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Weather in Colorado

Outdoor events in the breathtaking Rocky Mountain region are a joy, but they can come with surprises! At Cloud 9, we thrive on performing in beautiful Colorado, where the weather keeps us alert! We've established some important guidelines to protect our valuable stringed instruments and ensure our musicians are comfortable. While we love playing outdoors, our delicate instruments can't withstand extreme temperatures or moisture, so you should have an indoor backup plan ready! To make your event unforgettable and prepare for any surprises, here are our essential guidelines:
 
1. The temperature must be between 60°F and 95°F.
 
2. Performers must be in the shade and shielded from rain or snow.
 
3. Seating must be on a flat, dry surface.
 
4. Have a backup indoor location prepared!
 
Colorado's weather can be quite adventurous!  For example, we had a bride who envisioned an outdoor wedding ceremony at the Vail ski resort in December. Unfortunately, we were not able to play "just this one time" outdoors in the snow and cold. The risk to our company having to replace the antique wooden instruments could have been up to $50K/a piece. The risk is yours, so make sure you have a plan in place! The good news is we've successfully performed at over 2,000 outdoor events in Colorado and Utah, facing very few weather-related issues. Let's work together to create some amazing memories!

Here are the options:
1. Move everything indoors. This is often the best for your guests. You can still go outside for pictures without freezing Grandma to death.

2. Move the musicians indoors while the ceremony is outdoors. This is probably the most popular solution. Usually, every outdoor venue is near a building. We stay inside and just open a window or door for the sound to reach the audience. You can also put a microphone on the quartet with the speakers outside. Remember that having the quartet next to open doors and windows does not guarantee enough protection from rain, snow, and cold. You will need to consult the musicians at the venue.

3. Rain delay. Just wait until the rain stops and we can jump outside while the good fortune lasts. Overtime fees may apply.

4. Go with a brass quintet. Brass instruments can withstand exposure to inclement weather much better than strings.

5. Gigantic tent with space heaters.
This doesn't always get the temperature up enough for us to play, but can work if the outside temperature is about 55 or so. If it's too cold for Grandma, it's too cold for our antique wood instruments.

Space Heaters
Putting a space heater next to the musicians raises the temperature by about 2 degrees. In our experience, a standard gas space heater produces too little heat for the whole quartet.



 

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