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

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!!

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

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

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

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

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

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!