private Events and bookings
your personal musician for weddings, corporate events, and more
Columbus, Ohio Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Hi, I’m Sylvia Grape, a contemporary singer-songwriter and guitarist with 12+ years of performance experience. I help people make their events stand out with soulful acoustic performances and an extensively curated repertoire list that spans pop, soft rock, jazz standards, country, folk music, and crowd favorites. I love working closely with clients to craft the perfect sound for an unforgettable experience, and pride myself on professionalism, clear communication, and reliability. When you book me, you get a fully equipped sound system, an additional mic for toasts, a customizable playlist between sets, and if we’re off-grid, my system can be fully mobile.
Since 2018 I have performed and helped plan the music for over 50 private events, including wedding ceremonies and receptions, cocktail hours, corporate events, opening nights, holiday parties, engagements, house shows, VIP events, art galleries, memorials, and more. I’d be honored to help make your event truly special.
I am based in Columbus, OH, and occasionally tour in Arizona, California, NYC, and the South. Want to add your city? Sign up here to request a show near you.
Overview
Dublin, OH
Singing guitarist
$150/hr base rate
Travel up to 150 miles
Insured
Event types: corporate, venue, wedding, engagement, memorial, nonprofit, house concert
What to expect
Thank you for considering me for your event or venue. As a musician, I give 100% to my performances, prioritize professionalism, and most importantly, am super excited to work with you! Here’s what to expect after booking:
1. Intial Discussion
We’ll connect via phone or email to review your event details and vision—start/end times, music style, artists or songs from my repertoire list, song requests, dress code, and equipment needs. My sound system can be battery-powered for remote locations, and I can provide an additional mic for speeches. If you have creative ideas, I’ll work to bring them to life. Parking info and directions are always helpful. If you have an event planner, please share their contact so I can coordinate with them directly. A quote will follow.
2. Performance Agreement and Deposit
Once everything looks good, I’ll send a contract outlining performance times, compensation, and expectations. After signing, a 50% deposit secures your date, with the balance due one week before the event. I can consider alternative arrangements on a case-by-case basis.
3. Preparation & Song Requests
I then put in the hours to practice and prepare, learning up to 3 custom songs if requested 30 days in advance. This includes any song commissions or creative ideas. I stay in touch throughout the planning process and can visit the venue beforehand to walk through the itinerary or choose performing locations.
4. Event Day
To ensure a smooth experience, I recommend having an event planner or a reliable point person for coordination. I’ll arrive 2 hours early for soundcheck and setup (1 hour for smaller events). I’ll communicate with you or your planner throughout the day, and between sets, you or I can run a playlist through my speaker. I conduct myself professionally always and stay on-site for the duration of my sets. If everyone’s having a great time, I can consider requests to extend play time.
I put everything into delivering powerful performances that make your event special and memorable, and it’s truly an honor to perform my music for you.
Creative Ideas
If you have a special concept, I love making it happen! Past examples include song commissions, seamlessly integrating playlists into my sets, surprise performances, mobile set-ups on beaches and hiking trails, custom arrangements, holiday performances, and even a memorial service on a boat. With my years of experience, I’ve seen it all and can help you flesh out your idea. The possibilities are endless—just ask!
past projects
L’Auberge Residency
Featured Sunday performer with live painting collaborations with Sedona artist Rachel Tucker.
Sedona, AZ 2025
engagement song commission
Commissioned to turn fiancé’s poem into a song for the engagement party.
Mountain View, CA 2022
testimonials
Ready to start the booking process?
Make your event shine with music that’ll create memories for a lifetime.
FAQs
How does your pricing work?
My starting rate is $150/hr with a 90 minute minimum performing time. I only charge a travel fee for events outside of Columbus city limits. Total cost is calculated into the quote and determined by event details.
What education and/or experience do you have in music?
I started taking lessons in piano at eight years old and played the alto saxophone from eight to eighteen years old. I perfomed in the high school jazz band for five years where I eventually made first chair in alto saxophone and competed statewide.
I started playing acoustic guitar and being a songwriter at sixteen years old, taking lessons for the first month then being self-taught. I went on to study voice and music theory at UC Santa Cruz and trained with several excellent vocal coaches. I have been a performing singer-songwriter from 2013 to today, and have been blessed to tour with renowned artists and play at some of the finest establishments in the Western United States.
Do you have insurance coverage?
I have General Liability Coverage and Tools and Equipment Coverage up to $2,000,000.
What genres do you play, and who are your biggest influences?
My original songs blend pop with soulful folk rock, indie, and rock ballads. I cover a wide variety of music: rock, pop, ’60s, ’70s amd ’90s music, jazz standards, soft rock, select country songs, and folk.
My biggest influeces are Joni Mitchell, India.Arie, Sarah McLachlan, Tracy Chapman, Third Eye Blind, Roxy Music, Bob Dylan, The Cranberries, David Gray, and of course, Fleetwood Mac.
Do you take requests?
I include up to three song requests if I receive the requests thirty days in advance. Clients for all events can choose as many songs or artists from my repertoire list as they’d like.
For song requests during a set, this all depends on the event. For more formal gatherings, such as wedding receptions, corporate events, or memorial services, I generally do not take requests. But if it’s after hours, a dinner party, or a song I’m familiar with in the style I play, I go out of my way to cover the song and make sure everyone’s having a great time.
When I play background music between sets I’m happy to stream any song or playlist as long as the songs have been approved by the host or event planner.