet, your ear will be able to tell.
Be able to have a more unique experience by not making it four actual strings, but maybe bringing in a piano instead of that violin number two.
[00:05:05] Speaker B: Yeah, I personally lean towards that. And same thing with a string trio. You have a cello violin. With a keyboard player. It still sounds. Kind of sounds like four players, because, again, the keys have two hands.
[00:05:19] Speaker C: Right.
[00:05:20] Speaker B: You have accompaniment, melody, harmony, even chords. On both hands, you're getting a lot. You have a huge sound. Everybody wants that Bridgerton sound, right? I mean, we wanted it before it was cool, but now Bridgerton came out in COVID, so if you want to be a little bit different now, you start bringing in the keys, and it sounds awesome. Or a hard player.
[00:05:38] Speaker A: One of the first questions that she asked me that was featured in this article was, why might a couple want a string quartet for their wedding? It's a pretty obvious answer.
[00:05:48] Speaker B: They want to flex.
[00:05:48] Speaker A: Yeah, they want to flex.
[00:05:50] Speaker B: I got a string quartet.
[00:05:51] Speaker A: I'm going to read you my answer. Tell me if you agree with this. Strings can elevate the look and feel of a wedding day, obviously, by providing a timeless soundtrack of elegance. I furthered that by saying it's far more common for guests in their everyday life to come across a solo acoustic guitar player in a bar or coffee house than it is for a string ensemble. And so for that reason, there's a feeling of exclusivity when incorporated into the weding day.
[00:06:18] Speaker B: The only time you would see strings is at, like, an orchestra or on Broadway. And even that, it's technology, right? So, like, with Broadway, because they have gotten rid of it now with computers or, like, Hans Zimmer doesn't use any musicians at all. He uses one person and then creates an entire orchestra, which is think. And also, I think it depends on the type of venue that you're getting married at, too. I wouldn't have done a quartet of. Or I wouldn't have done strings at my venue. It's rustic, right? Maybe I would have paired up strings with, like, an acoustic guitar or something like that, which kind of gets the vibe. Your venue would be perfect for it, right? Black tie event. It's got that nice little kind of classic feel. Big flowers, like, all that stuff. It's got more of that exclusive feel. You think string quartet, you think elevation.
The presentation piece is elevated. The sound is elevated. It's a little bit more dramatic. Yeah, we were just looking at a past brides video, all string music. It was very dramatic, right? It's so much more dramatic. It's like, sets the stage a little bit differently.
[00:07:21] Speaker A: This question you could just straight up answer. I had my answer here. But what is the best way for couples to ensure that they find a professional and reputable string quartet? Do you have any tips for selection?
[00:07:33] Speaker B: It's all about how you Google.
[00:07:34] Speaker C: Right.
[00:07:34] Speaker B: We talked about this in one of the other episodes. It's like specific sound. You usually would start with a company.
[00:07:41] Speaker C: Right?
[00:07:41] Speaker B: A company that either is an agency or that is an entertainment group. And that entertainment group being established. And that entertainment group specializing in live music.
[00:07:50] Speaker C: Right.
[00:07:50] Speaker B: And where do they get their pedigree from? Sometimes you'll get the bios of those people. My bio, your bio, or whatever. Like what our backgrounds are and the type of musicians that we have. And reviews. Right. But the reviews can't be the whole thing.
[00:08:03] Speaker C: Right.
[00:08:03] Speaker B: It's a part of the. You need to do that. And also, it also goes back quality of sound.
[00:08:08] Speaker C: Right.
[00:08:09] Speaker B: If that sounds good to you. So do they have any of that media on their website?
[00:08:13] Speaker A: Right.
[00:08:14] Speaker B: And then to ensure the professionalism, again, you have to see response time. You have to make sure that they're literate with how they're writing emails. If they're getting back to you, like all those little things. It's as if you were searching at another vendor.
[00:08:26] Speaker C: Right.
[00:08:26] Speaker B: If you're a photographer, same thing. It should be the same guidelines. The problem is that many people are not professionals, and it's hard to making sure. Is that actually good?
[00:08:37] Speaker A: It was funny how I answered this question and then what actually made it into her article, because I'll paraphrase, but my answer to this was basically like, look, musician, you can find the best musicians in the world, but sometimes they're creative, which means they could be very highly unorganized.
[00:08:53] Speaker C: Correct.
[00:08:53] Speaker A: And so my recommendation here was to find a company like ours that can kind of bridge that be the middleman, has great talent, but also has really great process to keep your life as the client stress free.
[00:09:04] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, the musicians should be doing what the musicians do. Play. Right. And then who manages them should be different.
[00:09:10] Speaker C: Right.
[00:09:10] Speaker B: It doesn't necessarily need to be the same people.
[00:09:12] Speaker A: Last question here. How much do string quartets typically cost and how long do they usually play for?
[00:09:19] Speaker B: Good string players cost a lot of money.
The most paid person in an orchestra is the concert master, who is a lead violin player in any orchestra.
[00:09:29] Speaker A: Is that for the people listening?
