Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Gruchacz.
Hi Allison, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Winter Formal began back in 2004 as The Story Line with a friend from high school. We played a few coffee shops and house parties, but neither of us put a ton of effort into playing out. We continued to play together off and on for about 13 years, again life got in the way and we grew apart. Fast forward to the summer of 2019, I was singing at a children’s summer camp and the guy running sound, Mike, asked me to come to sit in on his band’s practice one night and we clicked! Due to some scheduling conflicts with the other band members, Mike and I started playing acoustically at events and bars in the Tampa Bay area. Thus Winter Formal was born.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The most obvious struggle this year has been COVID. With restaurants and bars closing and events being canceled, gigs dried up pretty quickly. Although, we continued to practice and grow our repertoire. There are also so many amazing musicians out there trying to do the same thing, and learning to deal with rejection from booking agents is always a struggle.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Winter Formal currently specializes in acoustic covers for events. Wedding ceremonies and cocktail hour, as well as small gatherings, are our bread and butter. We offer custom setlists, so you know you’re going to hear the songs you want. That said, we love playing publicly as well! There is just something so exciting about playing for a larger crowd, seeing how they interact with you and your performance. What makes us unique is that I (Allison) am a wedding coordinator, so I’m very familiar with how events should be structured and am well versed in working with other vendors to give each couple the best experience possible.
What does success mean to you?
As a performer, success, to me, is getting to play as often as possible and doing it well. Mike and I both love performing so much, and it has taken such a backseat in both of our lives until recently. Nothing compares to doing what you love as a career.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@winterformalevents.com
- Website: www.winterformalevents.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/winterformalevents
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/winterformalevents
Image Credits
alt Photography
The Dashing Ginger
Joseph Pelham
Ashley Izquierdo
