You've Got to Fight for Your Right to...Party!
If the past couple of years have taught us anything it should be if you want to throw a party, throw it now. There’s no time like the present. I take parties very seriously.
Anniversaries. Birthdays.
Tea Parties.
Office Parties.
I am available for all sorts of parties! Are you planning an anniversary party and went to knock it out of the park? The harp is a great choice for intimate gatherings or larger groups. My sound system makes that possible.
My standard Christmas party play list includes classic Christmas carols, Frank Sinatra Christmas, and of course music from Charlie Brown’s Christmas Special.
My Rates Explained.
Please take a moment to read through this.
First off, thanks for considering me! In my book anyone that is considering live music for their event is alright. Welcome! I would like this opportunity to tell you a little bit more about what goes into each performance, and explain why I have a performance minimum. I’m not trying to be sassy at all. This is going to sound silly, but sometimes I’m bummed about jobs that I have to turn down! Over the years my most frequently asked question is “Can I hire you for 15 minutes?” Here’s my TMI response to that question. It is meant to be informative and thoroughly explain why harpists have to have a higher initial fee. I sincerely hope it is not caustic and that you may get a few laughs out of it.
To get my harp to a venue and back home requires 20 trips to the car . If there is a parking garage this can be 5-10 minutes per trip. Driving in Houston with the seemingly endless road construction means that I have to leave lots of extra time beforehand to make sure I arrive at least 45 minutes prior to the start of the event for set up. Then, at the end of the event I go through the same loading/ unloading process again.
Even if I only play for 10 minutes, it would still take me a minimum of 2.5 hours to make that happen. Believe me, I wish that wasn’t true!!! Sometimes I feel like I am in an equipment moving business more so than a harpist.
Anyways, it might be helpful to think me (harpists) more like a 4 piece band. Bands have lots of equipment, bands have a special vehicle that they use just to move their equipment. You wouldn’t hire a band to come do a sound check, get dressed up, and play for 15 minutes. I am happy to play for 15 minutes, but I will still need to charge my minimum rate, as I will have to invest several hours to be at your event.
A few other items that go into my pricing: I am a national harp competition winner, I have a master’s degree and undergraduate degree from one of the most prestigious harp departments in the world. I also practice several hours a day ‘for free.’ It’s all baked into the cake. Also, inflation. Yuck! I’m at the grocery store buying the same $8 package of bacon you are.
I’ll add one final thing. I am a one person show. I don’t have an apprentice I can send out at a lower cost. And I can only be one place at one time. A cake maker can make 10 cakes and have them all delivered for the same time slot. I cannot do that unfortunately.
If you hire me from 5pm-6pm on a Saturday night you have basically booked 2:30pm-the end of the night, as your event is the only one I can play that Saturday evening. Again, I am just trying to explain why 15 minutes is not a thing. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I sincerely appreciate it and hope to hear from you!!!
Here's the great news...
I guarantee that my performance will be worth every single penny you pay. And then some.
Just to give you an idea of how long I have been performing, I played at an event that was hosted by Warren Moon, who at the time was the quarterback for the Houston Oilers before they moved to Tennesee. Before the Texans existed I was already bustin it. LOL.
Luv Ya Blue!
Pricing
90 Minute Minimum: $500
Each additional hour $200, which can be prorated down to 15 minute intervals after the first 90 minutes.
90 minutes $500
2 Hours $600
3 Hours $800