Svetlana Tsivinskaya

I would like to warn all vendors and also potential clients who read Layla’s review that it is important to be thorough, professional and importantly -TRUTHFUL and NEVER take advantage when someone goes far and beyond to meet someone’s needs further than what a SIGNED CONTRACT by both sides offers to both parties: a client and vendor. My message to Layla, Dear Layla, At heavy time for everyone, you moved the date of your wedding from May 17th to August 30th 2020 and I agreed to work around my schedule to be available to you. You were grateful for my communication “ You have been so easy to communicate“ and we stayed in touch as I always was. You moved the date of your wedding then to August 21st, 2020. “Svetlana, I wanted to let you know that we are moving the wedding yet again. Thank you for being so easy to work with during this uncertain time. We would still love for you to play at our wedding if you are available. The new date is August 28th, 2021 (next year) and we would appreciate your services from 4-6pm at the League. We will no longer have a ceremony, just a reception. Best, Layla“ I still was communicating that I was willing to make it work for you. Then you wrote to me that you no longer needed me as a violinist. “Hi Svetlana, Unfortunately, (your fiancée) and I have had to cancel our reception for August 2021. We are worried about having many people gathered together and are not very optimistic about having our reception anymore.” That was November 12, 2020 And right away you asked me for the refund of NON REFUNDABLE deposit. Once I pointed out that the deposit is non refundable, you changed the request all together and asked to play at your mother’s event at uncertain day/time at spring 2021 and with a request to apply non refundable deposit towards the event that had nothing to do with the job you hired me for. I explained I could not do that and offered some options in forms of my playings that I would record for you as a gift and a gesture of consolation. That was something I never offer but I felt compassionate for you to miss your chance to have your wedding the way you wanted. You decided to not proceed once we saw that the situation was no longer relatable to your wedding. I would like to remind you that you signed the contract on 2.19.20. and the contract is designed to protect not only a client but the vendor. You have the PDF of that contract in your email I send you back then more than a year ago. Usually if such situations happen that the client reschedules, there is a chance I may not be able to work for a client simply of my schedule and also as I have a right to refuse to do gestures of generosity and kindness which I numerously expressed and facilitated to you. That’s why there is a contact that protects BOTH sides. Layla, you asked for a refund once you informed me that you and your fiancée no longer need a violinist for their twice rescheduled wedding due to Covid 19. That’s upsetting for you and I did everything I could and beyond to meet your ever changing requests as times are very hard for everyone but that’s not the reason to bully a professional like myself and do it publicly and six (!) months after our last communication that was amicable. The contract is in my possession and is signed by both of us. I can not post the contract for those who are interested as that would be a breach of confidentiality. I chose to quote you as you simply made a decision to publicly take advantage over me while being not happy that there are limits in how far one can push another person and it is an absolute dishonor from your side. The number of my communications to you with giving you my promises to be available for is far more than what vendors do. I care for my clients very much but that’s not a place to take an advantage over me and mark my professional name in such sudden manner with a review as such. You owe me a public apology and I may decide to proceed legally as I have records of all communications. My artistic legal representative might be in touch with you soon but you still have time to withdraw your review that is falsehood. Thank you.