Artists, Instruments,
& Services

1st Choice Music Services specializes in securing highly experienced performing artists when your life requires live music. We search, audition, and provide strings, vocals, piano, brass, dance bands, small combos, bagpipers, harpists, organists, folk music groups, & orchestras.

Area Clients: regional orchestras, churches, Parkland & Danville Community Colleges, The Chorale, Opera Illinois, UI Opera & Lyric Theatre, Sugar Creek Opera, Theatre Companies, Universities, State Farm Center Shows & more. We have no financial agreements with area vendors, nor do you pay additional fees for referrals. Referral information is based on our direct experience with their services.

Studio paid consultation sessions: If you cannot find what you need on this web site, an in house paid consultation session will answer your questions, offers suggestions to assist you to locate area vendors and suitable locations, and make all necessary plans to handle your live music needs.

Select from the instruments or ensembles below.

Artists are also available for schools, civic clubs, adult living center programs, private family events, & more.

Solo Instruments

1) Harp, Bagpipe, Cello, Saxophone, Violin, Flute

2) Violin (Classical, jazz, fiddlers, strollers)

3) Trumpet (+ strings, or organ/piano)

4) Pianists, Organists, Harpsichord - acoustic or electronic (solo or w/other instruments or voice) in USA, England & Germany

5) Guitar - classical or electric

Vocalists

For weddings, recitals, house concerts, workshops, master classes, & surprise birthday or engagement serenades (Classical/Choral/ Pop/Jazz/Folk )

Duos

1) Duos with Piano, Organ, or Digital Piano: Cello, Violin, Flute, or Trumpet

2) Duos with harp - Harp & Flute, Harp & Violin, or Harp & Cello

3) Violin (or Flute) & Cello

4) Cello & Accordion "Heart Strings Duo"

5) Vocalists & Piano - jazz & popular songs, American Song Book - Broadway Musicals, gospel/spirituals, art songs, folk songs, & opera

7) Classics in the Classroom Series - History in Song (Baritone and Piano) with PPT - for schools, parties, clubs, lectures, fundraisers, hospitals, adult living centers, & conventions. Select from three programs.

A) Goober Peas/Songs of the Civil War

B) Brother Can you Spare a Dime? (Popular Songs of the 20s & 30s

C) O'er the Ramparts We Watched/Songs of WWII

8) Baritone & Guitar - Historical Folk Songs [ The Lonesome Road Boys & 2 Boys Travelin' Nowhere]

Trios

1) String Trios - violin (or flute), viola, & cello, or cello trios for receptions, concerts, school programs

2) Piano trio - piano, violin or flute, & cello

3) When 3 is Not a Crowd - (Bass-baritone, Cello, & Piano) for recitals, house concerts, workshops, fundraising programs, master classes, hospitals, adult living centers, & vocal health symposiums

Quartets

Substitutes: In the event of a medical emergency or availability issue, a violinist or flutist may be interchanged and performs the same music. Should a last minute, unforeseen change occur out of our control, we will strive to ensure your musical plans are realized.

1) String Quartet - Two violins, viola & cello

2) Flute Quartet - flute, violin, viola, & cello

3) String or Flute trio with organ or piano

4) Cello quartets (concerts and in school programs)

5) "Willie Was Different" Norman Rockwell Story - Piano, flute, clarinet, narrator with PPT ( + PPT operator)

6) "Babar the Elephant " - narrator, oboe, cello, piano with PPT

7) Vintage Disney -melodies from early Disney films (with PPT) and newer selections from “Frozen” & “Coco” for string quartet and narration ( + PPT operator)

Quintets for churches, convocation, or in school programs (Request a list of In School youth programs)

1) Piano & 4 strings, 5 strings, or brass quintet

2)"Peter and the Wolf "(< video) - narrator, costumed woodwind quintet, & PPT

3) "Read it Again Mommy" - string quartet, narrator, & PPT [ featuring stories of “Little Red Riding Hood” & “Ferdinand the Bull” (< UPTV6 Video)]

Jazz, Dixieland, or Folk Music Groups

1) Jazz Pianists, Duo, Trios, or Quartets (CD & YouTube videos available)

2) The New Orleans Jazz Machine

3) Irish Folk ensembles

4) The Prairie Dogs Bluegrass Ensemble

Arrangers, copyists, & music researchers - When you need a special song arranged that is not published for the ensemble you engage, we have arrangers on call to help.