January 30, 2017

Meet Veronica Puleo of The Replicas Music in Studio City

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Puleo.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m proud to say that my partner Michael and I have curated some of the very best talents in Los Angeles. We have created a family / a collective of like-minded great musicians with the utmost discipline. We work with seasoned professionals who have toured the world with some of the biggest names in music. Our musicians live eat breathe sleep music. If we aren’t on stage, we are in the studio recording/rehearsing, or we educating the next generation of musical monsters.

Music is our PASSION and our PURPOSE!

The Replicas Music is a Live Music Entertainment agency providing music for all occasions: Corporate, Weddings, Mitzvahs, Private Parties, etc. We built The Replicas Music Agency in 2011 with just one Variety Band and as the need for more specialized ensembles increased, we began representing our family of talented musicians who have studied and graduated from institutions such as William Paterson University, Berklee College of Music, The University of North Texas, Musicians Institute, and the Los Angeles College of Music., to name a few. We have a deep roster of amazing instrumentalists and singers to choose from that keeps growing. We couldn’t be more honored to be in the company of such professionals who work at their craft daily and spend time in all facets of music: Studio, Live, Tours, and Music Education.

Our ensembles can perform a wide variety of musical genres from Frank Sinatra to the Foo Fighters. Whether it’s Pop, Rock, Country, Alternative, R&B, Reggae, Funk, Jazz, Motown, Classic Rock, Ballads, Disco, Top 40, Hair Metal, and retro or classical versions of modern tunes . . . The Replicas Music have got it covered! Our performers know how to get any party started and keep it going all night long or keep just the right atmosphere with tasteful background music. The variety bands can expand and contract based on the client’s musical needs. From a 3 piece to a 12+ piece dance band, we will deliver the sound your client is dreaming of with a professional, fun, high energy vibe and serious musicianship!. We also offer Strings, Sitar, Harp, New Orleans Marching Band, Funky Organ Trio, Jazz Trios, Guitar Solo and Duo, Solo Pianist, Electric Violins, Singer-Songwriter Duo, Flute with Electronic Beats … and more.

We customize each client’s song list with the help of a simple questionnaire, we can also work off the cuff and play to the crowd. If a song is not on the list, we will learn it just for them! We mainly service Southern California and the Greater Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Orange, and San Diego Counties . . . AND any of the Wine Country or Destination locations. Yes, we will travel.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Smooth Road? Ha! Not always. We’re in the music business, after all. When starting a new business, there’s always a learning curve. In the last 6 years, we have welcomed each challenge that came our way and took each experience in stride and looked at those moments as opportunities to learn, get even stronger, and develop an even thicker skin.

The events industry is full of very creative individuals, and not everyone on the design end of things knows how to work with live music entertainment, especially those who are new to the game. There are so many logistics to consider when working with live bands: Staging (size matters), Power Distribution, Lighting, Load In – to name a few. The challenges seemed to always be pretty consistent through the years. Even though there’s a pre-production meeting, and we state exactly what is needed in order to do the job efficiently and smoothly, the band and agent would show up the day of the event and there would be no stage or no lighting … or both! Or sometimes not enough power. The usual excuse is ‘we didn’t have room for the stage’. That’s a funny one. A 6-7 piece band will need a minimum area of 12’x16′. If you can’t fit that size of a stage, then you can’t fit the band, now can you? A stage actually confines the group to a specific area. That riser/stage also acts as a barrier so people don’t trip on the gear. A stage is so important for musicians to communicate with their audience. I ask: When have you ever gone to a concert to see the band playing on the floor with no lighting?

Overall, we do work with the very best in the events industry, so these moments are few and far between now. So we’re pretty much over that hump … until the next time.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Michael Holowatch, my partner, amazing drummer, and Music Director of The Replicas Music. I seriously could not do this without him. He’s my rock and the whole other half of the puzzle. He gets all the music/musicians prepared for each gig for each client.

I give major credit to all of the incredibly talented musicians we have the joy of working with. They work so hard and always give 100%. They are family.

We also have to thank our friends and fellow event professionals who have supported us from the very start:

Stephen O’Bryan – SmackSmog Marketing
Melissa Allen – RocketStyle Creative
Jeannie Ward – 3 Wishes PR
Percy Sales Events
Andrea – Superfine Bakery
Thea Hargrove – California Wedding Day Magazine
JP Reynolds – Wedding Officiant
Valerie Lehman – Hilton Pasadena
Jamie Lagoyda – Intercontinental Century City

These glorious people have been in the events industry a long time and shared their wisdom through their expertise and offered perfect advice whenever it was needed. Every moment spent with them helped us grow that much faster.

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