SoundConnection performing live
Photo Courtesy of Andy Kushner Entertainment
By Brian Ossip, DC Music Live
Andy Kushner doesn’t like to get bored. As an entertainment designer/producer and owner of Andy Kushner Entertainment, Kushner owns and manages entertainment bands that perform at all types of events. But while there are myriads of similar companies, what sets Kushner’s group apart is their ability to tailor the musical experience for each client.
“I’m really the only one who does that around here. I want to have an impact on parties,” said Kushner. By designing the entertainment for each client “so that it reflects their vision, their dreams, their tastes,” Kushner has created a niche in an otherwise conforming industry.
Indeed, Kushner has an ability to innovate, such as having his four-piece classical strings group, PopCultureStrings, entertain guests with the unexpected—pop music favorites ranging from Bon Jovi to Journey.
PopCultureStrings performs for an exclusive Four Seasons event
Photo Courtesy of Andy Kushner Entertainment
He’s even willing to learn from his clients and adopt new ideas from each ceremony. “I was meeting with a bride and groom and her parents. And the bride’s father said, ‘Well, I love standards, but I know that you’ll kill the party if you do too many of those songs.’”
Rather than not playing the songs at all, Kushner valued his client’s input and adapted. “I thought, ‘Wait a minute, I got an idea. Why don’t we have the strings play that kind of music while people are coming in to sit down for the ceremony.’ And then from that point on, I kept the option for the strings to play standards for parties after that.”
While there are countless wedding acts, Kushner’s groups have something that, in his view, is essential to a great wedding band. He believes that “to have that emotional bond with the crowd, that’s what it’s all about. Without a shadow of a doubt, that sets apart my talent from other talent.”
But that’s not the only thing that makes a great band. In his mind, “if the performers
Sound Connection performs before an excited audience
Photo Courtesy of Andy Kushner Entertainment
are enjoying what they do, the crowd knows. And if they are not enjoying themselves, the crowd knows that even quicker.”
And Kushner’s bands connect with the audience by taking crowd-pleasing favorites and bringing “their own sound to it. That’s what excites people.” He adds, “the crowd can tell the differences between a singer who is sounding like a radio singer, or whether they are being themselves.”
When bands stay true to themselves while meeting the needs and desires of the couple, you have the atmosphere for a perfect wedding. And whether you want Nicki Minaj, Frank Sinatra, or something in between, Andy Kushner is your man.
For more information on Andy Kushner Entertainment and all of his acts, SoundConnection, Marquise, SoundNation, theVIPs, PopCultureStrings, and DJ Noel, head over to his site here. You can also check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or shoot us an e-mail at DCMusicLive.info@gmail.com.
