Allegretto Music

Beautiful Weddings in San Antonio

2011-11-29T14:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from weddings we have played this year in San Antonio.

San Antonio Museum of Art

Southwest School of Arts & Craft

La Villita

Sky Room

Mother Chapel (Incarnate Word University)

Parker Chapel (Trinity University)

Hotel Valencia

Westin Riverwalk

Sky Room

McNay Museum

St. Anthony Hotel

McNay Museum

Wedding at The Majestic Theater

2011-06-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

Leslie and Roland tied the knot on June 25, 2011 at the Majestic Theater in San Antonio. The ceremony was held on the mezzanine level. Allegretto Music provided a violin and harp duo for this part. It was a beautiful setting. The guests took advantage of the existing theater seating. The couple stood on a specially-built platform, and the backdrop was the beautiful skyline, unique to this theater's design.

Leslie and Roland chose San Antonio dance band, Groove City. We prepared the couple's first dance song: Lady Antebellum's Our Kind of Love. After the formal dances, the band entertained the guests with a great mix of Top 40 songs, Country and Tejano hits. We kept them dancing all night.

Here is a view of the ceremony from the audience's perspective. This really is an impressive place to have a wedding.

The reception was held on stage. Custom theater lighting created great ambiance, and you can even see the inner-workings of the backstage system of curtains and controls.

Until they perished at the hands of the bride and groom, their cake held center stage position!

We had great fun at Leslie and Roland's wedding, and we thank them and their families for including us in their celebration. All the best from Allegretto Music and Groove City Band.

Seven arrangements for Fiesta Pops 2011

2011-04-07T11:25:00.001-07:00

The San Antonio Symphony Orchestra presents their annual Fiesta Pops Concert on April 22 & 23 at the Majestic Theater. Last year Jose Irizarry, from Allegretto Music, arranged four pieces for the SASO, Mariachi Campanas De America and The Guadalupe Dance Company.

This year Mr. Irizarry wrote seven orchestrations that will include folkloric music from Mexico, Cuba and country music from San Antonio, Texas. VIVA FIESTA!

Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.
Majestic Theatre
Tickets: $10 to $90

San Antonio Symphony

Ken-David Masur, conductor
Mariachi Campanas De America
Guadalupe Dance Company
Rick Cavender Band

Riverwalk Society Orchestra

2011-02-22T06:34:00.000-08:00

Riverwalk Society Orchestra plays music from the 30's.

The San Antonio Museum of Art celebrates its 30th anniversary at the Museum’s Annual Gala held on Thursday, February 24, 2011. Our new Riverwalk Society Orchestra will perform for the evening’s festivities.

This wonderful ensemble features 13 musicians including a jazz rhythm section, horns, acoustic guitar, violins, harp, cello and two singers. The theme for the Gala is the 1930's. In keeping with that theme the society orchestra will play hits from that wonderful era. Pieces include: Puttin' On The Ritz, Cherokee, Moonlight Serenade, Cheek To Cheek, In The Mood, and many other wonderful songs. The orchestra will be set up on a two tier bandstand, and the decor will evocate a 1930's night club. There will be dinner, dancing and fabulous music.

The event is being designed by the talented group at The Events Company, led by Richard Flowers. Complimenting the decor will be the fabulous flavors of The RK Group who will be serving our guests an enticing menu that is sure to satisfy any palette. The gala committee is working hard to create an atmosphere that will be exciting and memorable.

Allegretto Music Won the Bride's Choice Awards 2011

2011-02-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE PEOPLE AT WEDDING WIRE!!!

Thank you so much, brides!! We appreciate your kind comments that earned us this recognition, but mostly we are so thankful that you would allow us to be a part of the most important day of your life! ------ Lots of LOVE, Ivette

--------------------

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Allegretto Music has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Wedding Music Entertainment!

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

Allegretto Music stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Allegretto Music for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that Allegretto Music is among the very best entertainer within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire.com, the nation's leading technology company serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives local businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. Businesses that join the WeddingWire Network appear on WeddingWire.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), ProjectWedding.com and Weddingbee.com (both part of eHarmony), and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands, NASDAQ: FLWS).

October Weddings in San Antonio

2010-10-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

October has been a whirlwind of weddings and events. We'll have to come back and add to our postings. October is always really popular, which means REALLY BUSY! The weather starts to cool (as in high 80's versus low 100's, ha) and it is the perfect time for family and friends to gather and travel for celebrations of all kinds.

There is nothing like the charm of an old fashioned church. We played a wedding at a charming little church in the southeast side of San Antonio. Can it get any cuter?

This was October 16th at St. Ann Catholic Church.

Groove City Band performed at the Pearl Stable. We had the pleasure to feature San Antonio's illustrious saxophonist, Richard Oppenheim, playing alto sax with us that night. The band played a wide range of songs, everything from Tiny Dancer by Elton John, a favorite of the bride's mother, all the way to the traditional Italian Tarantella, for a family dance tradition.

Nice view from the altar at the Mother House Chapel. Shh... Don't tell anyone, but photographers are not allowed back here to take pictures. But we're not photographers! (wink!)

JW Marriott Wedding in San Antonio TX

2010-10-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

Recently, Allegretto Music has been performing weddings at the JW Marriott quite frequently. For the last one we played there our string trio performed Wonderful Tonight, the classic by Eric Clapton.

With the rising popularity of the recordings put out by San Francisco's record label, under the name "Vitamin Strings", more and more people are requesting string renditions of popular Rock and Pop music.

