Live Music For Events Glossary
The following is a list of some of the terms and phrases most commonly associated with live music at functions and events. The list is not intended to be a definitive list of technical definitions but rather simpler definitions useful to everyday business within the function and events industry.
A A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A cappella: Any singing performed without instrumental backing.
Access: The route by which Load In enters. Crew may be heard
to say "what's Access like?"
Acid Jazz: A combination of jazz, funk and hip hop.
Active Speakers: See Powered Speakers
Agent: Seeks employment or bookings for the Artiste and negotiates contracts on behalf of the artist. The Agent within the function band market will usually represent the the Band on a non-exclusive basis and receive a commission for his work or may choose to 'buy' the Band for one price and 'sell' it on at a margin.
Amp or Amplifier: A device that changes, usually increases, the amplitude and volume of an audio signal eg a guitar amp will alter the tonal quality and volume of the guitar so it can be heard.
Arrangements: Either a rewriting of a piece of existing music with additional new material or a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch, such as a lead sheet. Many Bands will have their own Arrangements for songs within their repertoire. See Charts
Arranger: One who adapts a musical work to the particular instruments or voices of the Band. Bands may have an Arranger who writes Arrangements for them.
Artist: Contract term usually used to describe a musician, Band or performer. See Band
B A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Backing Track: An audio recording used to play or sing along to. Bands may use Backing Tracks to add extra intrumental or vocal tracks to a live performance. Solo singers may use Backing Tracks of a whole band to sing along to.
Backline: A general term that includes all necessary guitar, bass and keyboard amplifiers together with drums. Also known as Equipment List
Band: A group musicians
Band Breaks: The period of time between the Bands sets, usually 15 minutes upwards
Bandleader: The leader of a band of musicians. Most bandleaders are also performers with their own band. The bandleader role is dependent on a variety of skills, not just musicianship. A bandleader needs to be a music director and performer.
Batucada: A substyle of samba and refers to an African influenced Brazilian percussive style, usually performed by an ensemble.
Big Band: A type of musical ensemble made up of more than 7 band members associated with playing jazz and swing music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late 1940s.
Blues: Characterized by the use of specific chord progressions — the twelve-bar blues chord progressions being the most frequently encountered.
Brazilian: A mix of Bossa Nova and Samba
C A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Cabaret: A form of entertainment usually featuring comedy, song, dance and theatre, distinguished mainly by the intimate atmosphere of the performance venue with the audience seated at tables. Can also be used to characterise a Bands shorter performance slot during or after a gala dinner, awards ceremony or similar otherwise known as a 'cabaret slot'
Call Time: The time the Band is due to arrive at the venue or agreed location.
Catwalk stage: A long narrower piece of staging that usually protudes from the centre of the main stage at right angles into the guest or audience area.
Chair: The position a Band member holds within the Band eg Joe Bloggs has the double bass Chair
Charts: The written notated music for each instrument in the band. See Arrangements
Click Track: May be used as a form of metronome by musicians in the studio or on stage, particularly by drummers, who listen via headphones to maintain a consistent beat.
Client: The customer
Contract: A legally binding agreement
Contract Addendum: Contains extra information over and above the Contract that is specific to a particular event.
Crew: The technicians and/or engineers who travel with the Band and handle the production elements of the performance but do not perform themelves.
D A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Demo: A recording made by a Band for potential cients to listen to with a view to Booking.
Dep: A replacement for a Band member who may not otherwise be available for a show. Many bands have up to 3 or 4 deps for each intsrument or Chair in the Band.
Deposit: A percentage, customarily between 20% and 50%, of the agreed Fee, lodged by the Client upon contract signature and held in trust until the performance.
Disco: Popular dance music came to prominence in the late 1970s
characterised by melody with a regular bass beat.
DI Box (or Unit): Stands for Direct Injection. An electronic device that converts the unbalanced output of an instrument to a balanced signal suitable for connection direct to the Mixing Desk.
Drum Riser: A raised area on the main stage large enough to accommodate the drum kit.
E A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Engineer (Sound Engineer): An Sound Engineer is responsible for the technical aspects of the Bands sound either onstage or Front of House. He or she will usually be found at the Mixing Desk.
