Corporate and Private Events

This page provides valuable information about booking any kind of entertainment for your event.  Print it out and place it in your material as a reference guide when selecting your entertainment, Even if you don't use our service, this page will help you to understand what options you can have for entertainment!

Sample price list

"The Soundtrack to Your Event"

David Patrone works with the BEST professional musicians in your area for your event. David Patrone continues to perform as one of Southern California's most frequently booked entertainers (nearly 300 shows in the United States last year), performing Jazz Vocal standards in a style that is reminiscent of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Harry Connick Jr., Michael Buble and others of the golden era of American Popular music. He brings style, class and fun to any special event and his Jazz ensembles feature the best musicians in the United States. David also pairs with popular DJ's from the hottest nightclubs in town to offer a unique and comprehensive entertainment package.

Why decide between a DJ and a Live Band when you can have it all?

David Patrone has performed hundreds of corporate events, private parties and weddings.  He knows what it takes to make it special. His philosophy comes from experience:

"In this day and age of constant media immersion with instant gratification, fast-moving video clips and sound bytes, you have to offer more to your clients.  We provide authentic entertainment in several styles including club DJs to round out the experience.  We realize that today's audience probably doesn't want to sit down to a three hour show with the same band.  We take care of that by providing comprehensive entertainment"

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

- What type of entertainment options are available for my event?

- What are some options for the pre-party?

- Vocals during the cocktail hour?

- When will the band take breaks and how many will they take?

- Can you learn a specific or special song for our company?

- Can you write a song for our company?

- What about the stage and/or the lights?

- How specific will the contract be and what if we have to make a last minute change?

- What other services do you provide?

- What if David is already booked?  Can you refer other bands?

- Entertainment Options:

Specialty Music:
- Big Band
- Funk Band
- Jazz Ensemble
- Brass Ensemble
- String Ensemble

Live background music can really shape the atmosphere you wish to create.  We can also provide almost any song or composition for specific times or presentations.  Practically any song can be done in any way.

Cocktail Reception (typically one hour)
- Jazz Ensemble
- String or Brass Ensemble
- Pianist
- Harpist

We provide a tasteful ensemble to play in the background as guests are enjoying the cocktail hour and getting to know each other.  We typically keep it low-key since most of your guests are just getting acquainted and would rather talk than be entertained in a direct manner.

Dinner Reception
- Jazz Standard Combination with Vocalist (David Patrone)

Standard instrumentation includes Piano or Keyboard, Upright Bass, Percussion and Vocals and can utilize the same musicians from the Cocktail hour to keep costs down.  We often add saxophone, trumpet or a combination of other instruments to further enhance the tone of the performance.  The quintet (adding saxophone or trumpet) is our most common instrumentation.  With any size group, we can provide an extensive repertoire.  Obviously, the more expansive the instrumentation, the more dynamic the presentation.  David is a professional MC as well so he will help to keep the event flowing with is banter as well as his music.

After Dinner:
- Jazz Ensemble with Vocalist
- Funk / Energy Band
- DJ services

We often provide a DJ to complete the night's festivities so that everyone is entertained no matter their taste in entertainment.  We work with professional event DJs as well as specialty club DJ's that you might see spinning the tables at your favorite club on a Friday night.

Options for the Pre-Party?

We've provided full service entertainment for hundreds of events in the last eight years.  We've tried several approaches and prefer a simplistic approach to the cocktail party or other "staging area" type entertainment.  Our musicians are experienced in a wide variety of classical, spiritual and Jazz selections which are the most appropriate for the space of time before, during and immediately after your clients enter the event.  A break in background music will create a natural tendency for guests to move away from the staging area to the main area when you begin your meal service or presentation.

Why not have vocals during the cocktail hour?

    The cocktail hour is the first opportunity that most guest have to converse and get acquainted with each other.  Vocals tend to draw more attention to the band.  Often it's more appropriate for the band to prove more of a background ambiance during this time.  David also uses this time to get acquainted with key guests and go over any last minute changes in the program.

When will the band take breaks and how many will they take?

Normally the band takes breaks when the band wouldn't play anyway (during toasts, announcements, slideshows or speeches).  If the band has been playing for about an hour with no break, they will typically take a 15 minute break.  During this time we will play a background music selection.  Usually, you wouldn't even notice the transition.

Can you learn a specific or special song for our event?

YES.  Learning new songs is the everyday routine for any great musician.  We'll learn and perform any song that you want for a special occasion.  Make sure that you mention this so that we have time to learn and adapt the song to our style.  Whether it's a comedic or serious rendition; we'll do our best to incorporate your favorite in a way that honestly represents our style.

Can you write a special song for our event or company?