The JW Marriott has a big ceremony area that is surrounded by golf areas and resort buildings.

San Antonio Photo Booths

2010-06-15T00:23:00.001-07:00

A Fun Wedding at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens

Photobooth Fun - Jose and Ivette from Allegretto,

with Traci and Ahmed on the last shot of the strip!

Traci and Ahmed had a gorgeous wedding at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens on Sunday, May 30th. They said their vows under the wysteria arbor in the heart of the Gardens. For the recessional march, Allegretto Music wrote a custom arrangement, for violin and harp, of the version of "Over The Rainbow", made famous by the late Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

Although the bride and groom were formally attired, Traci and Ahmed created a wonderful summer garden party ambiance for their reception. Allegretto Music provided the background music for the dinner party, weaving in classical favorites, international music, and even some R&B and contemporary hits.

Another highlight of this wedding, the fun photobooth provided by DPC Media Services. Traci and Ahmed jumped into the booth with us for the last shot on our strip. These booths are a lot of fun, and DPC's are super cool, printed in color, with a high gloss finish. You can find them online at www.sanantoniophotobooths.com.

San Antonio Symphony Fiesta Pops

2010-04-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

The San Antonio Symphony performed four pieces arranged by Allegretto Music director Jose Luis Irizarry for their Fiesta Pops 2010.

The concerts were at the Majestic Theater in downtown San Antonio.

The orchestra sounded wonderful and the music was fun!

Here: Juan Ortíz, director of Mariachi Campanas De América, Jose Irizarry (arranger) and Maestro Ken David Masur during a rehearsal .

Jose Irizarry and Belinda Menchaca, co-director of the Guadalupe Dance Company. They did a great job!!!

José Irizarry & Juan Ortíz

Jose Irizarry & violinist Anthony Medrano, from Campanas De America.

PuertoRico y Cuba. Jose Irizarry and Roberto Pérez López, from Los Tres Reyes trio.

McNay Museum & Hyatt Hill Country Weddings

2010-04-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

The golf course was beautiful at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort. But the day did not start out quite that glorious! :-)

It all started on a dripping wet Saturday morning. Sandy was supposed to get married on the beautiful grounds of the McNay Art Museum. But you can't get married in the rain. Well, you can. But that's not the ideal.

Thankfully, Sandy has a very resourceful group of family and friends. They even came up with a canopy to protect us from the rain. The canopy, by the way, was perfectly matched to Sandy's color scheme. LOL!

And the rain let up just in time for them to have their ceremony. Another happy ending to a new beginning.

Canyon Spring Golf Club Waterfall Wedding

2010-04-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

Our version of the great escape. ha, ha, ha!

Weddings at the Canyon Springs Golf Club Waterfall are always beautiful. The trick is getting everything down to the ceremony area. This post is for you couples wanting to have your wedding out there.

This is me, with my harp half hanging out of a golf cart. This is always the most nerve wracking part of our Waterfall weddings. We need to take lots of extra padding, and ask the driver to be very careful, which means they have to drive a lot slower than they're used to.

Of course, this is all you would see: beautiful instruments against that gorgeous backdrop. It was a perfect day for a wedding at the Waterfall.

JW Marriott Hill Country Resort Wedding Reception

2010-04-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

Groove City Band played for a wedding reception at the JW Marriott.

This is the newest addition to San Antonio's vast collection of amazing places to get married. And this one is a real treat. If I had to pick a word, it would be LUSH. The grass is green, I mean GREEN. According to Melody Schmidt at the JW, we were not the first ones to ask what kind was it, and where we could buy some. :-) But everything else is lush too. The decor, the ambiance, and their service. It's a chocolate experience!

This wedding was put together in style by our friends at San Antonio Wedding and Event Consultants. Every little detail was perfect. Teresa Bryson and Melanie Uresti with SAWEC did a fabulous job. (not sure why this is underline. blogger is weird)

Audrie and Troy shared their first dance, In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel. Later on, their family and friends really got down on the dance floor with music by our own Groove City Band. The band played all kinds of music for them: from Jesse's Girl for the die-hard 80's fans, to Elvis Crespo's "Suavemente". The band even prepared and performed a special request from the bride's father, "Lo Voy A Hacer Por Ti" by Grupo Mazz.

Audrie looked radiant! This party was a blast!

Hill Country Wedding at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort

2010-04-18T19:42:00.001-07:00

Allegretto Music provided music entertainment for a fabulous wedding at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort. On Saturday, April 3, David and Valeria had a lovely wedding in the Hill Country. The grounds of the hotel were lush and beautiful. The wedding was attended by their family and close friends. It was a gorgeous spring day... actually, a little too full of spring. Everything was covered with a fine coat of oak pollen! LOL

There is nothing like live music for an outdoor wedding. We received the guests with a prelude with a string trio, followed by the ceremony and an outdoor cocktail, on the deck under those wonderful oak trees!

Next we moved to the Lukenbach Pavilion for the reception. The tables had been decorated by Pizzini Designs, and they looked fantastic!

Then Groove City Band played for the dinner and dance. Valeria and David wanted a great wedding dance band that could cover a wide range of styles for their very diverse group of guests, who had traveled from all over for their wedding. When quiet hours hit at 10:00pm, David and Valeria planned to move the party inside for an all-out club-like experience. So we also provided DJ entertainment for the "after party". It was so much fun to watch them dance their hearts out!!

At the end of the night, everyone was happy.... and exhausted.

