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September 29, 2009
“When to Call”
I got a call the other day from a very excited Mrs. Whatnot, wanting to know our bands’ availability for all of the Saturday nights next May, June and September.
I said, “Congratulations, who’s getting married?” She answered, “My daughter is, but she doesn’t know it yet.” Wow! Although it doesn’t happen every day, people do sometimes try to arrange their wedding dates based on the availability of a favorite vendor, whether it is a caterer, a venue, a rabbi, a decorator or, in most cases, an amazing band. People who attend parties often take the cards or collect the phone numbers of vendors who made an impact, and save the information for when they might need it.
Check this out! A bride called me one day and told me she attended her friend’s wedding 10 years ago and was so impressed with my Starlight Orchestra that she took our card and saved it in her jewelry box, waiting for the day that she would meet the right guy and get engaged! Her wedding turned out be to be one of the year’s biggest weddings in New York City, with an international guest list of over 800 people at the Waldorf=Astoria. That night I employed 80 musicians and crew, and provided music in 8 ballrooms! I am sure glad we rocked the house at that wedding 10 years ago.
So you’re engaged, now what? Mr. Whatnot had gotten a visit from his daughter’s boyfriend, who very respectfully and traditionally asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage. He told the Whatnots that he wanted to propose to Erica on July 4th, which was a few weeks away, and he wanted it to be a surprise. Mrs. Whatnot knew what kind of a wedding she wanted to throw, and did not want to risk losing the players that would help turn her dream into a reality, so she discreetly made calls and made plans, before the engagement was official. As you can see, it is never too early to start researching and calling vendors. Some vendors may reserve dates, others may not, but you can plan your party based on the availability of those most important to you. The earlier you call, the more options you have. I find that the Starlight Orchestras clients know what they want, have high expectations, and hire vendors who consistently deliver.
At the other end of the spectrum are people who somehow plan their weddings in no time at all. Like weeks! I am constantly amazed when I get a call from a bride who asks if we are available 6 weeks from today to provide her wedding music. Some of the largest affairs I have performed at were planned in less than time than that! Some dates fill up a year in advance, with clients calling for that same date over and over, while other nights sit empty, and are perfect for those planning last minute affairs. If you are planning a close wedding, you can always call to check availability and never assume that you won’t get the professionals you most want to work with.
Whether you reach out a year in advance, one month before, or sometime in between, the process has begun and you are on your way….
September 23, 2009
OK, I never thought this was going to be one of the blogs where recipes start turning up all over the place…. BUT!
I am writing about what inspires, pleases, what adds to celebrations, what brings meaning to life, adds to parties. True, my focus is MUSIC, but on a deeper level , and if you know me, my focus is really about what is uplifting, inspiring, meaningful, and joyful. SO!
Holidays,
Parties,
Music,
Family,
Cooking,
Tradition,
Friends,
Love,
Noodle pudding.
Noodle pudding? Really!
There was a bit of a contest in the family while I was growing up. Whose was better, Grandma Belle’s or Cousin Shirley’s?
Both were amazing, delicious. Each year at holiday time I have been preparing both of them and asking everyone around the table which they like better. No one can decide. So this year I made my own version, which is a combination of the two. And here, on my Blog, on the Starlight Orchestras updated website, I am posting a family recipe.
here goes…
VALERIE’S NOODLE PUDDING
(serves 8-10)
8 oz package broad egg noodles
¼ cup butter, softened
8 oz package cream cheese
½ cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 cups raisins (optional)
jar strawberry preserves
Cook noodles according to package,
Drain and toss with ¼ cup butter to coat,
Heat oven to 350,
Beat cream cheese in large bowl,
Gradually beat in sugar,
Beat in eggs one at a time,
Stir in milk, lemon juice, vanilla and salt,
Fold in noodles pour into buttered baking dish (13×9),
Add raisins if desired,
Spread small dollops of strawberry preserves across the top,
Put baking pan into a larger pan, halfway filled with water (so bottom of pan does not burn)
Bake for 50 minutes or until custard is firm!
