Catherine Boyd

• Barbara Gallagher - Harp
• Susan Salmon - Mandolin, Violin, Guitar
• Jake L''Armand - Jazz Violin
• Adrian L''Armand - South Indian Violin
• Joan Steinberg - Harp
• Kahlil Gunther - Piano
• Steve Tanzer - Flute

NEW! Package deal: Violin, Officiant, Arch (plus arch flowers in your wedding colors). If you still need an officiant, my colleague Linda Moore has 20+ years experience, is non-denominational licensed clergy, and will handle your ceremony with elegance and sweetness. Thank you!

Playing weddings professionally since 1984! My rates have stayed the same since 1992; you can't find my quality at this low price point anywhere else. I sincerely love playing weddings and have an unmatched repertoire. I have played weddings in all genres: Jewish, Catholic, Celtic. I can play in all keys, and blend well with other musicians; I will make pianists and vocalists sound richer and fuller, thereby making them shine even more. Why trust your wedding music to an amateur? You deserve the best for your wedding; why endure screechy, out of tune playing? Please listen to my audio samples; I am proud of them. Some of my competitors are misrepresenting themselves. I have been playing violin for 35 years, and was playing 1st violin in the Fort Worth Symphony by age 16. Please ask my competition to explain their claims, and you will see what I mean. I am honest with my clients, and provide only conservatory-level music for the ceremony.

Also, recent and current wedding music requests include: PHISH cocktail hour (yes!), Bollywood film music (written out for string trio), many top 40/indie hits (including Weezer, Foo Fighters, Dashboard Confessional, and 3rd Eye Blind), 3 hours of 1920s Jazz (involving 20-30 hours of research), and an R&B wedding (involving 10 hours of research). I take great pride and happiness in taking requests, and serving my brides and grooms with the best possible work. References are available if you would like to contact them.

Here is my bio: New Jersey wedding violinist Catherine Boyd began playing at age 5, and started playing weddings professionally at age 14. She studied with Robert Davidovici (Juilliard grad) throughout high school, and was in the Fort Worth Symphony at age 16 before she went to Harvard. She has performed with Kiri te Kanawa, Christopher Parkening, Steve de Groote, Willie Nelson, kd Lang, and with various rock bands on the east coast. One performance at Graceland was in front of 14,000 people! Known for her versatility and the ability to play by ear, she has an encyclopedic music memory and can't be stumped easily by requests. She is as comfortable with classical music as with jazz, rock, blues, country, Irish, Italian, American Colonial, and World music (mainly South Indian classical and Hindi film music). Currently studying South Indian violin with Adrian L'Armand (Swarthmore, PA).

For any event, you will receive excellent, professional music that serves your preference. Catherine treats every client (especially brides) as she would want to be treated, which includes thorough email and phone consultation. If you have a limited budget, Catherine can perform the ceremony and reception alone. If needed, high-qualtity amplification is available. If you have a theme in mind, it is OK to build something nontradional that your guests will discuss for years to come! Her favorite gigs are solo strolling gigs, taking requests from guests throughout a room. In addition, Catherine has several musical colleagues: guitar (Susan Salmon), flute (Steve Tanzer), harp, mandolin, piano, vocalists, etc. The usual arrangement is a duo or trio. With sufficient notice, it is possible to arrange a band/orchestra of any size or style (classical, Latin, jazz, rock, country).

Also, and this explains the low end of my fees: If you need the budget level price on guitar or on vocals, I can play guitar or sing for your wedding (I did a fine job on both for some emergency low budget clients last year), but I will be honest with you and tell you that it is a student level that you are getting! I am a motivated guitarist and have a clear alto. I am happy to explain the level that you will receive to see if it meets your needs.

Thank you for your time and interest!

(Two photos of Southern Mansion wedding, courtesy Doyle Dowdell Photography).

• Pachelbel's Canon in D
• Standard Classical Wedding Music
• J.S. Bach Chorales and Suites
• Dodi Li/Erev Shel Shoshanim - Jewish
• Just the Way You Look Tonight/Strangers in the Night - Frank Sinatra
• I Wish You Love/La Vie En Rose - French
• Danny Boy/My Lagan Love/Sheebeg and Sheemore - Irish (4 hours worth)
• God Bless the Broken Road/I Cross My Heart - Country
• Love Me Tender/I Can't Help Falling in Love With You - Elvis
• Por una Cabeza/El Choclo - Tango
• Hum Kisise Tum Nahin/Maang ke saath tumhaara - Hindi Film music
• Besame Mucho/Son de la Loma - Latin/Charanga
• One/Where the Streets Have No Name - U2
• Embraceable You/Time After Time - Standards
• Orange Blossom Special/Devil Went Down to Georgia - Fast Bluegrass
• Alloa House/Haste to the Wedding - Colonial
• Sikidim/Simarik - Turkish (Tarkan)
• Oxala - Portugese (Mariza)
• Can You Feel The Love Tonight - Lion King Soundtrack
• Moondance/Into the Mystic - Van Morrison
• Beautiful/If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot
• Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
• Memories - Cats
• Love Changes Everything - Aspects of Love
• All I Ask/Music of the Night - Phantom of the Opera
• I Dreamed a Dream/On My Own - Les Miserables
• Musetta's Waltz/Nessun Dorma - Opera Highlights
• Somewhere, My Love (Lara's Theme) - Dr. Zhivago Soundtrack
• Aneme e Core/That's Amore - Italian

Anniversaries, Bachelor Parties, Bachelorette Parties, Banquets, Birthday Parties, Children's Birthday Parties, Celebrations, Christenings, Christmas Parties, Church Services, Clubs, Community Events, Conventions, Corporate Functions, Dinner Dances, Festivals, Fund Raisers, Funerals, Graduation Parties, Grand Openings, Picnic, Private Parties, Proms, Restaurants, Reunions, Sweet 16 Parties, Weddings, Wedding Ceremonies, Wedding Cocktail Hours, Wedding Receptions...and more.

• Catherine's excitement, enthusiaism, and phenominal talent is a knock-out! Her skill grabbed the attention of not only the guests but the wedding co-ordinator at The Grand Hotel of Cape May. Catherine went above and beyond the call of duty from the first moment to the last to make her portion of our wedding as amazing and easy as possible for us. She loves what she does and it shines through from the second you make contact. She has the ability to go from traditional mode to creative and innovative in a heartbeat and truly listens to your desires and personality to help you to make your dream come true. THANK YOU CATHERINE! -- Gloria R, Cape May, NJ, 6/8/2008
• Catherine was great. She was pretty, genial,most accomodating and played beautifully. She was everything we had expected and more. We would certainly reccommend Catherine and to friends and family. Ella and Jim Langtry Hillsborough, NJ -- Ella L, Cape May, NJ, 5/17/2008
• Catherine did a phenomenal job; she met with us before the wedding to plan the music, was enthusiastic about our ideas and requests, was incredibly sweet and pleasant to work with, and is amazingly talented! I can say with certainty that her music was one of the most important elements of our celebration. What an excellent violinist! Highly recommended! -- Amy D, Philadelphia, PA, 8/10/2008
• Catherine was wonderful! Her talent with the violin is outstanding! If your looking for a violinist, I reccomend Catherine 100%!!! -- Regina D, Lewes, DE, 10/29/2011
• Catherine was extremely accommodating. Catherine went above and beyond to help me with song choices, kept me updated on her schedule and always made herself available. Catherine plays the violin so dearly and for that I would love to thank her and highly recommend her. I will never forget my wedding church ceremony and the music played that beautiful sunny day. Thank you again! -- Lauren Q, Mays Landing, NJ, 2/18/2012

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