We had a great time at Evan and Ciara's wedding last night at The Eastonian (Kunkle Drive in Easton/Palmer Township, PA).  It's really enjoyable meeting couples getting married and hearing their thoughts on their music for their big day - it's such a huge part of people's memories that we realize the importance of our job when we're hired for a wedding.

Typically, we'll learn songs for the couple if we don't already know their "first dance" songs, or learn other songs that the couple really wants to hear during their reception.

Ricky's going to kill me for mentioning it, but he's a huge fan of Wilson Phillips. As am I - I totally wore out my cassette.  Their song "Hold On" recently came back into the public's collective consciousness after the song was featured in the hit movie, "Bridesmaids." When Ciara mentioned she's a huge fan of the movie and wanted us to learn "Hold On" for their reception,  we were openly excited. Harmonies! That's one of our specialties.

In addition to that, Evan and Ciara were fans of the Ataris, a pop-punk band known for their cover of the Don Henley song "Boys of Summer" a few years back. They asked for us to put together an acoustic version of the song "I.O.U. One Galaxy." Normally, it's a faster-paced rock tune. Ricky and I worked out an arrangement where we alternated lines and added harmonies to make a slow-danceable song for Evan and Ciara's first dance.  We knew we hit the mark when we saw the two dancing, totally absorbed and enjoying the moment.  That's probably our favorite part of being a wedding band - helping to create the special moments that people remember forever.

At the bride and groom's request, we'll record a version in the studio that they can keep forever to remember the moment (and our arrangement). That's a unique service that we can offer to our wedding clients that doesn't cost a dime  - we enjoy the creative process and the challenge of arranging a song to capture our brides' and grooms' visions. 

Have a wedding coming up? Have some creative requests or dreams for your special event? Contact us. We can help make those dreams a musical reality.

Peace, Love & Rock 'n Roll,
Christine

Thanks to Pius X Class of 1974 and Dunmore HS Class of 1989 who just booked Sunshine Symphony for their class reunions!  We hope this is a trend that's continuing.  

We love the idea of bringing a live band to a reunion - there's no better icebreaker than getting everyone on the dance floor with a nostalgic song from your high school years. We always like to go the extra mile when it comes to keeping our clients happy, and we enjoy learning new songs to enhance the event. One of the most fun parts of our job is looking at the Billboard charts for the top hits of that year, and deciding which ones we think will go over well with our audience.

Cara booked us for her class's 25th high school reunion after seeing us perform at Bar Louie in Wilkes Barre. She really enjoyed our variety of music.  1989 was the year of power ballads, including songs from hair bands like Skid Row, and pop/rock bands like Bon Jovi and Poison. Since we grew up loving late 80s music, we're not too proud to admit we already know some of the big hits of 1989, like "When I See You Smile" (Bad English) and "Lost in Your Eyes" (Debbie Gibson). We may have to break a few of those out for slow dances at the reunion.

The Sunshine Symphony duo of Ricky Bell and Ian Frey will be playing the Pius X Class of 1974 reunion at Northampton Country Club. Great songs abounded in 1974 as well - an era that included disco, soft rock and plain old rock n roll! Top hits in 1974 included "Jungle Boogie" by Kool and the Gang, "The Joker" by the Steve Miller Band and "Sunshine on my Shoulders" by John Denver.  

Interestingly enough, there was one song that was a Top 100 hit in BOTH 1974 and 1989, can you guess what it was?
"Rock On' - recorded by David Essex in 1974 and Michael Damien in 1989. So if we learn that one song, we're covered at both reunions!

If you're planning a party, wedding, or class reunion, consider live entertainment to make it a party that no one will ever forget!  Ask Sunshine Symphony about performance options - we can perform as a full band, as a duo or a trio to deliver live music at an affordable price.