Pam & Guitar

Service Model: Pam is an experienced musician, a prepared professional, respectful of the event,
and thoughtful about the guest experience--a hospitality guitarist creating atmosphere that complements the conversation--refined instrumental background music for business socials and executive dinners in a variety of venue types up to 200 adult guests.

Hospitality Mindset: Pam understands the business of hospitality from the inside. This understanding is based upon a total of over twenty years of musical performance experience in upscale restaurants and ballroom settings and direct full-time, full-service banquet operations experience including work in several other departments of three upscale hotels. Given this extensive experience, Pam recognizes the rhythm of the planning and coordination as well as the flow and general dynamics of multi-phase events from cocktail-hour socializing and networking, to plated dinner service, to post dinner programming.

Pre-Performance: Pam will arrive early considering any travel time between the load in area, parking and the event room. Once she is loaded in, she will need up to an hour for set up, sound check and any audio system tweaking. She brings her own speaker system designed specifically for hospitality guitar. In rooms that are full of fabric from carpet to papered walls and lowered ceilings, Pam can apply a little acoustic sparkle to make up for the absorbent surfaces in the room. This does not mean the music becomes louder. Only that the musical tone will be defined enough to carry the sound waves between the guests without drawing attention to the source of the music.

Attire: Pam will be wearing slacks, blouse or tunic and vest or her iconic black turtle neck with a multi-colored splash somewhere. Her shoes will likely be black ankle boots suitable for loading in, setting up the equipment, performing, tearing down, and loading out.

Performance Time: The performance will be a predetermined amount of uninterrupted time from 90 to 120 minutes, unless another configuration is agreed upon in advance. Pam will perform guitar-only--no vocals, no microphone or dialogue and at a volume that allows attendees/customers/guests to easily converse and mingle over the music.

Instrumental Style: Pam's current guitar styling is more rubato than rhythmic in nature, lending to conversation, mingling and not dancing. These performances are designed to create ambiance/atmosphere for socializing rather than to invite attention and applause or to "entertain."

Example Event: Imagine a banquet room with 150 guests present for a client appreciation event. The event begins with 30 minutes of cocktails and mingling off to one side of the rounds while Pam is providing a relaxing instrumental backdrop. As the guests are seated, the host steps to the podium to make a brief announcement during which Pam's volume is turned completely down. After the announcement, salad is served while Pam resumes her ambient arrangements. Pam performs during the entire dinner service while the guests continue their conversations. When the host returns to the podium to begin the awards phase of the event, Pam begins quietly disassembling her audio system while the guests attend to the presentation.

Multi-Phase Logistics: Because Pam's audio system takes up to an hour to assemble, she won't be able to move the equipment from a reception area after a 30-minute performance into a separate meeting room to then perform for dinner service. If you wish to hire Pam for two or more phases of an event the ideal is that each phase occurs in the same area or room. So, if the guest number is higher--over 100, the room would accommodate all the dining rounds as well as enough space for pre-dinner cocktails and mingling as well as the 8 foot x 6 foot minimum area Pam needs, including a yard (3') wide perimeter area that protects the guests' ears from the proximity of the speakers and also avoids any elbow bumps or other contact with the equipment.

Performance Focus: During the performance, Pam's attention is directed toward the sheet music, the guitar, and the sound system to ensure a smooth, controlled volume atmosphere. She's happy to say hello or answer quick questions between songs.

Information Table: In certain settings, Pam may request permission to set up a small guest table where attendees can read a brief bio, write Pam a note, leave their contact information to discuss a booking or leave Pam a tip.

Pam is a self-taught guitarist, songwriter, producer, born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Pam sang lead/backup and played rhythm guitar in established regional cover bands, Kickinbird and Pink Kadillac (TM).

While a fifth, full-length, original "New Blues" album is being completed, Pam returns to music performance as a "Hospitality Guitarist" with a repertoire of timeless titles from the classic rock era and several of her own compositions.

Hospitality settings are where Pam feels most comfortable. She specializes in creating a subtle instrumental backdrop that supports the purpose of each event--guest interaction. The focus remains on the conversations while the arrangements stay out of the way.

In 2026, Pam is also preparing her original music catalog to begin pitching for licensing opportunities--mainly background music for retail and hospitality environments.

Music/Audio/Sound Equipment: Pam will bring all musical equipment and audio/sound equipment needed for her performance. This will include a music stand, two guitars, a small amp and up to four small speakers. In some situations, Pam may ask to set up a small TV tray type table for guest information--a bio card, note pad and pen, and a small basket for any guests who want to leave Pam a note or tip. Pam may offer an upgrade tier of mood lighting--a 5 foot tower with a few battery operated candle-like, dome shaped lights, or a string of single colored lights. None of the lights will flash or twinkle or move, drawing attention to Pam. The lighting would only be applied as tasteful additional ambience.

Normally, Pam will bring her own seat, however in some situations she may require that an armless folding chair or banquet chair be provided.

A riser or stage is not necessary.

Performance Area: A level performance area a minimum of 8 feet wide by 6 feet deep is recommended for Pam's standard setup to accommodate the equipment and allow safe movement during setup and performance. Exact space requirements may vary slightly depending on the venue and room acoustics. Other physical requirements are at least 20 feet away from any window or public entrance/exit, 10 feet away from any service area/door, staircase/stairwell area/door, or restroom entrance/exit, and one or two working electrical outlets within 6 feet of the performance area. Pam will need to keep her hand cart and one or two gear totes within reach as she performs. She will bring a black cover/tarp for those items so as not to clutter the visual aesthetics of the room/space.

Property Diagram: Prior to providing a quote, Pam requests a diagram of the event space with indications of where to park and where the performance will take place, including the name of the room and the floor number.

Parking/Load-In: Pam requests that the client cover any parking fees. Depending upon how far the parking is from the building and event room, please account for up to 2 hours load-in, set up, tune-up and sound check, 2 hours of performance, and 1 hour tear down and load out--approximately 5 hours parking time. Whenever possible, convenient access to the performance area via the Vendor Entrance is appreciated to facilitate the safe transport of equipment. If the venue has specific parking or load-in procedures, please provide those details prior to the event.

Location: Pam is currently available in Nebraska only, with a center point from Southwest Omaha and a half-circle radius approximately 45 miles out, ending along the eastern border. As an example of distance, Pam is currently most available for performances in the following towns: Fremont, Ashland, Gretna, Waverly, and Lincoln, including venues near those towns and toward Omaha.

Mileage Fee: Distances beyond the above described radius, between 45 and 60 miles will require an additional mileage fee. Currently, Pam is available for distances up to 60 miles outside the Omaha Metro area.

Alternate Plan: Please have a back-up plan in place or alternate performer on reserve in the event of inclement weather, emergency or illness causing a cancellation.

Photography: If official event photography is planned, Pam is happy to discuss this with the client in advance.

Professional Privacy: Close-up photography or extended video recording (including real-time social posting) directed at the performance can be distracting and may affect Pam's concentration. To help maintain the flow of the event, Pam asks that venue employees, attendees and guests refrain from photographing or filming her directly. Pam prefers to control her own professional image and public presence.

Booking Policy: Pam's performances are provided as professional services and are booked at standard rates. While she appreciates the important work of nonprofit organizations and community groups, she is not currently able to provide complimentary performances for fundraisers or charitable events.