 Doug enjoying a bite
September 6, 2009
 Everyone loves music. We all have favorite styles, artists that we like to listen to, songs that bring back memories. We all listen to music, yet are often not aware of how we USE music on a daily basis, throughout all the “segments” of our lives. Music in the morning helps us make the transition from sleep to wakefulness. Music while driving in the car, or on our Ipod when we travel sets a mood for how we want to feel. Many people have music playing at their jobs which propels them through their day. We use music to unwind, music to relax, music to rev up, music to inspire, music to exercise, and music to dance. We choose different types music to be the backdrop for our dinners, our backyard barbecues and our romantic encounters. While we may not always be conscious of the musical choices we make and why, we are most definitely creating moods for ourselves by the genres, radio stations and playlists that we select. Try this little experiment to illustrate this concept. Put on the television or turn on your favorite movie; WITH THE SOUND OFF! See how dry everything is without the soundtrack influencing how we should feel. If we can affect our own emotional state by the music we choose to listen to, we can also affect and influence the moods of others. When we have a party at home, for example, we can decide if we want our friends to walk into a relaxed and cool atmosphere with our stereo playing light jazz, or if we prefer to have classic rock favorites creating a more energetic vibe. People feel and act differently based on the musical backdrop. Think of the large events that we sometimes have the opportunity to host; the weddings, the mitzvahs, the fundraisers. Some of us even work in the event field and produce large scale corporate events, award shows and general sessions. Just like our lives, these events are made up of different “segments,” and in every segment we have the opportunity to set a mood, invoke a feeling, or encourage an activity. By raising our awareness and making conscious and purposeful choices, we can orchestrate the moments of our events as well as our lives, and infuse them with purpose, meaning, and feeling.
The use of music can be instrumental (no pun intended!) in making this happen.
In the world of Starlight and in my blog, I will continue to expound upon the relationship between our events and our lives, and the vital role that music plays.
September 5, 2009
This thank you letter was written to Sarah Scott from her most recent bride and groom. The wedding was at the Angel Orensnaz Foundation in New York City. Congratulations to Sarah for another amazing event!
Dear Sarah,
Sarah, we cannot thank you enough for the most fabulous night ever!! Everyone told me they thought they were at a live concert, and they all said it was the best band EVER!! you and the girls looked so gorgeous…i loved those silver dresses, fabulous! it was honestly the best night ever and we were so thrilled to have you there with us!!! you are amazing!! please tell the whole band that they are just fantastic!!! i’m going to start crashing your weddings now so i can just hear you all play:) thank you for the best wedding night ever!!!
lots of love,
brooke and josh
September 4, 2009
In honor of this Labor Day 2009, local rock radio station 101.9 WRXP will be playing the 1,109 greatest rock songs of all time, with the help of their fans, listeners, fellow disc jockeys, and special guests artists (like Patrick Wilson from Weezer and Moby) who all submitted their personal 20 favorite rock songs of all time. The songs could be from any time period and any phase of rock, with the only rule being that the same artist cannot be selected twice. The countdown begins with Matt Pinfield and Leslie Fram’s “The Rock Show,” Friday morning, September 4th, at 6 AM, and will run until Monday, September 7th.
 Me and my guitar (Paul Reed Smith) I started my career as an electric guitarist specializing in rock and funk, and my musical roots go back to the great rock guitarists of the 60’s- Duane Allman, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Ritchie Blackmore, Eric Clapton, not to mention jazz greats like my absolute favorite George Benson AND my beloved guitar teacher, the late Linc Chamberland. Before I discovered soul and funk in the late 70’s, I was heavily influenced by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Yes, The Who, Pink Floyd and countless other innovative and rockin’ bands. (My journey to and through the Soul world came later, and is a story for another day.) Today I am going to submit my own list, the Valerie Romanoff Top 20 Rock Songs Of All Time. If you are so inspired, why don’t you post your own Top 20 list at the bottom of the page? Who knows, you may give me some good ideas of material I can add to the Starlight repertoire. Happy Labor Day and remember, “It’s All About The Party!”
