Barn Dance Bands - for your Event
Live Music Booking Service for Your Party, Wedding or Event from - Midsummer Music - the music people
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About Barn Dance Bands
The Barn Dance Band pages list bands that are available in your area. People often get confused by the different names such as; Ceilidh, Barn Dance & Hoedown, so to find out what kind of dance band you should be booking for your wedding or event in your area, click the link below:
Let's have a look at the kind of bands that come under the category of Barn
Dance. The band could play predominantly English folk tunes, or mostly American
folk tunes. But the reality is that many bands that define themselves as Barn
Dance Bands play a mixture of musical styles, including perhaps European and
Eastern European music.
So, it is important that you read the description the band have provided and
listen to their music so that you appreciate the band's style and range. If you
want a specific style of music and band e.g. English or American, then use the
drop down boxes at the top of this page to select a narrower filter for the
band, such as 'American Barn Dance Bands'.
If the dance is for a wide mix of people, it is often a good idea to choose a
band who play a range of music, so that there is more variety."
A Barn Dance Band is one of the best entertainments for Parties, evening Wedding Receptions and other events such as fund raising dances that take place throughout the year. It gets people who have never met before to get to know each other and the music volume is not so high that people can still hear each other speaking - (Unlike when there's a DJ on the go!)
Not everyone knows the difference between a Ceilidh Band and a Barn Dance
Band. The truth of the matter is they are essentially the same thing. Both have
a caller who teaches the dancers. The music is folk music of various
nationalities.
Ceilidh is the Celtic term, so this covers Scottish Ceilidh Bands and Irish
Ceili Bands. (Notice the alternative spelling. Other spellings are Caleigh,
Kaley, kaylee, kayleigh etc. so you can't really spell it wrong!) The bands
would tend to play Celtic folk tunes. Many tunes are claimed by the Irish,
Scotts, English and Americans, but the style of playing them would be different.
Barn Dance is usually the English and American name, where English or American
folk tunes would be played. Having said that, many of the dances are common to
both a Ceilidh dance or a Barn dance.
Many bands perform a range of music and do dance that suites all styles. This is
particularly good for a wedding ceilidh or birthday barn dance, where a range of
guests have to be catered for. For an event such as a Irish St Patricks night,
or a Scottish Burns night, then a specialist band would be more suitable.
The band often get the dance started by playing some instrumental music to
create the atmosphere.
For a Wedding Barn Dance a Barn Dance Band would normally do a first dance that
included the Bride, Groom and all the guests. The Caller would invite absolutely
everyone onto the floor to join the happy Couple. (No one can decline to do so,
since it would be impolite). The Caller will make the first dance very
straightforward so that even those who were lacking confidence find they could
manage it. This gets the Barn Dance going. (Some newlyweds prefer to do a first
dance to a waltz, then invite everyone to join them, or alternatively do a
prepared dance to music provided by them on a MP3 player. This also works.)
For a wedding anniversary Barn Dance or office party event, it is a very similar
format. The first dance is generally easy, so that the Caller can see how much
people do or don't know, whether they are 'on the ball', and how energetic they
seem. The dancers become sure of themselves, and the caller can judge the level
of dances that would run well for the rest of the evening.
Barn Dance Bands always have a Caller who teaches the dances, so even those who
have never been to a Barn Dance before can manage. The Caller asks people to get
into sets, often not being certain what dance to do until they know how many
people have come up. They will demonstrate the dance, running the dancers
through the dance slowly. They may run them through all or some of the dance a
second time, based on how complicated it is and how much the dancers already
know. Then the musicians will play a short introduction and the dance begins.
The caller watches what is going on, perhaps giving directions and helping those
who have got tangled up or gone the wrong way. It can be very exciting and is
always great fun.
Generally there is be a break half way through the Barn Dance for a hog roast or
buffet, so that everyone can have a rest and stump up some more energy for the
rest of the dance. If there are some expert dancers, the Caller could do a few
more difficult dances for them, but all in all they will ensure that everyone is
managing the dances and having a good time.