The effect of music on memory was called the Mozart Effect before research showed that all music with 60 beats per minute (not just classical) activates the left and right brain at the same time. This simultaneous brain activity maximises learning and retention of information, so what better way to make your event memorable than through music from start to finish?
The songs you choose to use during your event should be integral to your overall concept. Once that’s locked down finding the right soundtrack for your event shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. If you have the budget get a sound engineer on board from the beginning, we recommend Rocket Sound or Howard Audio in Johannesburg.
#1 Invite–Create a memorable first impressions with a song or a select playlist to get your guests thinking about the event to come. If you’re emailing an invite you can embed a song, WhatsApp is useful for communicating with an event group and sharing audio snippets and links. You could also deliver a flash drive as an exclusive event invite with an incredible playlist on it. There are some unusual flash drive ideas on USB Geek.
#2 Walk Up Music- Or put another way – let there be no dead air! Whether you’re running a roadshow, business or gala event, pre-plan to fill the gaps between activities with music. The idea is to keep the audience engaged during the moments in between with suitably rousing sounds. No pregnant silences, these make the Director and Producers very nervous and impacts the flow of the proceedings.
#3 Live Bands– Clients are sometimes wary of live music because of the perceived expense and the risk of the band not being great. We’re lucky to have amazing talent in SA and you can negotiate a good rate for a unique live music experience for your audience. We represent some incredible bands and would be happy to point you in the right live music direction.
#4 Drumming- Creating a once off event-rhythm using drums will guarantee a memorable musical experience for even the most cynical conference goer. The Drum Cafe in Jozi really know their stuff and will go out of their way to help, speak to Warren and tell him we sent you!
#5 Karaoke – No eyeball rolling here please. Karaoke done right with the right crowd (and right amount of alcohol) can actually be the pièce de résistance of your function. Have a good MC in place and ensure you have cameras rolling for when the shy people come out of their shells. David Broad from MaganStarr Entertainment has a great way with people and music.
#6 Gifts – We do love giving gifts and how cool are these Zungle Panther sunglasses which play music by sending vibrations through your skull? And when the soundtrack of life becomes just that little bit too loud, there are these incredible Bose wireless Quite Comfort Noise Cancellation headphones.
Kelly McGillivray (@Kelly_Jozi), Squad Leader at The Squad (@theSquad_SA)
