Q. How big is The Frank Castle Band Swing Orchestra?
A. The orchestra includes Piano, Guitar, Bass, Drums, 2 Trumpets, 2 Trombones, 4 Saxophones, Female Vocalist and 2 Male Vocalists. That's a total of 13 musicians. We can also combine any of the musicians to form a duet, trio, quartet, 5-piece, octet, or any other combination you would like to have. Add our String Section and it adds up to 23 musicians. Its your event, so you decide the number.

Q. 13 to 23 musicians is a lot of people. How much space does the orchestra need?
A. We need a minimum area of 10 feet wide by 20 feet deep. We prefer a larger space than that of course, but we can do fine in 10' x 20'. Mind you, many rock bands with less than half our number, use as much space as we do, if not more, because they use so many amplifiers and other electronic equipment.

Q. I'm afraid a 13 piece orchestra is more than we can accommodate. Can you perform with fewer people and play softer music for our event?
A. We can provide a combo of any size you wish. See our Musical Ensembles Section.

Q. Actually we want the full orchestra for after dinner, but before dinner we'd like to have just some soft background music.
A. That's no problem. We can just have a combo or soloist from the orchestra perform for you before dinner.

Q. How does the orchestra dress?
A. We only wear black tuxedos. If you hire a swing orchestra, your event is going to be a formal affair and we strive for a professional appearance and performance to make your event one to remember.

Q. How loud is the orchestra? That's a very large ensemble!
A. Most rock and roll bands and DJ's are louder than we are. They just crank up the knobs all the way to 11. The Frank Castle Band is largely an acoustic ensemble. The bass player, guitar player, and keyboard players generally use small amplifiers. We use our PA system only for the vocalist and announcements.

Q. What kind of music does the orchestra play?
A. Please e-mail us for our demo tape and brochure. We feel that our demo tape and/or sound samples are representative of the musical direction and quality of the orchestra. Most of what we play is swing dance music. We have some bossa nova and salsa Latin tunes, and we have waltz, tango, and rhythm 'n blues numbers in the book. If we are playing for more of a concert setting, we have some exciting big band jazz numbers that are more oriented for listening. We present dance music that was often played by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Nat King Cole, and Glenn Miller. Please see our play list for the specific tunes we do.

Q. There is a song that I want performed, but I don't see it on the play list.
A. With a 4 week lead time, we can pretty much acquire any published arrangement. Ask us to learn it and we will.

Q. Will the orchestra play any current contemporary songs or rock 'n roll?
A. We are willing to perform a tune that is not part a standard part of our repertoire if there is a published arrangement of it for big band. We have many songs from the 40's to the 90's in our Book. See our Song List for the complete lineup.

Q. My great aunt Mathilda does a wonderful rendition of "Melancholy Baby". Can she sing with the orchestra at the event?
A. If Aunt Mathilda can come to one of our rehearsals, we'd be happy to have her sing it with us. We are very concerned with insuring that we provide you with the very high quality of performance you expect from us. If its a spur-of-the-moment request, and we can play the song, we will ask you to make the decision.

Q. How much does the orchestra cost?
A. Our rates vary depending upon the size of the ensemble we send and the nature of the event, and are quite affordable. Please call Frank Castle's Office at or send an e-mail and we will contact you.

Q. What are the payment terms?
A. We require a deposit upon acceptance of the contract to commit the orchestra for your event and hold the date. The balance is to be paid one week before performance. Payment may be made by certified or bank check. Payment for custom arrangements must be paid when the contract is signed and the commitment is first made.

Planning Your Wedding Reception...

There are many rescources for planning your wedding. There are any number of professional wedding planners, wedding web sites, wedding books and magazines, and even wedding planning computer software! I'm not going to tell you how to run your wedding, but I do want to talk about your entertainment needs for your wedding and things you might want to consider. Have a look at some of the vendors, friends, and services we recomend on our Friends and Links page.

Q. What tunes do you suggest for the First Dance?
A. A lot depends upon your own taste. We recommend a slow, romantic song. Romantic songs are expressive of the sentiments of the day, which will vary from couple to couple. Take a look at our Song List for all of our tunes!

Some Slow Tunes: From This Moment On (Shania Twain) It Had To Be You (Harry Connick, Jr.) Moonlight Serenade As Time Goes By (H. Hupfeld) Have I Told You Lately That I Love You (R. Stewart) My Heart Will Go On (Titanic Theme) The Prayer (A. Bocelli / C. Dion) I Finally Found Someone (B. Streisand / B. Adams) I Believe In You And Me (The Preacher's Wife) The Power Of Love (C. Dion) When A Man Loves A Woman (M. Bolten) I'll Always Love You (T. Dane) How Do I Live (L. Rimes)

Some Faster Tunes: Come Fly With Me The Way You Look Tonight I've Got The World On A String Our Love Is Here To Stay Love Gets Me Every Time (S. Twain)

Q. What tunes do you suggest for the Father / Daughter and Mother / Son Dances?
A. Again, a slower dance reflecting the mood of the moment is recommended. For example:

It Had To Be You (Harry Connick, Jr.) Unforgettable (Nat King Cole) Because You Loved Me (C. Dion) A Time To Say Good-bye (A. Bocelli / S. Brightman) Butterfly Kisses A Song For My Son A Song For My Daughter Through The Years (K. Rogers) If I Could

Q. Your orchestra costs a lot more than a DJ. Why would I want a live orchestra other than my Aunt Harriet thinks it's a good idea?
A. Music is exciting and touches people because it is not a passive thing. When you dance to a live band, you and the musicians are not isolated from each other. There's an interaction between the musicians and the audience that is undeniable. That's why I'm still playing after all these years.

We enjoy playing for an audience much more than just playing for ourselves at rehearsal. In the same way, when you listen to a recording, there are no people involved with the production of music. It takes two to tango. It takes two people to fall in love. It takes both a live band and an audience to work the magic that is music. Your wedding is the only one you'll have, and a live swing orchestra like ours will make it magic with music and swing.

Q. We're going to have a lot of people, of all ages, at our wedding. We were thinking we'd like to have some music for everyone. Can you play some songs are that are contemporary for the young folks as well as my Aunt Harriet?
A. We're a swing orchestra that has a large selection of numbers in a variety of other styles such as bossa nova, salsa, tango, waltz, and rhythm 'n blues. The rhythm 'n blues form is the precursor to rock 'n roll, but we are not a rock band. We have most arrangements of the top contemporary tunes, or we can use our own arranger to prepare something special. See our Song List to get an idea of our range of styles!

Q. But we want to have some music for everyone, not just my Mom and Dad, and Aunt Harriet. A DJ can play something for everybody and recorded music always sounds like the original bands because that's what they are! A live band always sounds like an imitation to me.
A. When you hear the full, rich sound of our horn section, played without amplification, it will be like tasting a fine coq au vin. As you can see from the photos of the band, we have that timeless appearance of the great orchestras of the swing era. What makes for great food and great music are qualities that are not beholden to fashion or expediency.

A hundred years from now, people will still be eating fine French cooking and will be dancing to the same great swing tunes we play. The big bands never went away. We've been here all the time! Great music will always be played by good musicians because of the love inherent in it.

When a Mozart concerto is performed by great musicians with love, it is just as fresh and vital as it was in the 18th century. So it is with the great swing tunes like, "I've Got the World on a String".