2010-03-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

THE SAN ANTONIO SYMPHONY PLAYS ALLEGRETTO MUSIC

The San Antonio Symphony Orchestra has asked José Irizarry, director of Allegretto Music, to orchestrate four musical pieces to be premiered on April 16 & 17, 2010 during their Fiesta Pops concerts at the Majestic Theatre. “It is really great to finally write for my local orchestra, where I have performed so many times,” said Jose, who has a Master's Degree in violin performance, and often plays with the San Antonio Symphony, “and it has been a great honor to work with Juan Ortiz and his legendary Mariachi Campanas de América.” The Theme of the Fiesta Pops concert is “Pride of San Antonio” and what better opportunity to feature José as part of that local pride! The concert will feature performances by Mariachi Campanas de América, the Guadalupe Theatre Dance Company and acclaimed trio Los Tres Reyes.

José Irizarry has been performing and producing music in San Antonio for 10 years, as owner of Allegretto Music (learn more about his live music services). He has published a highly successful collection of wedding music for strings, which is sold internationally (sheet music publications). And this is not the first time his orchestrations are featured by a symphony orchestra in Texas. Most recently, acclaimed San Antonio tenor Donald Braswell performed his arrangements, accompanied by the Symphony of the Hills in Kerrville.

Interesting to note, Mr. Irizarry is the musical director of Groove City Band (learn more about this San Antonio Band), which last year won the award for Best Band of the Fiesta Cavaliers River Parade. From the river barge to the stage at the Majestic Theater José's music shines through.

For further information, contact Allegretto Music at (210) 497-8831, mail@allegrettomusic.com

Presenting quad strings

2010-02-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

The only pop string quartet in South Texas

quad strings specializes in exciting and unique performances of the contemporary pop repertoire. From rock to baroque, this dynamic string group is able to play a wide range of music styles. The quad strings song list includes a vibrant mixture of today’s hits and special interpretations of cover-songs that range from oldies, 80‘s to current radio favorites. Some of the artists covered include: Coldplay, The Verve, Journey, The Dixie Cups, Norah Jones, Britney Spears and many more.

Alamo College - Mardi Gras Trio by Zion Jazz

2010-02-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

Great Jazz & Gumbo

Zion Jazz

Tux n' Tennis Gala

2010-02-18T10:09:00.000-08:00

Photos from the San Antonio Spurs Foundation Gala

Groove City Band

San Antonio Band - December 2009 Wedding Photos

2010-02-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

Groove City Band

Wedding at Westin Riverwalk

Wedding at Grand Hyatt

Chocolate Cupcakes at The Argail

Allegretto Music takes over Austin

2009-11-15T20:10:00.001-08:00

Andre and Lara get married overlooking Lake Travis

On November 7th, Allegretto Music played the most special wedding of the year. Hard to believe, but after more than 1,500 weddings, this is the first time we have ever played music for the wedding of one of our family members!

My cousin, Andre Bosch, married lovely Lara Kirkham at the Oasis on Lake Travis. It was a gorgeous day. The view was incredible. You step out on the balcony and watch the sailboats on the lake below.

Of course, Jose and I teamed up to complete the ambiance with some music. The couple went with a classical selection, Bach's "Sleepers Awake", for the entrance. And they went in the complete opposite direction for their exit march, when we performed a Harp and Violin rendition of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida."

Lara and Andre were surrounded by their families and their good friends, old classmates from MIT. Andre and Lara are both engineers and MIT graduates. The average IQ in that room was astronomical!! :-)

And they lived happily ever after...... As for us...... well, we had only 30 minutes to travel 39 miles to the Barr Mansion, also in Austin, to put on an amazing party for Christie and Rob Moser.

And so it is that we traveled from the lake to the barn! Whereas the Oasis had the laid back air of a yacht club, the Barr Mansion was like traveling back in time to a more gentile time. The old mansion is beautiful and officially a historical landmark. The reception took place in the separate ballroom. This was one of the best crowds we have ever entertained. People of all ages, danced everything we threw at them, for 4 hours straight. It was so fun and exhilarating!

Paul added some people to his fan club with his saxophone prowess. Here he is imparting his wisdom! :-) But we are used to this. Paul is amazing.

Groove City Band keeps the dance floor packed!

2009-11-15T18:53:00.000-08:00

The crowded dance floor at this wedding for 500, Incarnate Word Sky Room

After the awards received in the earlier part of this year, Groove City Band has been pretty busy playing for all kinds of events and wedding receptions. As the most versatile band in the city, we have an opportunity to showcase our broad range of styles.

For the wedding pictured above, on Sept. 26, we had our 9 piece band, including a trumpet and Latin percussion. We covered everything from Rick Springfield and Bon Jovi, to Selena and Timbiriche. This was a great wedding, complete with props that included light-up sunglasses and maracas. The ladies also got flip-flops at midnight, for their tired feet! The new Mr. and Mrs. Van Cleave had a great time at their reception after a beautiful ceremony at the Motherhouse Chapel, which featured a chamber orchestra provided by Allegretto Music.

Another super exciting reception, this time at the Westin Riverwalk Hotel. The new Mr. and Mrs. Saucedo had a great time with all their guests. They spent all night on the dance floor.

The couple requested Adele's version of "To Make You Feel My Love", which the band learned specially for this occasion.

We want to thank our friend Gary Gibson for these great photos of the event. You can see more of Gary's work at his website: www.garygibsonphoto.com. We love to work with friends, and Gary is so easy to work with!

Logan Keese on trumpet, photo by Gary Gibson

Disco is always a hit!

