To find the right harpist for your event, you might be thinking along the lines that the type of event would steer you into a certain type of harpist. This is a common mistake. People think that if they are hosting a wedding reception, then they need a particular type of harpists, especially someone with extensive experience playing at weddings.

Keep in mind that just because a person has been playing weddings for many years doesn’t necessarily mean that person produces optimal music for weddings. It’s possible that this person is only able to get wedding gigs. With everything else being equal, this person would rather do something else. It also works in reverse. The people who hire that harpist may wish they hired somebody else. It goes without saying that this harpist works at an event or a client only once.

You have to look beyond the nature of the event if you want to find the very best harpist for your occasion. This is how you optimize your talent choice. You have to look beyond the specific type or category of event and focus more on the ambiance you’re trying to create.

This is a big deal because the ambience at a funeral is different from a business lunch or opening, which is also different from a wedding reception, or a dedication or baptism of a child. These are many different events with a different range of emotions, expectations and methods of optimization. By being clear on these seemingly small details, you can optimize the event by hiring the right professional.

It’s a good idea to ask the harpist what they would do in your situation. In other words, what would they play? What kind of emotional range would they work hard to produce? You have to remember that what makes an event memorable or all too forgettable really boils down to emotional reception or perception.

A lot of event hosts don’t think along these lines. Most of them have some sort of fill-in-the-blanks mentality. They think that there’s some sort of mental checklist, and as long as all the items on the checklist are accounted for, the right boxes are checked, then they are good to go. They find out in the worst way possible that, even though they have seemingly bent over backwards to take care of all details, somehow, in some way things still get knocked loose. The right impression somehow doesn’t get created. Their event ultimately becomes all too forgettable.

Have you ever gone to a wedding reception, and it seems like all the details are had been taken care of? I am of course talking about the wedding planner ordering the right flowers, having the hall decorated the right way, and the right people with the right job title seems to have shown up. However, somehow, some way, something is off. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but it seems like there’s something missing from the event. Several years later when you watch the recorded video or the video presentation, it becomes abundantly clear to you. A seemingly small detail actually cast a long shadow on the event.

Don’t let this happen when it comes to your music selection. These small details don’t remain small for long. They can and do haunt people’s impressions or perceptions of the event long after the fact.

You have to understand that many of the events that professional harpists are called to are once-in-a-lifetime events. We’re talking about weddings, baptisms, and others. Don’t drop the ball by thinking that certain events are simply disposable, or can be overlooked. If you are serious about the quality of the memories that you were going to walk away with from the event, you cannot overlook anything, no matter how seemingly small or inconsequential.