By Bryan Osuszek
Music exists all around us and, whether we know it or not, it influences the way we feel and, at times, the decisions we make. It helps shape the way we think, defines our personal tastes and draws us to those who share these same tastes. By recognizing this power, music becomes as equally important to an event as the venue choice, the catering, the keynote speaker and the decorations. When done right, harnessing music’s potential to create a unique ambience, which resonates positively with an intended audience, can leave a lasting impression on the attendees.
Before music selection can be considered, however, having the right music systems in place is very important. Nothing is worse than spending a great deal of time and energy selecting the right music only to have these selections ruined by technical difficulties. When thinking about music systems, the right partner is crucial, ensuring a flawless experience.
Many venues will have an in-house audio/visual team with expertise in setting up speakers, mixers, and microphones and operating them on the day of your event. Ideally, choose a venue with one of these in-house teams in order to avoid having to source a knowledgeable third-party who can ensure the right sound for the venue. However, if an in-house team is not available at the venue, there are many knowledgeable third-party AV experts who will offer clear guidance, installation and operating staff the day of the event.
Provides expertise
Another music system consideration is the business music provider. Business music providers are fully licensed, music solutions that cater to retail, commercial and hospitality clients for background use. Different providers each have their own benefits, but when choosing a provider for a live event, the ideal system should be:
- Portable — allowing full-control over the music from a tablet or smartphone;
- Reliable — there should never be a dropout in service, and;
- On-demand — allowing access and full-control over the music selections.
Once the systems are in place, thought can be given to the music selections and there are two different options for this: DIY (do-it-yourself) or working with a music consultant. Similar to the above recommendation about selecting a venue with an in-house AV team, it is best to work with a music provider that also offers in-house music consultants. This way there is a network of support should a last-minute change to the music be required.
Enhances brand identity
Music consultants are people who work in the music space, defining brand identities and creating the right sonic identity, with music based on demographics, intended ambience, and brand personality. Moreover, music consultants monitor the ever-changing musical landscape and can keep the auditory component of an event new and exciting. In the same way a music consultant works with a brand, ensuring the music messaging is complementary to the overall brand messaging, they too can define the right sonic landscape for an event.
The music consultant is armed with a deep knowledge of the different genres of music from different time periods and has access to a limitless database from which they curate their selections. Most times it takes more than one type of music to create different moods and, because of this, the music consultant’s knowledge is invaluable. Additionally, a music consultant will organize and schedule the music based on an event’s itinerary and can create added dynamics to the overall impression of an event.
Sets an emotional tone
It is important to note, a good music consultant knows the music is, by no means, the draw to an event and that music serves the purpose, in these physical spaces, as it does in movies. Like a movie, the music creates a mood in a passive way. When we watch movies we actively focus on the visuals, the characters, the dialogue and the plot but, passively, we are instructed how to feel about the scene by the music. In drawing this comparison, a movie and an event can be very similar, with regard to music.
During a networking session you may want to set an upbeat, relaxed mood. Before a keynote speaker you may want to create tension and anticipation that is released only when the speaker arrives to talk. There may be a themed dinner or luncheon that requires a nostalgic, “Rat Pack” type of mood. This often can only be accomplished with music. The possibilities are really limitless and the right music consultant can assist in unlocking this potential.
If you decide to go the DIY route, try and think like a music consultant. Define the subtle shifts in mood as an event progresses and think creatively to match these moods with songs. If pairing moods with music is a little too abstract of a concept, try an exercise: Think back to when a movie made you feel a particular way, revisit that scene and take note of the music playing. Though it may be time consuming, I’m sure you could come up a playlist of music for your event by defining these moods and matching them to parts in movies.
Whatever you decide for your next event, take the liberty of shattering of the mould, breaking the rules a little and offering something new and exciting. If the goal is to create a lasting impression, one that will retain your current attendees and attract new ones, then there is a lot of opportunity to explore the power of music to meet these ends.
About the author
Bryan Osuszek is Director of Communications of PCMusic. PCMusic enhances brand identities through sonic branding. Equipped with a vast knowledge and passion for music, our expert music consultants curate the right sounds for brands from our extensive library of over 6 million fully licensed songs. With a state of the art scheduling system and on-demand access to music and videos from the three major labels, major independent labels and independent artists alike, PCMusic’s music consultants have the flexibility of choice and depth of knowledge required to build the right mood and atmosphere for any business environment.