Popular Wedding Locations for 2009

2009-11-15T18:09:00.000-08:00

This year, Allegretto Music had the privilege of playing in many beautiful places around San Antonio. Here are some of our favorites.

The Motherhouse Chapel of the University of the Incarnate Word is by far one of our favorites. There are days when we have played both of the weddings scheduled at the Motherhouse. This is a church with over 100 years of history and tradition. We absolutely love Sister Walter and Sister Dorothy, who always welcome us with a hug and a smile. It's like home.

Chamber Orchestra, waiting for our cue, at the Motherhouse Chapel

The Chapel is a great setting for any ensemble. We've played everything here; from solo organ, to a full chamber orchestra. The most popular choices in 2009 were Violin and Harp, and our String Trio. The Motherhouse Chapel is a great place to feature a vocalist, too. Awesome acoustics.

The Canyon Springs Golf Club is another popular destination for weddings. It's so easy to get married at such a naturally pretty place. Our favorite nook is the lawn by the Pavilion. Towering oaks, a gentle breeze.... and a couple hundred of your closest friends. :-)

Flute and Harp in the River Garden, by the Gazebo

Of course, we can't ignore the Southwest School of Art and Craft. What can I say about a place where we have been welcome to play for the past 10 years? The old Ursuline Convent holds a dear place in our hearts. You can't go wrong at the Southwest School. Ceremonies inside the Coates Chapel are quiet, and intimate, and warm. Ceremonies out in the River Garden, or in the Groto are framed by beautiful landscaping, and historic buildings.

Solo Classical Guitar in the Groto

If you want history, no place can rival the Missions. Among them, Mission San Jose is a clear favorite for couples tying the knot.

Detail of the high-arching cupola at Mission San Jose

And another place we visited a lot this year was the Marguerite Parker Chapel at Trinity University. This church is tucked away inside the university campus. Couples here have favored String Trios and Quartets. With a long aisle, this is a great place to make a grand entrance!

View of the organ pipes at the Parker Chapel, Trinity University

Vacation in South Padre Island

2009-11-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

This summer, like we do every summer, we headed down south to South Padre Island for a much needed break from real life! We love our little condo on the Island. It's our home away from home. As soon as we open the door of our car and breathe in that wonderfully salty, moist air of the coast all of our stress just melts away.

In South Padre we hone the fine skill of doing absolutely nothing. Well, that's not exactly accurate. We spend a day fishing. The next day, we just play on the beach. We play on the beach every day. It's part of our 'rigorous' daily schedule. After we play on the beach, we play in the pool, and 'decompress' with a soak in the jacuzzi. Yes. Life is so hard at the coast! There are more photos of our little piece of paradise at our website: www.condosouthpadre.com.

Summer is not summer without fireworks. So we returned home to SA for a beautiful 4th of July concert with the San Antonio Symphony. Jose played in the First Violin section. This was a record-breaking performance. Temperature onstage was a balmy 102˚F.

SA Symphony 4th of July Concert at the Sunken Gardens

Jose Irizarry writes orchestrations for Donald Braswell's first Symphony Pops concert

2009-06-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

Many of you know Donald Braswell from the hit TV reality show America's Got Talent. Donald, a native of Boerne, and raised in the San Antonio area, was one of the show's finalists in 2008. Donald graduated from Juilliard School of Music in NY, and went on to build a great career as an opera tenor. In 1995, while on tour with the Welsh National Opera, Donald was struck by a car while cycling. The accident took his voice, and all hopes of continuing a career as a singer. Doctors said it would be hard for Donald to regain his speech, and that singing again was out of the question. Eighteen years later, Donald was a finalist in a singing competition, and determined to pick up where he left off.

God has a way of making things happen. After meeting each other at a wedding (of all places), Jose Irizarry (of Allegretto Music) kept running into Donald Braswell in the most unlikely places. Each time, Jose would end the converstaion with "You know, Donald, I am a pretty good arranger. I can write sheet music for you, for whatever instruments you need. Just let me know anytime you need anything." And Donald would always say: "Man, that would be really good."

Well, at their last "chance" encounter, during a Symphony concert in Kerrville, Donald said: "This cannot be a coincidence, that you are here. I need you to write some music for me." And so it was. Donald had an opportunity to perform with the Symphony of the Hills, in a Pops Concert format. That meant that Donald would sing with his band, accompanied by the full orchestra. The challenge, each of the 70 orchestra musicians would need sheet music to read from. Donald's band did not have orchestra arrangements for the music they were going to perform. So they asked Jose if he could write some string parts, or even transcribe some keyboard charts they had. At least that way they could involve some of the orchestra for the pop songs.

Jose had a much bigger vision for this concert. He suggested that Donald needed full orchestrations for his music, similar to the style of concerts put on by famous tenors like Andrea Bocelli. After all, the first time they worked together, Jose and Allegretto accompanied Donald singing Bocelli's Con Te Partiro. Donald's people were skeptical. That sounded like a huge project. Was it even doable in the space of 3 weeks? Jose offered to write an orchestration for the first song. If they liked it, then he would write more. If not, then no harm done, right? Well.... they liked it.... a LOT!

Donald prepares backstage before the performance

Jose wrote orchestrations for 9 pieces, including an original song composed by Donald's musical director, Anthony Bazzani. The concert was held on Saturday, June 27th at the Cailloux Theater in Kerrville, TX. The concert was sold out. Some of Donald's fans traveled from OR, CA, VA, OH, AR, NV and other parts of the country for the event.

