Vermilion Strings

ponses to your concerns again as follows: I apologized to you for feeling as though we were unresponsive. As I explained, I was on maternity leave in August/September 2020, and I had an automatic reply in place to inform everyone that there may be a small delay in responding for a month or so. I did try to respond to all of the messages within a week at that time. I may have also missed some of your phone calls but I did not receive a voicemail or would have called you back. As I explained, the musicians were not late. The pianist was there 40 minutes before prelude was supposed to begin. The cellist was there so early that the doors were still locked to the venue. The violinist was there well before the prelude was scheduled to begin. I spoke to the cellist 10 minutes prior to the prelude about the shade situation and confirmed that all 3 musicians were present and ready to perform. As I reminded you, our contract which you signed does specify that the instruments can't be in direct sunlight. This clause is in our contract because the string instruments are extremely expensive (in the neighborhood of $10,000.00). If they are in direct sunlight for too long they crack and need extremely expensive repairs. $100 for an EZ Up is much cheaper than the cost of an instrument repair. Also, the keyboard will stop working if in direct sun for too long and you would not have had the keyboard music at all. Parenthetically, following the ceremony one of the mothers (either mother of groom or mother of bride) approached the musicians and told them how lucky they were to have a covering because it was so hot outside. 79 degrees in direct sun, especially in Louisiana with the humidity, is still brutal. We have not encountered the problem with the direct sunlight before at Riverview Room as most of the weddings we book there take place in the evening hours, so it was also a first for us. In fact we have never encountered an issue where shade could not be provided for the instruments. The musicians actually saw an option that would have easily remedied the lack of shade. They asked the venue manager if they could set up directly inside a set of doors to the building and leave the doors open so the sound would project. She would not allow them to do this. Again, here is the clause from the contract you signed regarding outdoor events: "The musicians will perform outdoors provided the following conditions are met: Winds do not pose a danger to persons or property, including instruments; There is zero precipitation, or a waterproof tent or shelter is provided; The instruments are protected from direct sunlight by a mutually agreed upon source of shade; If temperature is below 60°F, heater must be provided. It is the responsibility of the client to offer a satisfactory contingency plan if the above conditions are not met. The musicians are not obligated to perform under unsatisfactory conditions and the client will remain responsible for the total fee despite the musicians’ nonperformance." You can see that it is very clear that the musicians are not required to perform if the conditions are not met and that the client is responsible for payment of the full amount regardless. Fortunately, the conditions eventually became satisfactory and the musicians did perform and even had time to perform 3 prelude songs prior to your ceremony. As far as your wife's entrance, I asked you if the musicians were still playing the groom's entrance as instructed to continue to playing while waiting for the bride. They then began the bridal song with an introduction (that you may not have recognized) that transitioned into the melody. I asked if you could provide me a video clip of the bridal entrance so I could review it and I have not received a response. Respectfully, I never called you a liar. I am certain that there was some miscommunication. As I explained, we have worked with these musicians for many years, find them to be honorable people, seasoned professionals and have no reason to believe that they would lie to us. In fact, the cellist and violinist that were hired have played at the Riverview Room many times. Respectfully, I never blamed your wife for holding up the ceremony. I explained that I was informed about 5 minutes after the ceremony start time that the musicians were waiting on the bride. I understand there may have also been a delay while having to set up the shade situation, again an issue that could have been avoided if the contract had been reviewed. I understand you did not speak with the musicians directly but that the venue coordinator was relaying information. I understand that she told you that the musicians were threatening to leave if the conditions were not satisfied and that is untrue. At no point did they ever threaten to leave. Again, they were simply communicating the need for shade. Your venue may indeed have never encountered this situation before and neither have we. It was a first for everyone involved. I have left a voicemail for Mandy at the Riverview Room and hope to speak to her regarding the situation in the near future. I respectfully deny your allegation that we are a scam. It is also untrue that we don't care about the situation. It is our number one priority to make sure that the music runs smoothly. We understand just how important this day is to our clients. That is why we include these clauses in our contracts - to make sure that our musicians are equipped to perform at their highest standards. Again, I am so sorry that this situation happened when it so easily could have been avoided.