Valerie Romanoff’s Top 20 Rock Songs of All Time (in no particular order)
1. Welcome To The Jungle- Guns and Roses
2. Sweet Emotion- Aerosmith
3. Smoke On The Water- Deep Purple
4. Won’t Get Fooled Again- The Who
5. School’s Out- Alice Cooper
6. Carry On My Wayward Son- Kansas
7. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes- Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
8. Frankenstein- Edgar Winter
9. Come Together- The Beatles
10. Running With The Devil- Van Halen
11. My Sharona- The Knack
12. Layla- Derek and the Dominos
13. Roundabout- Yes
14. Black Dog- Led Zepelin
15. Dark Side Of The Moon- Pink Floyd
16. Piece of My Heart- Janis Joplin
17. Life In the Fast Lane- The Eagles
18. Reeling In The Years- Steely Dan
19. One Way Out- The Allman Brothers
20. Last but not least, this is a song I wrote with my friend Alex Salzman, called “I Got It Bad,” and was recorded by my originals band, The Lovebots. Soon I will have links to all of my original music for you to hear.
September 4, 2009
Trying to be objective is a lot of work: life is full of potential conflicts due to all the different points of view that we have. If an event occurs there are at last 3 ways to look at it; how you saw it, how I saw it, and what really happened. Every time you add another person into the mix, there is another viable and relevant point of view. Each can be completely different, none of them are wrong, and all have points of truth. Misunderstandings abound as people tend to focus on their own perspective and they compile as much “evidence” as they can In order to support their position. Imagine instead if we all assumed there would be value in uncovering the different perspectives of all concerned, and put ourselves for a moment in the shoes, minds and hearts of the others. Ask oneself, “if that were me, what would I be feeling?” In a certain frame of mind, this is not hard to do. But it does require that we put our own staunch posture on the side, if even for a brief few moments, and expand our horizon by exploring another person’s perspective. We are often unwilling to do this for any number of reasons; it wasn’t taught to us, we feel that it is not reciprocal, that no one will be thinking of us and advocating for our feelings, so why should we abandon our post and try to empathize with someone else. To that I say, big changes are made with small steps, one at a time. A river is formed by mere droplets. If we can see ourselves not only as the center of our own universe, but also as a system that orbits and intersects with others, we can begin to find the understanding, compassion, and objectivity that can create harmonious worlds.
September 3, 2009
 Here’s Something Interesting! The Beatles 8TH album, Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, was the first record of all time to include the lyrics with the recording. It also set the stage for album covers to be objects of art, and a team of notables in the art world were brought in for the project. Included in the inside sleeve were other items as well; a page of cardboard cut-outs (a moustache, stripes, badges, cardboard cutouts of the band and the character Sergeant Pepper). The album cover, in addition to the music, was innovative, fun and connected the fans to the artist in a deeper and more meangingful way. What a far cry from today’s practice of downloading individual songs rather than listening to an entire CD. The stage was set for a wave of record-packaging that became as much of a draw as the music itself. Apple (creators of the IPod and ITunes) is teaming with the 4 largest record companies to try to boost record sales by bringing back the concept of compelling album covers by using interactive, digital packaging which will coincide with a new device called the IPad. “Project Cocktail” is the name of this plan, and you can read more about it on Apple’s weblog.
Think back on some of the best album covers of all time, and consider if you would purchase entire CDs or even vinyl, if the artwork and included material were compelling. And while you’re at it, please write us below with the names of some of your favorite (entire) albums OR favorite album covers.
Here are a few of my all time favs…
 In The Court Of The Crimson King- King Crimson
 Revolver
 Axis- Jimi Hendrix 
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September 2, 2009
How wonderfully gratifying to hear from a happy client after their event! This email was from a wedding on August 22, 2009 at the Hotel Pierre
Dear Valerie,
Last night was a dream come true! You guys were so amazing and the party was out-of-this-world!!! People literallt cannot stop telling me how much they loved the band (and we agree!) Thank you so much- we are soooooo happy with how everything turned out.
Love, Claudia
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