FAQ’s

What type of events are you available for?

We specialize in weddings, corporate events, galas, fundraisers, country club events, and parties. Any event where high-quality musical entertainment is required.

How many pieces are in the band?

We offer our 10 to 16-piece group as seen on our demo. Our full 16-piece group includes bandleader Jacin Nagao on lead vocals, along with both of our male vocalist, three female vocalists, bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion, a three-piece horn section, strings and a percussionist. Our 12-piece group is minus the string section and percussionist. Additional members include an optional DJ and two Latin dancers.

Are you available as a smaller 5 – 8 piece group?

No, but please do call or email us as we can happily refer the top smaller groups to you. Beware of groups that offer themselves in many configurations such as a three to thirteen-piece group, as these are likely agencies that may simply have a database of musicians that they piece together to suit any size desired. The fact is, you can’t maintain a group of in-demand performers by leaving members home on any given date, as truly high caliber musicians and performers wouldn’t accept anything less than to be included in every event. The Miami Beats ™ are a set group, and always the same highly talented and very specialized performers as seen on their demo video. There is a great benefit to having a solid group of the same performers in that these types of groups are much more polished and rehearsed than groups that are simply pieced together. The devils in the details and set groups take the time to work out the details. For our clients this means seamless non-stop transitions in-between songs, as well as a much higher caliber performance musically as well as visually.

How much space or size stage do you require?

We can work very comfortably on a stage 12′ deep by 24′ wide, and this is a very typical size stage for even the larger configuration. Certainly, a larger stage is even better as it gives our performers more room to move around, however, our thinking is to make sure there is plenty of space for the dance floor and to not overwhelm the room with a huge stage. We can also work without a stage, and in some venues, this is just fine maybe even preferable, however, having a stage typically makes for a better look and allows all of the guests to easily view the band when the dance floor is packed.

How much power do you require?

We require a minimum of three, preferably four separate 20 amp circuits to the stage area and for the band only. This is your typical house type power, but on three (or four) separate breakers and not shared by other items. Many venues have the power in place and nicely labeled, other venues (especially venues with moveable walls), don’t have any power, and require what is known as a power distribution “dropbox”. The power dropbox is always the preferred power choice when available. We require the power for band use only as other items such as small lighting can create buzzing sounds in the sound system, or worse yet, cause the power to blow.

Will a 10 to 16-piece group be too loud for my event?

Excessive volume is not necessarily a product of the size of the band, for instance, some of the loudest bands in history were four and five-piece groups! We have our sound and volume in check perhaps better than anyone in the business and use some of the most expensive high-end and high tech equipment available in order to keep our sound consistently perfect.

What do you wear?

Unless otherwise instructed, we always dress formally in modern fitted suits, ties, and jackets, with our female vocalists in formal gowns. Our front male vocalist will sometimes do a quick wardrobe change during the dinner segment, and dress more for fun after dinner. For corporate events, we dress for fun, while still being formal. We are often asked to dress similar to the look in some of our videos and are certainly happy to comply.

What types of music do you play?

We cover a huge variety of music with a strong focus on fun well-known dance hits that will energize your event. We can also cover many authentic Latin hits.

Can I have input on the song list?

Of course! We ask that our clients simply highlight a few likes from our song list while crossing off just a small handful as “don’t play” (even if requested by one of your guests). The highlighted list along with some general information is all we need, and this allows us the flexibility we need to create the amazing parties we are associated with.

Can you learn a special song for my event?

Yes, we can typically learn two or three songs for any given event including the first dance, parent dances, or any song that is especially significant to your event. Learning and performing songs at a high-quality level takes many hours in preparation as well as rehearsals, so we need any requests at least three months in advance of the performance date.

How long do you play?

Most events include a solo performer for a one-hour cocktail and the band for four-hours. Many of our corporate events include the band for a two or three-hour continuous performance. We are always available for optional overtime as well.

Do you offer continuous music?

We take one 20-25 minute break during the main course service. We have found that this is a time where guests want to converse at their tables, and the band is not only not missed, but it is actually preferable to have the band not playing during this time. We play appropriate background dinner music via a flash drive during the break often making a custom dinner playlist based on your requests. This break also gives the band a chance to eat, refresh, and come out strong right after the dinner segment. We don’t stagger breaks, as that would give the client even less time with the full group and product, plus some members (such as the drummer) are really needed for almost any music. That being said, I advise against continuous music as it tends to unnecessarily wear out the band, and makes for a lesser overall event, however, we can offer continuous music at an additional cost if you must have it.

Where is the band located?

We are located in Miami, Florida and consider Miami, Naples, Tampa, and Orlando, to be our regular travel areas. Additional travel fees may be incurred for locations such as Key West or Jacksonville.

Are you available outside of Florida?

Yes

Do you offer music for the cocktail hour?

Yes, we can offer our saxophonist for the cocktail hour, or our pianist if a piano is available. Other musicians can be added as well. Our musicians perform instrumental Jazz and Smooth Jazz background music as is often desired for the cocktail hour, and we can also assist in securing specialized acts for cocktail hours such as a New Orleans themed horn group, steel drummers, Latin groups, Acoustic guitar/vocal acts, etc.