Donald started out the evening with arias from the classical opera repertoire, proving that he's still got the chops for Verdi, Donizetti and Massenet. Then, his New Chapter band emerged from the orchestra pit, and kicked off the rest of the concert with Sometimes I Dream, a song by tenor Mario Frangoulis.

The audience really enjoyed an Italian-English version of Nights In White Satin by Justin Hayward and Moody Blues. And everyone was touched when Donald sang Buongiorno Pricipessa from the motion picture Life Is Beautiful.

But the highlight of the night was when he performed The Righteous Brothers' Unchained Melody. The arrangement started out quietly, with just the harp and built up from there to include the entire orchestra. It was awesome!

To end the concert, Braswell chose to sing his signature song You Raise Me Up, made popular by Josh Groban. It was the song with which he auditioned for the TV show that has given him a second chance at his first love of making music. At the end, the audience wanted more. So for an encore, Donald sang a soulful, gospel-style song: Change Is Gonna Come.

The concert was a total success and Donald could not have been more pleased with his decision to have Jose write all the orchestrations. "The arrangements make a huge difference," Donald said the first time he heard them in rehearsal. Representatives from PBS were in attendance at the June 7th concert, where the arrangements were first played with just a string quartet. Donald's musical director said that they had been "blown away by the arrangements", and have decided to produce a national PBS special with Donald, his band and Allegretto Music.

San Antonio dance band on KENS 5 Saturday Morning News

2009-06-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

The people at KENS 5 Eyewitness News featured Groove City Band on their newscast the morning of Saturday, May 23. This is Groove City's first TV appearance. You can see it in full in the video clip above, edited by our multi-talented saxophonist, Paul Croteau. Thanks, Paul!

Max and Jonathan wait for their cue!

Being on TV was a lot of fun, especially the part where we had to be there at 6:30am :-)

Erica and Ivette, ready for their close-up!

Warming up before the show starts...

Jose and the guys lounging on the couch, during the weather segment.

Donald Braswell of America's Got Talent and San Antonio's Allegretto Music

2009-06-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 7th, Donald Braswell put on a concert to benefit SAMM Ministries, which helps thousands of homeless people in San Antonio improve their lives. The concert was held on a Sunday afternoon at Concordia Lutheran Church. Donald featured his "New Chapter Band", with Anthony Bazzani, Dan Dreeben, Joe Gonzales, and Jim Kalson. And for this concert, the singer wanted to give his music added depth and emotion. That is why he incorporated a quartet of Allegretto Music string musicians. The quartet featured 2 violins, a cello and harp.

Donald Braswell, the New Chapter Band and Allegretto strings onstage

The selections included a wide range of musical styles. There were pop songs in classical style, like those made famous by tenor Mario Frangoulis. There was a soulful rendition of "Change If Gonna Come" in the style of singer Seal.

The concert also featured Donald's very talented singing family members: mother, father, sister and daughters. A la "Sound Of Music" they even sang the musical's popular "Edelweiss".

Allegretto Strings onstage at Concordia Lutheran

Donald Braswell signs autographs after his performance

San Antonio Variety Band donates Fiesta prize money to St. PJ's Children's Home

2009-06-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

the giant check, before we handed it over!

San Antonio's Groove City Band was awarded the first prize as Fiesta's Best Band, for the Texas Cavaliers River Parade. The honor came with a $2500 award. The band chose to award their prize money to St. Peter St. Joseph Children's Home in San Antonio. This is a home that cares for abused and abandoned children, as well as offering family counseling and other services for distressed families in the city.

The presentation was made the morning of May 19th, in front of the Fiesta Commission offices, during a press conference. Erica Gonzaba (Miss Fiesta 2005), who sang with the band during the parade, Ivette and Jose Irizarry answered questions from the press.

Jose, Ivette and Erica at the press conference

After the press conference, the band answered questions and gave interviews to local news channels

Groove City Band members and Erica Gonzaba with the giant check!

Heart Ball San Antonio - 25th Anniversary Gala

2009-05-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

25th Anniversary - Silver Gala - Heart Ball San Antonio

Groove City Band rocks the house !!!!

Friday, May 8, 2009 was the 25th anniversary of Heart Ball in San Antonio, Texas. This was the first time that Groove City Band was invited to be a part of this celebration. The Heart Ball is San Antonio's most prestigious charity gala. It is also the American Heart Association's annual bash, where they can highlight their accomplishments and raise funds for future research to combat heart disease.

This year, Randy Beamer from News 4 WOAI was the Master of Ceremonies. The evening started out with a silent auction in the foyer of the Grand Hyatt San Antonio Hotel. Dinner followed, then a live auction.

At $250 per ticket, the American Heart Association did a fabulous job of raising funds for their charity before the evening even started. The ballroom was packed, with over 300 in attendance.

After the live auction, it was time to dance! Groove City did a great job of getting the guests on the dance floor. We had heard that last year everyone left early, and that they usually did. Well, this year we were focused on breaking that pattern! At the end of the night, people did not want to leave! Everyone was dancing and singing along, requesting songs and having a great time. Mission accomplished. After all, you can't call it a ball if there is no dancing!

While we played, our band logo was displayed on two giant screens. Here is a pic of Jose, keyboard player, band director...... and photographer! :-)

At the end of the night, we were beat, but it had been a great night indeed. Here is a shot of the moon behind our Tower of the Americas. The Grand Hyatt's loading dock has the best view in the city. ha, ha

The Best San Antonio Band takes FIRST PLACE at the Fiesta River Parade

2009-04-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Groove City Band wins First Place for the Best Band at the

TEXAS CAVALIERS RIVER PARADE

Monday, April 20 Groove City accompanied reality TV star and San Antonio singing sensation, Erica Gonzaba, who was herself crowned Miss Fiesta in 2005. Erica and Groove City took part in the Texas Cavaliers River Parade, on San Antonio's Riverwalk. This is the one parade in the country where the floats really do FLOAT! The parade consists of 48 floats, and each has its own theme and live musical entertainment. Groove City provided music for the Fiesta Royalty Float, where all the Fiesta queens are!

