OUR TEAM

Bands, if you're interested in playing for us, please email  swingottawa [at] gmail.com with the Subject: Attention Band Booker. (Note; we usually book one band per month and book several months in advance.)
At the beginning of the evening, when new dancers have just completed their first dance lesson, tempos should be between 120-160 bpm with a very clear beat to encourage them to try their new skills.
OSDS prefers a traditional selection (Basie, Ellington, Armstrong, Calloway, Fitzgerald, Holiday, etc.) and traditional swing rhythms, with not too many fast or slow songs in a row.
Successfully playing for dancers means keeping the songs short, roughly 3 minutes, (and shorter if a very fast tempo). If you want to try out less traditional swing selections, towards the end of the evening is better.
―  Information to include (if you have them):  website address, Facebook page/group address, Bandcamp, YouTube Channel.

❉Note: We request that you advertise your gig with reciprocal links to the event on your Facebook page & website. 

Band leaders: 
―  Before your gig, you're welcome to attend some dances, take the lesson and learn to dance. Be a new dancer and learn their musical needs. Dance and practice your moves. Listen to the DJs selections. Watch the dancefloor for the room's responses. 
―  Pick our dancer/music, brains if you'd like. Contact us at: swingottawa [at] gmail.com with the Subject: "Attention Band Booker - Visit" as a message before to sit and talk with a DJ about what they play, when, why etc. Do as much research with us as you'd like to be able to have better gigs for us and out there in the wild.