FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
First, customers should know is to check out Louis Pettinelli Entertainment's home branch profile. The home profile contains 321 reviews, a 5 star cumulative rating, and 600 bookings. This is among the highest amount of bookings and reviews of any live music company on Thumbtack in the entire country. Prospective customers should know the following about my pricing policy: I work to find a fair price that works for both the customer and me. I always aim to find a cost that doesn't break the bank, but accurately reflects the services that I provide, as well as the talents of my musicians. Music can often be a factor that makes an event stellar and memorable, as opposed to mundane and commonplace. I frequently work with clients that have never hired live musicians before, but instantly become fans of live music after hearing one of my ensembles perform. That being said, if you want QUALITY live music, it does come at a certain price point. I am always trying to find affordable deals for my musical services. In general, my minimum pricing for a solo performer for 1 hour is $250. However, a solo performer for 2 hours may only be $300-$350, as opposed to double the cost of the 1 hour rate of $250. In addition, it's important to me for customers to know that my hourly rate of $200 per hour is typically per musician per hour, not per ensemble. For example, if you wanted to hire a 6 piece band for your 4 hour wedding reception, definitely expect to pay more than $800 total for the band. Furthermore, the $200 per hour is an estimation of the cost for my services. A large number of factors goes into my pricing, including but not limited to the following: -Is your event being held during peak season or off-peak season? Peak season is typically from May to August, September, and December. -Is your event being held on a weekday or weekend? Our highest performance rates are typically for Saturday evening events, as this is the busiest and most coveted slot for events in the music industry. In other words, the most popular night of any week for someone to host an event is Saturday evening. Thus, a particular ensemble will likely cost more on a Saturday evening than a Wednesday afternoon. -What type of event are you having? Every type of event has a unique number of responsibilities that come along with it. For example, a wedding reception that requires the band to emcee and provide full sound coverage carries more responsibility than a corporate event in which a jazz trio is playing background music. -How much demand is there for the LPE ensemble that you want for your event? Some of my ensembles are in higher demand than others. An ensemble in higher demand may commandeer a larger fee than an ensemble that holds less demand for its musical services. -What's the total time commitment? The cost for LPE Ensembles is calculated by the total time commitment from the moment that the performers step into the venue, as well as the distance that they have to travel to reach that event. For example, if you are having a 5 hour event and want the band to be set up at the beginning of the event, but only perform for the last 2 hours of the event, that event would be treated as a 5 hour event. -Where is your event taking place? Particular regions that are more geographically remote than others may involve a travel fee. Many musicians tend to live in or near large metropolises such as Charlotte or Charlottesville. For example, if you are having your wedding in Roanoke, VA, you should be prepared for the possibility of having to hire a group from the Charlotte region due to lack of quality and quantity of local performers in the Roanoke region. My performers are top notch musicians with advanced degrees in music from institutions like The Juilliard School, The Colburn School, USC, and The Manhattan School of Music that have thousands of hours of dedication to their craft, and often performance careers that span decades long. As my reviews and rating indicate, my performers and me offer a premium musical experience.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
My training in music is extensive. I hold a bachelor's degree in music from a four-year university, where I studied upright bass in both classical and jazz formats for several years. Equally as important, however, is my practical training. I have been a part of the music community and scene for years. Rather than having sat behind a desk and sent musicians out to various events, I have worked as a freelance musician for years, and continue to do so, both as a sideman and band leader. I still continue to work as a professional bassist around the area. From still continuing to perform hundreds of events per year, I know what a good band should sound like, and what the optimal behavior and performance for live music should entail. I have immersed myself in the local music scene so that I have first-hand experience. This is important, and a differentiating factor, in my opinion. Many of the heads of booking agencies consign themselves to a "desk job" role, and greatly minimize the amount of performing they do, or stop altogether. People hiring musicians for an event want someone who has first hand experience and practical knowledge of what an event with live musicians requires. Every musician that I hire, play with, or send out to an event has been "battle-tested", so to speak, and can be ensured to be reliable, professional, and deliver a premium service.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I started doing this type of work because music is my passion. I come from a family of musicians, and have been immersed in music from birth. I started playing the trumpet as my first instrument in fourth grade, and grew up playing with a band composed of my father, siblings, and uncles and aunts. In ninth grade, I began playing the electric bass. In eleventh grade, I began playing the upright bass, as well as seriously starting to study the electric bass. While I successfully became accepted into multiple schools of music on both trumpet and bass, I chose bass as my primary instrument, and currently perform just on upright and electric bass. During my college years, I began to immerse myself in the local music scene, and continue to do so. It was at this time that I started establishing myself as a freelance musician. This is something that I am also continually doing. I began running Louis Pettinelli Entertainment because I wanted to connect clients to musical ensembles that were both high quality and affordable. I have found that for jazz and classical music, people often have difficulty finding quality musicians, particularly in more remote or less populated areas. Louis Pettinelli Entertainment aims to generate work for musicians, and also to connect clients with exceptionally high quality music that is not just jazz and classical, but falls into all genres. My organization is community-sourced, meaning that the people I hire for an event are part of the community in which it takes place. Regardless of the location, you can be assured that my employees are top tier musicians that happen to also be members of the community.