Groove City with the Fiesta Queens: Miss San Antonio, Miss Fiesta 2009, Queen of Soul, Miss Charro Queen, Paul Croteau (sax), Miss Fiesta 2005 Erica Gonzaba (vocals), Jose Irizarry (keyboard), Ivette Irizarry (percussion/backups), Jonathan De La Garza (drums)

The parade started in the Municipal Auditorium area at about 7:30pm. Ours was by far the best-looking float. The formula: take barge, stick smiling beauty queens on top and voila, your float looks great! The float, sponsored by the Fiesta Commission had the theme TEXAS ROCKS! It was decorated in yellow, with a big arch with musical notes (you have to hold on to something!) and two giant heads that we are guessing were Buddy Holly and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

As part of the River Parade, there is a contest with two categories: 'Best-looking Float' and 'Best Band'. On Thursday, April 23 we were notified that the Fiesta Royalty Float won the award for the best band!

The parade was a huge success for the TEXAS CAVALIERS. There were over 250,000 people in the audience at the parade. In all, over $300,000 were raised for 40 local charities.

Mis Fiesta 2005, singer, Erica Gonzaba

The parade was a lot of fun for us. People waived and cheered. They danced and they sang along with us as we floated by. The spectators pelted us with beads, flowers and cascarones, and we threw things back at them too!

Ivette and Jose having fun

Jose helps Miss San Antonio, Alanna Sarabia onto the barge

Jose with Mark Cavender, our very own Cavalier

Oops! We did it again! -- Allegretto Music voted 2009 Best Of Weddings pick

2009-04-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

Allegretto Music is the best choice for wedding music in San Antonio. For the second year in a row, we are proud to announce that Allegretto Music has been rated by local brides and voted The Knot Best of Weddings 2008/2009 Pick. Allegretto was voted #1 in two categories: Wedding Ceremony Music (www.allegrettomusic.com) and Wedding Reception Music (www.groovecityband.com). In the category of reception music we received the highest possible rating of 3 stars, meaning that we go above and beyond for our clients.

At Allegretto Music, we love what we do! Each and every bride is so important to us. Your wedding is a day like no other. You expect it to have a magical feel, and it is really important for us to be a part of creating that magic.

We thank God for the blessing of being able to do what we love for a living. And we especially thank all of our wonderful brides who voted and helped make us #1 again.

When it comes to the music for your Wedding in San Antonio, accept NO IMITATIONS!!

2009-01-14T20:57:00.000-08:00

If you have browsed the webpages of live music providers in San Antonio lately, you may have noticed that some of them look suspiciously similar to ours, www.allegrettomusic.com. That is no accident!! They say "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". And here at Allegretto Music, we are feeling really flattered lately. But when it comes to the music for your wedding, accept no imitations. As with any other service you are seeking for one of the most important days of your life, you want the real deal. That is Allegretto Music.

Allegretto is the favorite among SA couples - Allegretto Music is the undisputed leader among San Antonio couples for all types of music services related to your wedding celebration. Our company has been rated by local brides and voted The Knot Best Of Weddings 2008 Pick. Allegretto was rated as the best in two categories: ceremony music and reception music. In the category of ceremony, we were the only vendor preferred among SA couples. In the reception category, we received the highest possible rating of 3 stars, which means above and beyond.

The other ensembles in San Antonio purchase and play wedding sheet music published by Allegretto Music - Did you know Allegretto Music writes sheet music for weddings that is sold across the US and other countries? Jose Irizarry, owner and Musical Director, is an accomplished composer and arranger. His sheet music publications are distributed by the leading retailer of instruments, music and accessories for string musicians: Shar Products Company. You can browse his titles online at www.sharmusic.com. Search for "Irizarry". Most other string ensembles in San Antonio have purchased our sheet music directly from us to play at weddings locally. In fact, many wedding string ensembles across the US use music published by Allegretto Music.

The musicians that play as part of Allegretto Music ensembles are true professionals - Our musical director, Jose Irizarry, has a Master's Degree in Violin Performance from the Mannes College of Music in New York City. Jose studied with renowned violinist, David Nadien, who was concertmaster for the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Maestro Leonard Bernstein. Our musicians are hand picked and have ample experience performing for weddings. We uphold a very high standard of quality. All of our artists are devoted to their craft. Most of our classical musicians also play with the San Antonio Symphony, including owner-director, Jose Irizarry. Our reception musicians are degreed professionals.

Allegretto Music records all of its own music samples - All of our samples are real live samples of Allegretto Musicians. You may even hear some clinking china and other background noises. :-)

So as others try to imitate what we do, Allegretto Music continues to set the standard for wedding entertainment. Call us or email us about your wedding. We would love to hear from you!!

La Fonda On Main - Groove City at the wedding of Cappy's little girl

2008-10-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

La Fonda On Main - closed on June 21, 2008

On June 21st, the doors of La Fonda on Main were closed to the general public. Cappy and Susan Lawton were celebrating the wedding of their daughter Avery, to Jamie Moore. Avery and Jamie were such a fun couple to work with. They are total freaks for all things Mariachi! These people know the names of more Mariachi songs than anybody I had ever met.