Equipment List: See Backline
Event Manager: The indivdual who plans and and executes the event.
F A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Fee: The total amount for the services of the Bands performance agreed between the Bandleader, Agent or Manager and the Client.
First Refusal: The option given to the Client by the Agent, Bandleader or Manager for the right, but not the obligation to book the Band within an agreed time frame after which the Agent, Bandleader or Manager is entitled to enter into a transaction with a third party. This type of agreement is usually based on trust between both parties.
Fixer: A supplier of musicians for a Band who is not the Bandleader and who does not play in the Band.
Foldbacks: See Stage Monitors
Followspot: Also known as a spot light. A powerful stage light which can be controlled by a human spotlight operator to "follow" indivduals in the Band around the stage.
Front of House (FOH): The area of the building open to the guests as apposed to the Crew and Production staff. Lighting and sound operators are normally postioned FOH as they have a clear view of the stage area. FOH speakers are those that cover the guests.
Function Band: A generic term for a Band that plays at events.
G A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Gel: An acetate film used to modify the colour of a projected beam of light usually from a Par Can.
Ground Transport: Transportation supplied to the Band by the Client. Usually applies to airport, hotel and venue transfers internationally where transport is otherwise hard to arrange locally.
H A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Hora: Medley A traditional section of Hebrew music and dancing traditionally performed at Jewish weddings. The Hora generally comprises a medley of popular Jewish tunes including Hava Nagilaand Siman Tov U Mazleltov.
I A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Inhouse PA system: A PA system that is permanently installed in a venue.
Instrumentation: The combination of musical instruments that make up the Band.
J A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Jazz: A broad genre heading covering all styles from Dixieland to Swing.
K A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
L A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latin: General term given to music that originated from in countries of Latin descent. The style is characterised by a Bossa Nova rhythm.
Lead Sheet: A musical notation of a song’s melody along with the chord symbols, words and other pertinent information.
LED Lighting: Stage lights that use LED as a light source as apposed to the traditional stage lighting that uses halogen lamps. LED lights are considered more efficient than halogen lamps and are becoming ever more popular.
Load in: The act of bringing PA, lighting and Backline into a venue.
Load Out: See Strike
M A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Manager: An exclusive representative of the Band who will be instrumental is developing their career and deal with all apsects of it from marketing to contracts to logistics.
Mixing Console: See Mixing Desk
Mixing Desk: A device for combining or mixing, routing, and changing the level, tonality and/or dynamics of audio signals. The audio signal will come from a microphone that is attached to an instrument and/or amplifier and/or is being sung through. The modified or mixed audio signals are then sent to the amplifier and onto the FOH speakers for the audio to be heard by the guests or by the Band through their Monitors.
Motown: Originally the name of a record label that became so popular and had such a distinctive sound it became and genre in its own right.
Monitors: See Stage Monitors
Method Statement:
N A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Noise Limiter: A device that cuts off all noise or volume peaks that are higher than desired by the venue.
O A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
P A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
PA system: An electronic amplification system used to reinforce a given sound eg all the Bands Backline and vocal microphones will be connected to the PA system in order that the Band's instruments and vocals can be made louder and hence heard by the guests.
Pad: An individual Band members collection of bound Charts grouped together in a folder or Pad.
Par cans: In the context of function bands these are large lamps that can illuminate large areas of the stage. They are frequently used in patterns of multiple lights such as 3 or 4 on a tripod. The colour of the light can be adjusted using Gels.
Party Band: A term used to describe a band that tends to cover multiple music genres.
Party Planner: See Event Manager.
Passive Speakers: A speaker which does not have its own power source and draws power from an external amplifier.
PAT Tested (Portable Appliance Testing): A process by which electrical appliances are routinely checked for safety. All Bands PA, amps etc should be PAT tested to maintain safety levels. Evidence of testing is clearly visible to workers in the form of 'Passed' , 'Tested For Electrical Safety' and 'DO NOT USE after' labels affixed to various parts of the electrical equipment they use.
Per Diem: Latin for per day and refers to the amount a Band member will receive to spend on living expenses such as meals while away from home.
Pickup Band: A term used to describe a group of musicians that are hired to play for a limited time period from one show upwards.
Playlist: The list of songs the Band will plan on playing during a performance.
