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The Academy is a live wedding band based in Santa Barbara, California. This Vegas-style party band was founded by Augustine and Jake DeTar, the owners of DeTar Music Studios. Passionate and dedicated, these professionals strive to provide vibrant entertainment for any occasion. With highly energetic performances and a vast repertoire, they aim to deliver electrifying dance music to keep guests moving all night.

Services Offered

The Academy offers various services, including live music for wedding ceremonies, receptions, cocktail parties, and everything in between. This versatile ensemble can play in different configurations, from a trio to a ten-piece band. Whatever your budget or song preferences, they will adapt their services to fit your style. Each musician is young, talented, and experienced, having performed regularly together over the last few years. Their backgrounds include music production, recording, and performing for all kinds of projects and events. If you are having a destination wedding, this group is willing to travel for your special day. For more information, contact The Academy today with your inquiries.

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FAQ

Which of the following are included in your wedding reception music package?

Ceremony Music
Cocktail Hour Music
Learning New Songs
Lighting
MC
Music During Breaks
Reception Music
Sample Performances
Sound/PA System
Travel Expenses

Which of the following are included in your popular wedding package?

Ceremony Music
Cocktail Hour Music
Learning New Songs
Lighting
MC
Music During Breaks
Reception Music
Sample Performances
Sound/PA System
Travel Expenses

Are you an agency or a band?

Band

How many musicians are in your band(s)?

1 - 3
4 - 6
7+

What genres of music does (do) your band(s) play?

Acoustic
Classic Rock
Dance
Funk
Jazz
Motown
Pop
Rock
Swing

What music services do you provide?

Instrumentals
Ceremony Music
Cocktail Hour Music
Learning New Songs
MC
Reception Music
Music During Breaks
Rehearsal Dinner Music
Sample Performances
Vocals
Liability Insurance
Willing to Travel

What items are available?

Fog Machine
Lighting
Microphones
Sound/PA System

Still have questions?

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Wedding couple

Reviews of The Academy

This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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The Academy is repeatedly praised for their exceptional performances at events like weddings and parties. The band's high energy, talented musicians, impressive variety of songs, and engaging stage presence have left guests of all ages entertained and on their feet all night. Reviewers highlight the band's professionalism, responsiveness, and flexibility in catering to the event's needs, making them a highly recommended choice for those seeking a fun and reliable live band in Santa Barbara.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

The Academy is repeatedly praised for their exceptional performances at events like weddings and parties. The band's high energy, talented musicians, impressive variety of songs, and engaging stage presence have left guests of all ages entertained and on their feet all night. Reviewers highlight the band's professionalism, responsiveness, and flexibility in catering to the event's needs, making them a highly recommended choice for those seeking a fun and reliable live band in Santa Barbara.

Sandy
Sandy Sent on 05/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Best.Band.Ever!

I hired The Academy for my husband's 60th bday party and they had everyone on the dance floor from start to finish! Gus was so responsive, professional, and easy to work with and the band was fantastic. My guests (age range 20's to 70) could not stop raving about how great the band was and how much fun they had. I would recommend them to anyone and would use them again in a heartbeat!
Whitney
Whitney Sent on 10/23/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Absolutely magical wedding band! Cannot say enough great things!

Anyone can tell you this band is incredible. It's unanimous. Whether it's Gus's Keytar Riffs, Whitneys powerful vocals, or the abundant energy overflowing from them into any crowd, motivating even the most introverted distant relative to get up and move - The Academy is bound to please. What also struck me about them is their professionalism and flexibility. They are very user friendly in the sense that they understand what any event needs from start to finish and adapt well to all the moving parts. Whitney MC'd our wedding and knocked it out of the park. They all seamlessly adjusted when cocktail hour ran long (they provided our jazz trio during this time) and the main Academy act started late, taking one less break at this time, so guests could enjoy the 2 hr instead of originally planned 3 hr set as much as possible. On top of all of this, they are all just wonderful people. Friendly, lovely, fun humans that bring good vibes always. Worth every cent.

We got married 3 wks ago now, and I still have people reaching out to tell me how wonderful the band was.
Benjamin
Benjamin Sent on 10/16/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The Academy is a Highly-Professional, Well-Polished Band for Any Event

The Academy played my wedding reception at the Santa Barbara Zoo. This band rocked so hard, the animals could be seen dancing in the distance. Seriously, this band is fantastic. The drummer is flipping his drumsticks in the air without missing a beat, the guitarist is reminiscent of Santana, bass player plays funky beats, and Whitney and Gus DeTar are a power couple - rocking vocals and keytar. They were easy to communicate with leading up to the event and worked with us to develop a setlist. They even let the Groom play guitar for one song! Would highly recommend this band if you want high-energy, fun vibes (though they did play 1-2 slow songs which were beautiful as well).
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Awards

19
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
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