Dancing With the Stars Says Goodbye to Bandleader and Band for Season 18

The 18^th season of Dancing With the Stars starts in March and this time around bandleader Harold Wheeler and his orchestra won’t be on hand. The 28 musicians and singers will be gone and replaced with sound recordings and a small electric band.

According to producers, the move is to try to attract younger viewers. They also feel an 18 piece orchestra can’t duplicate the sound of some the types of music used for the show: more modern sounding music. They say trying to force the band to duplicate ‘that’ sound is forcing them do something they can’t.

The President of the American Federation of Musicians, Ray Hair, has a different take on the situation. He says people who love DWTS also love the sound and performance of the band. He says it is the elaborate musical productions that made DWTS a top 10 show in 17 countries around the world.

usatoday.com