Ken Rothacker, Classical Guitarist
(map) Phone: 847-826-9000
Reviews for Ken Rothacker, Classical Guitarist
GUEST
My now husband (!!!) and I had Ken play at our ceremony over this past weekend. Were were very pleased with his performance, as well as his "customer service." He was super easy to work with and very professional. Also, he accompanied one of my best friends singing during the ceremony, and that really stole the show...we heard about them both all night! Thanks again Ken!
GUEST
Ken was the perfect musical complement to our ceremony. He was extremely easy to work with and was very flexible. He was able to work with whatever we asked of him. He showed up over an hour early for the ceremony to make sure everything was set up properly. He provided us with a microphone (which I would recommend using if the ceremony is outdoors). Not to mention, Ken is a very talented musician. His guitar was beautiful and the selections sounded phenomenal! Everyone enjoyed his music and we would recommend Ken to anyone and everyone!
GUEST
Ken was amazing at our ceremony. His Youtube videos, while good, do not accurately describe his music in person where it is simply fantastic. He arrived just on time, prepared and made our wedding truly special. I wholeheartedly recommend him for wedding ceremonies.
Thank you very much Ken!
GUEST
We hired Ken Rothacker to play guitar at our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. We were happy with him from the start. He was really responsive via email and phone calls. He had no problem with several special requests that we asked him to play for the ceremony.He was the easiest person to work with regarding planning my wedding day.
On the day of, Ken was amazing!! We were so happy with all his musical selections! He really went above and beyond what we were hoping for. We received so many compliments on his music! We would love to have him play for us again if we ever had an opportunity.
We would highly recommend Ken for any wedding or event that you might need.
GUEST
Ken was so great to work with for our wedding. We were on an aggressive timeline, and I could not have asked for a more flexible and easy-going vendor. At one point in an email to me Ken wrote something like: My goal is to be your "lowest maintenance, easiest to work with" wedding vendor. I imagine he could hear my sigh of relief when I read his email. Our ceremony music was picked from Ken's existing list, but he was always open to discussing special requests or new songs. We did all of our planning over email and phone, and Ken was always responsive. To top of the wonderful planning experience, we heard nothing but rave reviews from our guests about the music, and it was perfect from our perspective as well. I would not change a thing about our experience with Ken. THANK YOU, Ken, for helping make our wedding day so special!
GUEST
Ken was professional and very easy to work with. He learned 2 new songs for our wedding. All our guests commented on how much they liked his music.
GUEST
Ken is a very talented guitarist. He was professional and receptive to our needs. He helped us create the wedding ceremony of our dreams. He has a large collection of songs to choose from and was willing to learn new songs for our ceremony. He was punctual and well prepared. Eveyone is still raving about his performance. We were very happy! :)
Carolyn and Greg
GUEST
We knew that we wanted a guitarist for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. And we knew that we wanted someone who could play a wide range of music. And, of course, we wanted someone affordable. Ken provided all that. His music capability and the varied selection of what he could play was fantastic. During the planning, he was very responsive to emails. He was also very professional and experienced, and he would fit in in any setting. Our wedding venue was more formal and he presented himself well. The music was beautiful. We would recommend Ken to anyone!
GUEST
Ken was an absolute joy to work with. He was responsive, reliable, and flexible. He met with both of us beforehand to get a feel for what we had in mind, and had some great suggestions of his own. He helped shape the ceremony and cocktail hour into just the atmosphere we wanted. He is also willing to learn just about any song on short notice, and will do an amazing job even if he has never heard it before. He also provided a wireless microphone that hooked into his amplifier for our outdoor ceremony so that our officiant and readers could be easily heard. I would highly recommend hiring Ken for your event!
GUEST
Ken is a fantastic classical guitarist who will play just about anything you ask for. One of the things that is so great is his collection of own compositions and the fact that he is willing to learn any song for an event. He took time with us to help figure out the perfect songs for our ceremony and came equipt with everything he needed to sound great. I would recommend him in a heartbeat. He also had a violinist, April, play with him at the ceremony and together they sounded great! Thank you to both of you for such a memorable day!
GUEST
Ken was outstanding to work with! I knew what I had in mind for my ceremony music, but I didn't have a set list of songs. Ken worked with me to determine what would work with my style and the venue. He also was very flexible when working with our solosit because due to location they were not able to meet before the ceremony and they flowed perfectly together. He promised to be one of my easist vendors and he definitely was. Thank you, Ken!
GUEST
Ken was fantastic! He was so great to work and very professional with through the whole process. He helped make suggestions and he accomodated our requests. He preformed for our ceremony music and played during our cocktail hour. It sounded great. Our guests loved him, and we couldn't have been happier with his music. He is extremely talented and we would highly recommend him.
GUEST
We feel so grateful to have had Ken Rothacker perform classical guitar at our wedding ceremony. From start to finish, Ken was reliable, helpful and a pleasure to work with. Our goal was to create an intimate, relaxed and romantic atmosphere for our guests. Ken exceeded our every expectation and set the tone for the ceremony... our guests loved it and we could not have been more pleased with his performance! We strongly recommend booking with Ken Rothacker; he is a brilliant and talented musician!
GUEST
This guitarist was excellent! My family has high standards in music as my husband, father, and brother are all musicians- but Ken is awesome! He learned several songs by my request, and made our ceremony so special. He would often call before the wedding just so that he could check of I needed anything. After learning one of my "by request" pieces, he emailed me a clip so that I could hear it. It brought me to tears it was so beautiful. The best part was that he was affordable!! Great gutarist- great price.
Ken is a wonderful musician with a broad base of music styles. We recently performed a wedding together, I found him cordial, helpful, and giving. His renditions of Beatles songs as skillful and memorable.
