The Buddy Ivory Band for your wedding party music

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Compare versatility, experience, and references

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. The ins and outs of what it takes to put on a good show. Logistics, sound, lights, setup, take down, arranging songlist to suit the venue.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. References, references, references.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. First I would establish what type of mood I want to establish with the band. Music is emotion and can create or change a mood just by the selection of tension and relax songs.
Second once the choice is made for the type of entertainment you want to have, you have to determine your budget and if your choice of a musical group is a good value.
Finally, read the contract and any small print. Do a little research. How is the group rated by any established services. If there is a history there, it will be to your advantage to read about it.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. The best thing about performing for people is that you get such a great feedback from the crowd. It really lifts you up to see people on the dance floor and getting into it. Makes you want to play harder and give it everything you've got.
It is the people who make this job special. You get to meet so many interesting folks and each venue is different. I look forward to each and every opportunity to play as a special time for both the audience and the band.
I have often said that after a performance it takes hours to unwind because the adrenalin rush you get when the crowd and the band are into it. There is nothing like it that I have ever found.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. The most interesting performance was an outdoor concert where I used my wireless for the first time and saw how folks responded when I went out in to the crowed. It was almost funny as this was a time when the wireless system first came out and a lot of people thought we were just playing canned music. I had to laugh so hard when I heard that just makes you think back with a smile.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I always wanted to be a drummer. One Christmas my Dad bought me an acoustic guitar of the Spanish variety and the strings for an 11 year old were like oak trees.
So I did not play for a while and after having guitar lessons; I was pretty much sick of playing home on the range and songs that I did not care for.
Then one night I went to a church social and seen one of my friends playing with his band and he played the guitar behind his back. I said if that guy can do it so can I.
I went right home after their show and put recordings of Wipe Out by the Surfaris and Louie Louie by the Kingsmen, I believe and proceeded to figure out how to play them.