Avery and Jamie wanted to make sure the music for their reception would be a mix of oldies and American classics that their guests would enjoy, along with some Latin music that would reflect their love and appreciation for the heritage in San Antonio.

The band set up in the patio of La Fonda, and guests started to stream in at 6:30. They swayed and the cha-cha'd as Groove City played great old school Latin music. The couple wanted boleros by Luis Miguel, beautiful old Rancheras, and specifically requested Piel Canela.

Then the couple arrived and had their first dance. Jamie and Avery selected John Hiatt's Have A Little Faith In Me. The band prepared this song as a custom request for their first dance.

At the end of the night, nobody wanted to leave, but rules are rules, and outdoor music has to be done by 11pm. This was a fun party, and the couple was thrilled to have all their family and best friends join them in the celebration.

The daughter of restauranteurs, Avery's decor was mostly edible. Take a look:

Groove City Band 4th of July at Landa Park

2008-10-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, almost 4 months after the fact, here is the recap of our awesome day at Landa Park. First of all, this is some park! They have mini golf, paddle boats an olympic swimming pool, and my favorite: the spring fed pool! We liked it so much we have been back to the park several times after the concert. Check it out: www.nbtexas.org.

The people at New Braunfels Parks and Rec really do a great job with their Independence Day celebration. First of all, the concert is organized by Evan Partee pronounced [par-tay]. And does she know how to partay!!! With a name like that any celebration is guaranteed a success. Especially if you call the coolest band in San Antonio (that would be us, Groove City) to be your entertainment!! www.groovecityband.com.

The day was beautiful (and HOT). Just about when we were going to go on it started to sprinkle, but then it stopped. That was just to keep us on our toes! Did I tell you it was HOT? People had gathered around the stage looking for prime real estate where they could enjoy the concert and then have a great view of the fireworks over the lake.

Paul Croteau, the baddest sax player we've ever known

The band started at 7pm with the tried and true favorite: Celebration, and out come the party people right away. We played 80s, Motown, Oldies, Country... we threw everything at 'em. Boot Scootin' Boogie always draws a crowd of expert line dancers "all out making it shake" moving mostly in the same direction (your other left!).

Heel, toe, do-si-do...

Of course, even in the land of Wurstfest, we are still in South Texas. People of every color (this is such a cool country) were shaking their hips to cumbias by Selena, and hot Shakira songs, La Camisa Negra by Juanes. And you can't forget the all-time favorite, Elvis Crespo's 'Suavemente'.

Jerry, belting out Springstein

4th of July has to have some hard rockin' tunes, especially Bruce Springstein. The crowd was singing and rockin' to 'Born In The USA', and the Stones' 'Satisfaction'. To cap it off, right before 9pm we ended the concert with 'America The Beautiful'...... the lights went out........ and the fireworks were amazing. Truly my favorite 4th of July yet.

Thanks to all of you who came out to hear us.

Lame Excuses

2008-10-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm going to use the most tired, sorry, lamest excuse in the book. We have been too busy to blog. There! I said it. The sad thing is that it is true. I have lost count of all the wonderful people we've partied with, and all the cool events we've done that we have said: "Aw, this is definitely blog material!"........... and here we are...... nothing blogged in months.

So, my pledge: you will see a barrage of entries on this blog in the next 4 to 5 days, so fasten your seatbelts and check back often.

I LOVE MY JOB!!!!

Ivette

Allegretto goes Country Western in San Antonio

2008-07-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

Microsoft and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Learning Technology recently celebrated the launch of their new "Learning Village" by hosting a Texas style reception at Boudro's "The Vault". The Vault is located at the corner of Commerce and Presa streets in an impressive space that used to be the lobby of the historic Alamo National Bank. This venue has a long marble bar that was once the bank teller station, as well as three of the original bank vaults.

Attendees at this reception were visiting San Antonio for the National Educational Computing Conference, and most had never been to Texas. For entertainment, the company wanted a Texas-themed ensemble that could play real down-home Texas country music. With the backdrop of a saloon-looking red-draped stage, Allegretto Music (www.allegrettomusic.com) provided a trio of guitar, acoustic bass and fiddle. It felt great to represent our city and the music of Texas at this event.

"It felt like being on a John Wayne movie set" says Jose, playing fiddle that night. "The bank vaults were open, and the bartenders were serving drinks through the teller stations. People had a blast." Peter Carey entertained guests playing guitar and singing favorite country tunes like Amarillo By Morning, I Fall To Pieces and many more. Greg Norris on the big acoustic bass provided the foundation, while Jose Irizarry playing fiddle gave the music just the right Texas twang.

San Antonio's Groove City Band - 4th of July Concert - Landa Park in New Braunfels

2008-06-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

San Antonio's best live variety band, Groove City (www.groovecityband.com), will be the featured artist at the upcoming 4th of July Celebration presented by the New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Department.

The celebration will be held at the picnic grounds of Landa Park, which offers lots of fun things to do, from Miniature Golf, to Tubing. The concert begins at 7:00pm and will feature lots of your favorite Top 40 songs, so you can shake your groove thang, from Oldies, to Country, and Latin. Shortly after 9:00pm there will be a fireworks display. Bring your picnic, your coolers and your favorite people to enjoy great music and outdoor fun. The concert is free of charge. Only regular park fees apply.

More information about the event can be found online at www.nbtexas.org.

Hope to see you there!