Potential Severity Rating (PSR): See Risk Assessment
Powered Speakers: Speakers that have built in amplifiers and can be connected directly to the Mixing Desk. Powered Speakers reduce set up times for the PA system and there is less equipment to deal with.
Production: The PA system, lighting, staging and Stage Monitors needed by the Band to produce a successful performance.
Production Rider: The technical information necessary to produce a performance by the Band. Usually includes the bands PA and lighting requirements.
Probably Likelihood Rating (PLR): See Risk Assessment
Public Liability Insurance: Covers the Band in the event that a claim may be made against them eg someone is injured by a falling speaker.
Q A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
R A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Rat Pack:
Read The Room: A term used by musicians to describe the ability to understand the audience and respond musically with the right repertoire for the event eg "the band were excellent at reading the room"
Reggae: Reggae is based on a rhythmic style characterized by accents on the off-beat. Reggae was made popular in the UK by Bob Marley.
Repertoire List: The songs the Band is able and prepared to perform
Rhythm and Blues: A style of music that crosses Blues and Soul.
Rider: Part of the Bands Contract that details Production requirements for the Bands show. The Rider also details additional Contract clauses and outlines any further requirements of the Band.
Risk Rating Number (RRN): A guide to the severity of safety risk that a Band poses at an event. See Risk Assessment.
Rock:
Rock n Roll:
Road Manager: Handles the day to day business of the Band while they travel. The Road Managers job will depend on the size of the band and the length of time they are on the road.
Roadie: See Crew
Runner: A member of staff of the Clients company that runs errands at the event.
Risk Assessment: The objective evaluation of risk in which assumptions and uncertainties as to the potential hazards of a Bands presence at an event are clearly considered and presented. Venue Event Managers will usually need an event Risk Assessment form filled in prior to the Bands arrival. The risk level is usually ascertained by multiplying the (Potential Severity Rating) PSR by the (Probably Likelihood Rating) PLR to establish the RRN.
S A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Seagueway: The transition of one song smoothly into another with no discernable gap. Bands can peform up to 4 or 5 seaguewayed songs at a time.
Session Musician: Instrumental performers or vocalists who are available for hire for live performances or recording sessions.
Set Times: When and how long the Band performs.
Set Up: The period in which the PA system, lighting and Bands backline is erected and Sound Checked.
Soul: A style of music that crosses Blues, Gospel and rhythm and blues.
Sound Check: When the Band and Engineer run through a small portion of the upcoming show to make sure that the sound in the venue's "Front Of House" (FOH) and stage monitor PA systems are clear and at the right volume and tonal frequencies.
Sound Desk: See Mixing Desk
Sound Guy: See Engineer
Soundboard: See Mixing Desk
Stage Blocks: Small portable modular raised platforms that fit together to make up a larger stage. Can be approx 3' x 4' in size.
Stage Left: The side of the stage that is to the Band's left as they face the audience.
Stage Monitors: Rear-facing heavy-duty loudspeakers the sound of which is amplified by the PA system. The speakers are aimed at the on-stage performers rather than the audience. The sound signal may be produced on the same Mixing Desk as the main mix for the audience, or depending on the scale of the event, there may be a separate Sound Engineer and Mixing Desk on or beside the stage creating a separate mix for the monitor system.
Stage Plan: A diagram that denotes where all on stage Production is placed. A Bands Stage Plan usually outlines where the Backline and vocalists are sitauated.
Stage Right: The side of the stage that is to the Band's right as they face the audience.
Starcloth: Backdrop to a stage area lit up with multiple small lights.
Stings: A sudden short dramatic musical phrase played by the Band or prerecorded. Stings are often used at awards ceremonies before and after an award is announced and collected.
Strike: The process of dismantling and packing up all areas of Production at the end of a performance with a view to leaving the venue.
Subsistence: A reference to basic meal and food requirements.
Swing: A form of jazz developed around the early 1930s that is characterised by medium to fast tempos; and a "lilting" swing time rhythm.
T A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Tamla Motown: See Motown.
Truss: Structural element hung above the stage for the purpose of hanging lighting equipment to. Can normally be identified by the triangular nature of their construction.
U A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
V A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
W A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Wedge: See Stage Monitors
X A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Y A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z