Valerie Romanoff, CEO, creator, producer and composer of Starlight Orchestras and Productions in New York City, heads a team of talented  music producers that excel at creating magical wedding entertainment. Over the past 15 years, Valerie has created a powerhouse of musicians, hiring and training the country’s best artists who perform together as the most stylish orchestras and bands around. In fact, they’re such amazing performers that the likes of Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Clive Davis, Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel have called on Starlight for their own events. All of the bands at Starlight Orchestras are known for superstar-caliber performers, uniquely polished presentation, and the most varied repertoire imaginable. And, each one of their savvy, hip bandleaders excels in customizing every performance, reading the crowd and delivering a nonstop high energy event.

You can hop over to the Starlight blog for music picks for first dance songs, ceremony music options, and oh-so-much-more as Valerie is spectacular at sharing her passion for music on every level. But in the meantime, we thought we’d ask the always feisty and fabulous bandleader and industry icon a few questions about her love of music and the business of wedding entertainment…

{THE BRIDAL CIRCLE}:  WHAT’S YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH? 1-2-3…GO!

{VALERIE ROMANOFF}:  Starlight is about continually raising the bar, exceeding expectations, creating something special and unique every time we perform. The question I pose to myself and my team is always “How good can it be? What will make it better?” And that is where we work.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TO GET INTO EVENT ENTERTAINMENT?

Such a great question. Even before I knew I was a musician, I had a great desire to bring happiness to people and be a source of upliftment. There is a certain amount of joy that is expressed when you play music, and I enjoyed that dynamic. But the day I got my first gig in a band performing at a wedding, I was blown away by the energy and the dazzle. I saw it as an incredible platform for developing a concept of something unique and superior.

HOW DID YOU START YOUR BUSINESS AND HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?  

After that first night of participating in a big grand wedding celebration (in the late 70’s),  my creative juices started flowing and I wanted to make the next performance even better than the last.  Little by little I got involved with the production of the musical elements,  and became part of the administrative and creative team.  Music is only part of our business, and communicating with clients in the sales process is also important.  I started Starlight with a partner in 1998, and have owned and run it solo since 2003.

WHAT WAS YOUR INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW YORK MUSIC SCENE?

One night while in high school, some friends and I went down to the Village to hear some music.  There was a cool blues band playing in this small club, and the whole scene was inspiring. During one of the numbers, I went up to the guitar player and asked if I could and “sit in.” He was very kind and he slipped his electric guitar over my head, and I started jamming out with the band.  People in the club got really pumped up, and the old dudes in the band were also excited.   I was so exhilarated by the experience, that I couldn’t wait for another opportunity to “play out.”   Several years later during college, I came to NYC on spring break to hit all the cubs in the Village that had open mic nights.  I brought my guitar and performed a few original songs at every club on Bleeker Street. At the end of the night, a guy approached me about being part of his recording project, and we ultimately became great friends.  I moved back to New York that summer,  and little by little met people in all aspects of the music industry; learned about sessions, jingles, record production, the disco music scene, I studied recoding engineering, composed and produced my own album, and eventually found my way into creating music for live events.

WHEN PUTTING THE PIECES OF THE WEDDING PUZZLE TOGETHER, HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ENTERTAINMENT?  

First, I would make a distinction between entertainment and music, and say they are both important. There are so many elements that create the magical world of the wedding environment; the design, the flowers, the fabrics, the tables, the layouts, the draping, the room itself.  Adding music brings the life to the party, and helps move the guests from one moment to the next throughout the evening. The music can be an integral part of the mood setting, much like in movies or on television. Have you ever watched TV or a move with the sound turned off? Try it sometime, and you will see how much is missing.  Music encourages us to FEEL a certain way, and without it there is a real void.  This is true at live events as well. I ask my clients, “How do you want people to feel in this moment? And the next moment.” After all, an event is a series of moments, just like life. And we go through an entire spectrum of feelings and energies throughout both.  Music is a key part of this. From the moment the guests walk in the door, there are opportunities to use music to direct the energetic flow.  Entertainment is another thing entirely, and we use music (and performance) for that as well. To uplift, to excite, and to create a platform of celebration for our clients and their guests.

WHAT ARE BRIDES AND GROOMS SELECTING FOR THEIR WEDDING CEREMONY MUSIC THESE DAYS?  

One of the things I am most proud of is Starlight’s personalized approach to creating wedding ceremony music. Our “Custom Ensemble” division can create and perform music from any genre. We work closely with our clients to learn who they are and what moves them. Music can be chosen from any genre, including classical, film score, opera, Broadway, pop, rock, alternative,  indie, ethnic. We recent learned a piece by an Icelandic band that the bride was in love with. The thing is, anything is possible!

THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE MEMBERS IN A STARLIGHT ORCHESTRA IS INCREDIBLE. YOU RESPOND TO ONE ANOTHER IN A NANOSECOND. WHAT DO YOU DO TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN? 

I am so happy you noticed!! I hand pick every performer for not only their talent, but their personality, spirit and ability to share with each other. I want to offer an amazing experience not only to the guests at an event, but to the band members as well.  Everyone on that stage, no matter how accomplished they are,  have respect and admiration for each other and enjoy the collaboration of “spontaneous creation.”  Everyone needs to know the material and choreography, but to also have a sense of how to use the stage, and relate each other as each new moment is created.  It helps that we do a great deal of traveling together, and have developed very strong bonds, like a family.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONTINUOUS MUSIC AND MUSIC SETS?

Continuous music, to me, means that regardless of what is going on in the room, there is ALWAYS music playing. Whether the full band is playing music for dancing or a few musicians are playing beautiful listening music for dinner service, the spell is never broken by having silence in the room.  Sets are the length of time we have for dancing. There are different strategies for the timing of weddings, whether we dance in between food courses or whether there is no dancing until after dessert. I wrote a whole article on my blog about the different strategies for event timing with relation to dancing. Timing and flow are EVERYTHING.

WHEN THE ENERGY IN THE ROOM ISN’T GROOVING, WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO, GETS ‘EM UP DANCING EVERY TIME, TUNE?  

That is a great question, and there is no one answer. There is no formula to what we do, as every crowd is different, and every night is different, and what might inspire you one night might not be the same next time.  Part of our job as Starlight  bandleaders is to “tap into” the feeling in the room and get a sense of what will motivate and inspire people.

YOU PRACTICALLY LIVE ON THE ROAD. HOW DO YOU DO IT?  

We sure do love to travel to destination weddings, partly because everything is so well organized and extremely comfortable.  It’s not like the band getting on a tour bus and living on the road, LOL! Not at all.  The events we travel for are big shows where we present like headline entertainment. Big stages, big crowds, great lights, ample sound checks, good support. It is very exciting and gratifying. Plus, I can’t speak for my band mates, but I do like/need to spend a few days relaxing after a big wedding gig trip.

HOW DO YOU COPE WITH AND PREVENT CREATIVE BURNOUT, WHAT LIGHTS YOUR FIRE AND WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU GOT TO MORE OF? 

When I plan the music for an event I want to delight my clients and their guests, and I also want to surprise the band a little bit too. The key to creative burnout is to keep things fresh and new by growing and changing.  We work with a core of the same performers, but we also like to add new people, new styles of music to keep things moving. What lights my fire is seeing the explosion of energy between all the elements, feeling the pulse raise in the room, feeling the transformative effects of music and celebration.  I especially love the events where clients want the best of what we offer and have budgets for us to create something special and unique for them.

IF WE PEEKED AT YOUR iPod or iPhone, WHAT KIND OF MUSIC PLAYLISTS WOULD WE BE SURPRISED TO SEE?  

I listen to a lot of Indian music, sitar and tabla and exotic world instruments. I love the Buddha Bar collections and often prefer instrumental chill mixes.  I am very into the transformational use of music, and I gravitate toward using music to relax and deepen my inner journey.   I also love old school funk for when I want to be energized.

IF YOU COULD PERFORM AT A WEDDING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE?  

I haven’t yet done a wedding on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, although I have gotten a few inquiries to do so. That is one of my favorite places to be, so I would love to share that experience with my band mates. I also would love another opportunity for my band to experience the energy of Sedona, Arizona, so a wedding in Phoenix, Arizona would be nice!

WHAT’S NEXT FOR STARLIGHT? WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE OF THE COMPANY?

I haven’t publicized this anywhere yet, but I have recently launched both “Star Power” and “Good Life.” These are both wonderful music ensembles with amazing leaders, all expressions of the Starlight concept and format. I am so grateful for the unfolding and strengthening of our team, as it really takes a village to produce such exceptional musical concepts for weddings and parties. This year we have been called upon to customize some incredible projects, which always inspires me and my staff.  The level of custom creation we are doing is at an all-time new high.

I am also excited to do more writing and speaking about the enormous contribution music has to the success of an event, and to continue meeting and connecting with like-minded people in my field.  Thank you so much for this forum, and for asking such thought provoking questions.  I love the Bridal Circle and think it is such a fantastic online community.

THANK YOU MISS VALERIE! WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, GENEROSITYAND CANDOR…

Starlight Orchestras
Valerie Romanoff, CEO
(212) 595-0999
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