Expert: Jim Tompkins-MacLaine - 6/23/2008

Question
My friends and I recently started a singing group. Three female vocalists are
the main focus. One of the young ladies plays the acoustic guitar and then
there is a male instrumentalist and harmonist, and two other instrumentalists
who play acoustic guitar and fiddle. We sing a variety of folk, celtic, and
gospel songs. Some of us use the term band while others use the term music
group. Which is the most technically correct?

Answer
Technically, a BAND is a group of instrumentalists who play BAND instruments (flute, saxophone, trumpet, etc.) HOWEVER, it is very common to call ANY musical group a band, for example, THE DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, even though no one is playing band instruments. In that your group is basically three women singing, you could call yourself a "trio," like the Kingston Trio. . . BUT. . . calling your group a band is perfectly fine,