Groove City Open Session

2008-02-28T06:06:00.000-08:00

All photos by Ryan Salinas of Reve Weddings

Sunday, February 24th, Groove City had its first open session of 2008. The band got together to rehearse new material they are adding to their repertoire this year, as well as special requests made by clients for whom they are performing in the next few months. At 5:30pm, when the rehearsal ended, couples were invited to listen to the band to and decide if Groove City was the right fit for their reception.

Six couples attended the session. Groove City made a presentation, performing 10 song excerpts for the guests. The first half of the presentation was in English, including oldies, disco, rock, country and motown. The second half was a mix of Latin music, as many of our couples were looking to include those genres for their families and friends. Salsa, merengue, cumbias, boleros and even reggaeton.

After the presentation was over, each of the couples got to spend some time talking to the band asking questions about their particular reception, and their music needs. Four of the couples decided Groove City is the band for them! We are so excited to have been invited to be a part of their wedding.

Our friend Ryan Salinas took these beautiful pictures. Thanks, Ryan for coming to our party! Ryan is the owner of Reve Weddings and one of the most talented wedding designers I know (and I must say, pretty good behind a camera!). He has created many a fairy tale wedding. Check out his designs online.

Zion Jazz on KRTU 91.7FM - Tuesday, Feb 19, 9:00pm

2008-02-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

Zion Jazz/Allegretto Music violinist Jose Irizarry was invited Tuesday, Feb 19, to join the Jazz Protagonists on their weekly radio show: Protagonists Jazz Party. This time it was a birthday party for late jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli. The show aired Tuesday night at 9:00pm on KRTU 91.7 FM.

You can hear the show here in the KRTU audio archives. Click on the Jazz Protagonists link.

Happy 100th Birthday, Stephane!!

The Beatles Rock!!

2008-02-13T12:58:00.001-08:00

All photos by Goen South Photography

WOW! I love this picture by Morris Goen. This is the courtyard at the Hotel Valencia. It is a truly striking setting, especially if you are having a more intimate wedding. By the way, the fountain is gorgeous, and combines the elements of water and fire. Just, wow! This wedding was designed by Carey Millington at Goen South Wedding Consulting. She did such a wonderful job.

"I want the quartet to play Beatles music."

Now, why is this wedding a highlight? Well, Mackey Ward hired a String Quartet from Allegretto Music. No sweat, just another day in the office, right? A few weeks later she calls and says: "Okay, I want to have exclusively Beatles music played for my wedding." And it had to be specifically a group of songs that she and her fiance, Will, absolutely loved. Well, needless to say that the quartet-specific sheet music for these songs wasn't part of our trusty wedding music collection, or anybody else's, for that matter.

GASP!? Not really. It's a good thing Mackey hired us. We are the only music company in San Antonio that will special-write music for your celebration, even if it's not what people would consider "wedding music". We've written everything from Luther Vandross to Foo Fighters.

The String Quartet played In My Life for the wedding party entrance, and Mackey walked down the aisle to a classical piece by Rachmaninoff, the only non-Beatle selection. Mackey and Will selected Some Things for their special music during the ceremony, and they marched out as husband and wife to All You Need Is Love. Even the prelude music was hand-picked, special-written, Beatles songs that Will and Mackey love: Don't Let Me Down, And I Love Her, Here There Everywhere, Girl, If I Fell and others.

The KENS 5 Connection - Vanessa Macias and Bob Ballou

2008-02-13T12:42:00.001-08:00

All photos by Goen South Photography

Okay, I'll admit there is a kissing-in-front-of-the-Alamo theme going on here. But no other city, short of Paris, has such a cool backdrop for a wedding picture, smack in the middle of where everything happens!

On September 8, 2007, Bob Ballou, KENS 5 Sportscaster married San Antonio beauty, Vanessa Macias. Vanessa used to co-host the KENS 5 morning show: Great Day SA some time ago. Their ceremony was held at the Basilica National Shrine of The Little Flower. This church is gigantic and really beautiful. It also has killer acoustics. Bob and Vanessa had a String Trio from Allegretto Music perform for the ceremony.

Zion Jazz at the Witte Museum

2008-01-26T16:31:00.000-08:00

Allegretto's own Zion Jazz to play for the special opening event of the newest exhibit at the Witte Museum. Zion Jazz will provide the entertainment at a party hosted by the Museum for its members. The Witte is giving its members a private preview of the new exhibit which features real, preserved human bodies wearing a lot less skin than any of us have ever seen! Yikes!

Visit the museum's website for more information. This exhibit looks truly unique. www.wittemuseum.org.

Laura and Jonathan - May 18, 2007

2008-01-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

All photos by Kym Skiles - f8studio.com

Okay! It took me a few days, but I'm new to this blogging thing. This is the first of a series of posts of the highlights of our 2007 year.

May 18th Laura Blackburn married her prince charming. Laura had a Harp Quartet (2 violins, harp and cello) for her ceremony, then Groove City rocked her reception.

Laura and Jonathan come from Christian families and they really wanted to focus their ceremony to be a service where everyone could thank God for bringing them together. We special-wrote several Christian pieces for her ceremony, including: 'Agnus Dei' by Michael W. Smith.

You can see more pictures of Jonathan and Laura's wedding at the aptly titled website: www.jonathanloveslaura.com. Kym Skiles of f8studio did a FABULOUS job of photographing this wedding.

Wow! What a year!!!

2008-01-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

2007 was an amazing year here at Allegretto Music. We want to thank all the beautiful couples who invited us to be a part of their wedding. We are so blessed to be able to do what we love for a living.

Stay tuned. We'll be posting some highlights of our 2007 weddings in the next few days!