Eastwood Swing Orchestra - Frequently Asked Questions

How long has the band been together?
More than twenty years! Our first engagement was a week-long noontime concert series at Boston City Hall Plaza in the summer of 1983.

Is it always the same people?
Five of the eight members have been with the band continually since its founding in 1983. We occasionally have a substitute fill in. We have asked people if they can tell which person is the substitute and they invariably can’t! We have a book of musical arrangements that allows substitutes to fill in seamlessly. We’re fortunate that the Boston area has a host of excellent musicians; some have been filling in for us for more than ten years; and that's longer than many other bands have been together. Plus some of our former members return to fill in whenever the occasion arises.

We’re concerned about volume!
We share your concern. Our vocalist, Skye, is a former audiologist and for a year we measured our volume levels with a decibel meter. One of the questions on our Client Satisfaction Survey asks about the volume level: no one in more than five years has said we were too loud. Our 5-piece band once played literally three feet away from a table of guests during the dinner hour of a wedding reception at the Pierce House in Lincoln, MA: all the guests at that table were able to converse at normal levels the entire time and insisted that our volume levels were fine. What’s our secret? After the first selection we go out to the two groups of people closest to the band and ask them if the band is too loud; we tell them our job is to make certain they enjoy the music and we encourage them to tell us at any time, even in the middle of a song, if they think the music is too loud.

What do you wear?
Unless you request otherwise, we dress in tuxedos and formal wear. We believe a band should look as good as it sounds!

Do you take breaks?
Yes, for physical health reasons we do take breaks. We schedule these around the activities of the event. For a four-hour engagement, we take no more than three ten-minute breaks. We play recorded music of either similar or contrasting musical styles, as appropriate, through our sound system during these times so there’s non-stop music.

Will I receive a contract?
We have a standard contract we use for all our engagements. Putting details in writing helps to insure there are no miscommunications. We typically request a twenty-five percent deposit with the balance due at the conclusion of the engagement.

Will you learn any specials songs for my event?
Certainly, as long as the selections are ones that the band would sound well performing. Our rule of thumb is to subtract one from the number of months until your event and that’s how many new songs we’ll learn. For example, if you notify us in January for a September event, that provides us enough time to learn seven new songs.

What if I have other questions?
Feel free to contact us by whatever method is most convenient for you. We’re happy to answer any questions or discuss any concerns you may have at any time.