Absolutely!  Writing new songs is the everyday routine for any great musician.  It's even probable that we'll write one right there while we're playing.  David is funny that way.

What about the stage and/or the lights?

We provide out own basic lighting.  In most venues, staging and lighting is best provided by the venue.  Staging and lighting makes a substantial improvement in the presentation.  Depending on the type of music we're providing, the lighting needs differ.  For instance, the Jazz ensemble doesn't need an elaborate lighting presentation, the dance band does.   In most situations, the reception room is equipped with the capability for elaborate lighting arrays but the venue handles that.  If we think it would be necessary to provide this, we will discuss it with you and demonstrate the difference in service.  Many venues are already equipped with extensive lighting equipment and will provide their own lighting technicians.

The Contract:

We're flexible because schedules often change at the last minute.  Our contracts (agreements) don't always include specific times or schedules because schedules tend to change between the time we write the agreement and the day of the event.  It's a hassle for everyone to constantly revise a contract due to minor changes.  We also don't want you to feel like we're going to force you to stick to specific times if there are changes on the day of the event.  Basically, we are there to provide a full service whether your event is on schedule or not.  Times on our agreements tend to be vague so that we can facilitate any changes without having to rewrite and re-sign contracts.  Timing isn't a big factor for nighttime events since we don't plan on making another commitment late in the evening.  Conversely, events that conclude in the afternoon or early evening tend to be more specific because we'll often schedule another event later that night.  If we don't have another commitment to make, we'll often offer continued services for an additional fee if you desire to extend your event for a significant amount of time (45min or more).  This is common for corporate or other private events.

What other services do you provide?

Other services are unlimited; however, one of the more common additions that we provide include professional dance lessons for the Bride and Groom (or even the entire wedding party).  Many a Bride and Groom have amazed the room with a special dance after secretly taking a few lessons from one of our favorite instructors.  We can also add performance dancers or dance instructors during an event.  There are many types of presentations that we offer; from tribal fire dancers to a fully choreographed swing session.  Special performances from any of the many dance troupes in Southern California can uniquely energize your event and tantalize your guests to "get outside the box".  You can imagine the photo opportunities that this provides.

Referrals to other vendors:

We also offer references to other service providers that we have worked with.  After playing hundreds of weddings and events, a few specialists tend to distinguish themselves over and over.  We'll get you in touch with the ones that have impressed us.  Even if you don't hire us, we'll point you in the right direction.  We know how confusing it can be to sort through the endless barrage of marketing.  We know the folks who consistently deliver the best services.

Midnight Productions also represents other musicians:

We're dedicated to bringing the highest quality musicians to any special event.  We know that we're providing "The Soundtrack to Your Wedding." We focus on representing professional, talented musicians who consistently provide top quality entertainment. David is serious about providing the best entertainment available,

“When selecting a band or DJ for a wedding or special event, it's essential to utilize an experienced leader.  I've found that even an excellent band isn't a guarantee for a great performance when dealing with the complicated aspects of a unique event.  Experienced wedding coordinators and entertainers know the type of last-minute changes that typically arise during these events.  Unfortunately, many entertainment booking agencies will recommend the band or DJ who they can pay the least and charge the most for. It’s a tragedy to see this, especially at a once-in-a-lifetime occasion like a wedding. We won't represent an entertainer unless they are talented, experienced and professional. Out of respect for the musicians and the client, we don't take excessive booking fees  As musicians ourselves, we appreciate the unscrupulous nature of this practice.  We disclose all fees to the entertainers we hire. Ask any booking agent (even for a DJ) if they do that. Most bands or DJ's will be shocked to find out that they are getting paid less than half of the fee that you (the client) are being charged. I know, it's happened to me several times. One of the main reasons I started Midnight Productions was to keep this from happening to myself and to other musicians."

For a Basic Price List, go to www.davidpatrone.com/PriceList.htm

Otherwise, please feel free to give us a call and we will ensure that you have the best entertainment possible for your event. Outstanding references are available upon request. We also accept Visa, MasterCard, The Discover Card, American Express, and E-Checks online through PayPal.

David Patrone
Entertainment Coordinator
booking@davidpatrone.com
Midnight Productions LLC
PO Box 12070
San Diego, CA 92112-3070
booking@davidpatrone.com
1-877-PATRONE
877.728.7663
619.517.2719

If you'd like to hear David's show or talk to him personally, we recommend that you check out the schedule (Please call ahead in case we have another event scheduled on that date. We’re often performing for weddings and special events and must hire other bands to cover us on those days, especially Saturday)

For a great preview, check our Schedule and drop in:
Bing Crosby's Restaurant
Every Friday Night
7-11PM
7007 Friar's Road
San Diego, CA 92108