About Ken Rothacker, Classical Guitarist
I have played for hundreds of weddings, church services, occasions, and corporate events.
To get a quick idea of some of the music that I play, go to my website, www.kenrothacker.com,
and listen to the audio entitled "Message from Ken".
Would you like to see some examples of me playing?
www.youtube.com/kenrothacker
My clients appreciate the fact that, while I can deliver unique arrangements of familiar classics, I also have the experience and ability to learn and arrange their special favorites upon request.
I have created original solo acoustic guitar versions of tunes like "Beautiful Day" (U2), "1234" (Plain White T's), "Change the World" (Eric Clapton), and many more.
Also, I have a repertoire of original compositions that have added that special something to many couples’ weddings.
I hope that I can work with you to understand your goals in music for your wedding, and to develop a customized solution that you will remember for a lifetime.
In addition to performing on solo acoustic guitar, I also play as a duo, with either violin, flute, or cello, or in a trio format as well.
FAQ for Ken Rothacker, Classical Guitarist
or simple jacket and tie if your wedding is less formal, or, basically, whatever attire you believe is most appropriate for your wedding day.
By Ken Rothacker
Congratulations! While these are wonderful and exciting times, you are also discovering that planning a wedding consists of many details. Having played for many weddings, I have heard many of the same questions concerning wedding music asked by many brides and grooms. Here are some of those questions, along with my answers. Hopefully, this information will help you in planning your wedding ceremony.
1. What about music before the service?
Pre-service, officially referred to as “prelude” music, often starts about 15-20 minutes before the service starts. The beginning of prelude music is a signal to the people attending that the big event is soon to begin.
2. What pieces are played at this time?
As with everything in your wedding, it can be up to you. Familiar pieces from the classical tradition are popular here. Pieces by J.S. Bach that are often played for prelude music include “Sleepers Awake”, “Air on the ‘G’ String”, and “Arioso”. The “Andante” by Mozart is also popular here. Beautiful contemporary pieces for this part of the ceremony could include things like “All I Ask of You”, or “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera. The concepts for the musical selections here are to be joyful, and expectant. Many couples like to have hymns, or other songs of faith, played during this part of their service. Rather than listing specific titles, many couples just choose to list “Prelude” in their wedding program. This gives the musician opportunity to add (or delete) specific pieces as time dictates.
3. What other places at the beginning of the service feature music?
Some couples want a specific piece, or even a vocal solo, when the parents or grandparents are being seated. In larger or more formal weddings, the usual tip that things are starting is when the officiant, groom, and groomsmen enter.
What about when the attendants proceed down the aisle?
Many brides choose “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by J.S.Bach, or the “Canon in D” by Pachelbel. A good feature of these pieces is that they are adjustable in length, and provide you with flexibility.
Can you play “Here Comes the Bride” for me?
Absolutely! It is formally known as the “Bridal Chorus” from the opera “Lohengrin” by Wagner, and it sounds just fine on guitar, thank you. Many brides have requested the “Trumpet Voluntary” by Purcell, which I can also play.
What about songs during the ceremony? Will you accompany a singer?
Certainly. If at all possible, please get me sheet music, lyrics, or whatever you can before hand. Through the wonder of LEGAL internet song downloading, things like mailing cassettes or CD’s is a thing of the past. In my experience, one, or at most two, vocal pieces in a ceremony work best. Vocal pieces are more difficult to tailor to a specific amount of time.
What about rehearsals?
I generally do not attend the wedding rehearsal. That time is for you, your friends, and family. If you are having a singer, as long as I have time to rehearse with your singer prior to the wedding, we will be fine.
Are there other parts of the ceremony where you play?
I play wherever you want me to in your ceremony. Often a short instrumental piece works well during a unity candle ceremony, during a presentation of roses to the parents, or other similar part of your ceremony. I do not want you or your guests staring at me impatiently while I finish playing a long composition. I tailor these pieces to fill the available time. The bride and groom are the focus of the ceremony, not the guitar player!
What about the end of the ceremony?
This is called the “Recessional”, and it is the time for a BIG, joyful tune. How about the “Wedding March” by Mendelssohn? It’s not just for organists anymore! The “Trumpet Tune” also works well here. Some couples have asked for my composition “Psalm 33:3” or the “Allegro” from “Water Music” by Handel. “Spring” from “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi is also a popular choice. One couple recently asked me to play the theme song from “Bonanza”! I was happy to do so. The key word here is CHOICE. This is your wedding. I am here to help make your ceremony as wonderful as it can be.
What do you need to set up?
I am easy. I usually play seated, so I need a straight backed chair, without arms. If your wedding is in a traditional church, a pew or seat in the choir area, or even the piano bench, works well. I often plug my guitar into a small amplifier, which I bring. All I will need is an electrical outlet nearby. If your wedding is at a larger church, or if a sound technician is provided, I am happy to work in advance with the sound man.
Do you play during cocktail hour, or dinner?
Most certainly! In addition to many traditional classical pieces, my repertoire includes plenty of jazz tunes, Broadway, movie, and 60’s and later pop tunes.
Think of me as being similar to what a “cocktail pianist” would play.
Do you take requests?
I am happy to take requests. If you have a certain favorite song, piece, or genre, let’s discuss in advance. One couple recently asked to include songs from Disney movies during the dinner hour.
I have played for many weddings over the past 20 plus years, so I have a substantial amount of experience. If anybody asks, I can play “Free Bird” or “Stairway to Heaven”; but only with the bride’s consent, and then only the short versions!
Do you only perform as a solo artist?
No! I often play as a duet with either a violin or flute. While adding another musician increases the expense, the musical result can be very well worth the additional investment.
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