[00:09:32] Speaker B: It's the leader of the group.
They set the tone.
[00:09:35] Speaker C: Right.
[00:09:36] Speaker B: I mean, every orchestration is usually based off with a string section. And that concert master is the person who kind of leads the way that the orchestra will run. And so you're looking at, let's see, if I use six to $800 for an hour locally per person. Yeah. I mean, you're getting a string quartet for $800. Good luck.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: Yeah, that's what I. Bless you.
[00:10:00] Speaker B: God bless you.
[00:10:01] Speaker A: I'll read you my exact answer, and you tell me if you agree. Cost is tied to time and can vary greatly depending on the region of the country that you're in. Here in the greater New York City area, string quartets can range on the very low side of 1200, which we agree is not going to be a very good string quartet. But you can find them for that. Right. All the way up to, like, north of $4,000. Reputable ensembles will start at 2000 for the hour.
[00:10:27] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly.
[00:10:28] Speaker A: And probably sit somewhere between two and 2500.
[00:10:31] Speaker B: Yeah, we're at 24.
[00:10:32] Speaker C: Right.
[00:10:32] Speaker B: $2,400 for the initial hour. And then each additional hour is actually going to be less than that because they're already on site.
Our string players are some of the best in the entire world. They're literally coming from Broadway. They're coming from orchestras. One of our string players, again, played with usher at the Super bowl.
Listen, you're not just investing in the day, right? It's not just them playing a service untied. Yes, it is tied to time. But again, where is that money going towards? I always ask, like, that little question. It's like, well, it's also going towards making sure the musicians have the music. Are they going to show up on time? Do they have the type of logistics behind that? Is there a backup plan, like all these other things? You're not just paying for that person to come and play. That's a big difference.
[00:11:14] Speaker A: My garage door broke a couple of years ago, and I have a friend who has been doing garage doors for Mr. Hughes. Yes, 30, Larry.
[00:11:22] Speaker B: And he shout out.
[00:11:23] Speaker A: He came over and he think he listens to this. No shot.
[00:11:26] Speaker C: Larry.
[00:11:27] Speaker B: If you are, man, I miss you. Geometry is not the same without you.
[00:11:30] Speaker A: No, but he came in and he fixed the thing in 15 minutes. And I said, that's unbelievable. He said, do you know how long it took me to fix that? I said, yeah, 15 minutes. He said, no, 30 years, right? I mean, it took him 30 years of experience to be able to fix it in 15 minutes.
[00:11:45] Speaker B: So I went to the jeweler. We have the same jeweler. Let's do the rings one more time.
And Ashley was getting a ring fixed, and I go, man, I mean, how the hell do you do this thing. He goes, just like how you're good at music. I'm good at this jewelry. Right. He's been 30, 40 years in the industry. You're paying for all that experience, right?
[00:12:04] Speaker A: You're paying for the experience. You're paying for that musician's ability to learn music quickly or to just make your. Yeah, you want us to play that? No problem. Some people cheaper will cut you off. They will charge more because they have to learn it. You're investing in the thousands of hours that we or our musicians have put into learning music.
[00:12:22] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:12:22] Speaker B: And another thing towards the investment is that our string players, as long as the sheet music exists, anything can be played. And so if the sheet music, a lot of times we'll get inquiries of like, oh, do you guys have a song list? No, we don't have a song list. Because again, if the music exists, we can play it.
[00:12:40] Speaker C: Right.
[00:12:40] Speaker B: So sometimes if you're asking for a song that's really not the popular norm, a lot of times we could find it on certain databases. But if it doesn't exist, we can arrange that for you. But that does come at a cost.
[00:12:55] Speaker A: Because it's more time.
[00:12:55] Speaker B: Because it's more time. And now we have to have our assistant music director know who is a string player, arrange it for four strings or arrange it for the keys in a trio.
[00:13:03] Speaker A: So we're going to throw this up on the website. We'll link to the brides.com article. It was very well written. There were a couple other experts that were quoted in there that had some cool things to say, so definitely check that out. Also, I have a confession to make. Since we started disorganized, I'm going to end disorganized.
[00:13:16] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:13:17] Speaker A: When I was getting dressed today, I started with a navy outfit.
[00:13:20] Speaker B: And then you left your navy socks on.
[00:13:22] Speaker A: Yeah, I put this shirt on, which is black, and I said, wait, that's not Navy. So I put black pants on and I forgot to change my socks. And all day I've been very embarrassed that I'm wearing navy socks and black everything else.
[00:13:32] Speaker B: You know what's so funny? I'm also wearing navy socks, but no one can see. Look, look.
[00:13:36] Speaker A: Are you wearing socks? Oh, yeah. You are wearing navy socks.
[00:13:39] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:13:39] Speaker B: Pretty sick.
[00:13:39] Speaker A: So tune in next week to sock World here on the EMG podcast.
[00:13:43] Speaker B: It's been real.
[00:13:44] Speaker C: Bye, group.
[00:13:46] Speaker A: You can find
[email protected] or on Instagram at elegantmusicgroup.