Do you offer music for the ceremony?

We outsource our ceremonies to a fantastic group that specializes in ceremony music, as I prefer that our musicians are well rested and ready for the reception segment. You will benefit from direct pricing from our ceremony musicians, and they offer many options including solo performers as well as string groups.

What kind of payments do you accept?

Checks are preferred however other methods off payment are available. We must add on a fee for credit card payments due to fees charged to us by the credit card companies.

Do you carry liability insurance?

Yes, we carry the standard two million dollar policy as required by some venues. We can also have your venue listed as additionally insured but need adequate advance notice of two weeks in order to take care of this for you.

Why don’t I see you listed on the venue’s preferred vendor list?

We are listed as preferred vendors for many venues, however, we refuse to pay a venue in order to be included on their list, nor will we agree to pay a venue a commission in order to be included on their list of “preferred” vendors. If you see us on a vendor list, it’s because the venue honestly believes we are a first-class organization that belongs on their list, and not because we have paid to be there.

Be especially suspicious if a venue attempts to limit your choice by only allowing you to use a vendor from their list.

There are venues (some very well known) that charge their vendors either a yearly flat fee or a percentage per event to be included on the “preferred vendor” list. Oftentimes in order to keep this system in place, they will only allow only a handful of agencies access to the list, thereby channeling every event through this small handful of agencies who are willing to play ball with the venue. The agent then pays a percentage back to the venue in return for having a “lock” on the venue. This means that the client is now paying an agent possibly 40-50%, in order for the agent to receive his commission, and then the agent will pay 10-20% back to the venue! In addition, there may be tax generated in the process of a service that typically wouldn’t be taxable.

When do you arrive on location for set up?

I like to arrive with the bulk of our equipment four hours in advance of the bands start time along with my set up crew and sound tech. We typically set up in less than two hours, and then have some downtime to rest up in advance of the show. Other members such as the drummer, bass, and guitar players arrive one and a half hours prior to, vocalist arrive one hour prior to.

Additional items to help us do a better job for you

Access to the venue, ballroom, and stage

It seems obvious enough and typically isn’t an issue, however, we have encountered venues where the entire room is blocked off, or the stage is packed with chairs, tables, as well as other vendor’s items. This usually occurs only when the ceremony is taking place in a portion of the same ballroom, and then the venue is turning over the room in order to use the ceremony area once the ceremony is over. This is just fine, as long as they have our stage in place and we have access to the stage to set up.

Parking

Typically not an issue, however, there are venues that don’t feel obligated in any way to offer parking for the band’s vehicles! Needless to say, this can create much unnecessary difficulty and stress for our group (and we want them to be in a good festive mood for your event). This is especially an issue with our truck and trailer as finding parking in places such as Miami, can be nearly impossible! There is always a spot available at the venue, however, it often takes the power of the client to arrange a spot for our truck and trailer in advance. We will typically know which venues are problematic and can let you know if we need assistance.

Room layout

For the best results, it is best to keep your guests contained in the same area as the band. This would include having the bars in the same room as the band, and not separating the band from the party in any way, such as having tables in-between the band and the dance floor (rarely seen, but we have seen it!). An important sports game on TV in another room can really distract from your party as well. Group photo’s scheduled right in the middle of a dance set, or really anything that creates too much starting and stopping once the party is underway can quickly put the brakes on the momentum of your party.

Avoid poor or overcomplicated planning

Keep it simple, and try to have a sensible plan laid out well in advance. With weddings, much of the planning early on is centered around the foodservice as well as the formalities, and we are often taking cues from the catering manager in order to help them with the flow of the foodservice. It is typically best to have all of the formalities out of the way once dinner is over thereby leaving the majority of time after dinner for fun. It is always nice to get the energy going early on when possible as well, and we like to keep things upbeat and fun as a general rule, typically starting out fun from the minute the doors open, and playing fun dance music in-between courses as well when possible.

Avoid micro-managing the band or playlist

This rarely happens, as I think most people realize that when it comes to creating a fun party that includes all of your guests, young and old, we have this covered very well! However, every now and then a very well-intentioned client may want more input on the band’s playlist than we are comfortable with. The most successful events are those where everyone is included, and it’s no nice to see everyone on the dance floor, young and old, truly having the time of their lives together. Left to our own devices, this is how every event is, and it is only the times when we have been given too much direction that the party may not live up to our unusually high standard. I don’t think most people have experienced the type of parties and the momentum we tend to create, and given the lack of experience in this (often little to none), really don’t know what is going to work best with their crowd. It is the songs that people have heard many times and know well that they will respond to the most, and songs that you may be tired of hearing on the radio will have new life when performed by a fantastic band with great performers singing and dancing. All of this being said, we still like to cater to our clients as much as possible, and too much information or too little information is not good. We welcome just the right amount of input and general direction, and we will then take your event to heights rarely seen.