The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
Reply to Thread Bookmark Thread
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Posts 26 to 42 of 42
  1. #26

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by woyvel
    ... But the Beatles catalog as the future of senior entertainment isn't too far off. ...
    the future is here. my seniors love to dance to "twist and shout"!

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #27

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Karol
    We did a couple more Senior Living performances this past weekend. It's such a pleasure to bring a little joy into these folks' lives! Saturday was a pretty alert crowd. Sunday was more of an almost-a-nursing-home group. It took a little while, but I started to see some toe-tapping in the back of the room. But this was really cool: there was a lady in the front row with a beautiful voice who sang great counterlines to every tune we played - it was a gas!
    Quote Originally Posted by derek
    Tom I want to again applaud what you are doing for this mostly forgotten population. I can't think of a group who is more deserving of the joy that music can bring.
    Nice one Tom and Derek. It's a fact that memories in folk disabled by altzeimers and dimentia (disease and old age respectively) are triggered by music and melody. My wife is an occupational therapist and uses music as reminicent therapy for our old folk here in SW Scotland.
    Whether it's for free or paid you guys are providing something more than entertainment, keep it up.

  4. #28

    User Info Menu

    Two hours of playing for an appreciative audience - they loved our expanded setlist (see below). And we got $100 each (it's owned by a for-profit corporation) and Clam Chowder, Boiled Lobster, and Key Lime Pie with wonderful dinner companions!

    Sleepwalk
    Summertime
    As Tears Go By
    Georgia On My Mind
    Walk Don’t Run
    Autumn Leaves
    Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying
    Girl From Ipanema
    Hello Mary Lou
    Here There And Everywhere
    I Can’t Help It If I’m Still In Love With You
    Wonderland By Night / Stranger On The Shore
    Let It Be
    Misty
    Last Date
    Somewhere Over The Rainbow
    I’ll Follow The Sun
    One Note Samba
    Let It Be Me / Love Hurts
    Every Day
    Days of Wine & Roses
    In My Room / In My Life
    Mercy, Mercy, Mercy / Watermelon Man
    People Get Ready / Lean on Me
    Tears In Heaven
    Jason’s Jump (Original)
    All My Lovin’
    Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
    Sounds Of Silence
    Satin Doll
    Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
    Tenor Madness
    Last edited by Tom Karol; 09-12-2010 at 07:56 PM.

  5. #29

    User Info Menu

    I've been playing at various senior venues for the past year and half with a friend who sings. (Sort of like Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass, except she's no Ella and I'm no Joe.) Some of them are "senior centers", where the people just come to spend time. Some are "senior residences" , which are also known here in the NY area as "assisted living" places. A few are full blown nursing homes. Some of the gigs are modestly paid, and some are volunteer. The one constant from place to place and regardless of payment is the enthusiasm of the audiences. I love it.

  6. #30

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by DiznBird
    I've been playing at various senior venues for the past year and half with a friend who sings. (Sort of like Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass, except she's no Ella and I'm no Joe.) Some of them are "senior centers", where the people just come to spend time. Some are "senior residences" , which are also known here in the NY area as "assisted living" places. A few are full blown nursing homes. Some of the gigs are modestly paid, and some are volunteer. The one constant from place to place and regardless of payment is the enthusiasm of the audiences. I love it.
    Nothing like playing for a thankful audience. Welcome to the group.

  7. #31

    User Info Menu

    Did another one today. As always, it was very gratifying. My wife enjoys coming to these gigs - she's terrific at interacting with seniors. She told me she overheard another great comment: "These are not local amateurs; these are high class musicians!" Well, I don't know about that, but it's nice to hear!

  8. #32

    User Info Menu

    We've got a few of these gigs coming up for the holiday season, so we're modifying our setlist temporarily to include some or all of these:
    Have Yourself A Merry Little Xmas
    I'll Be Home For Christmas
    Jingle Bell Rock
    Let It Snow
    Moonlight In Vermont
    No Place Like Home For The Holidays
    Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
    Silver Bells
    The Christmas Song
    White Christmas

  9. #33

    User Info Menu

    Oh wow. This thread is right up my alley. This is all I do. I volunteer to play at one place twice a week. I've been playing there for 4 years now. Talk about an appreciativve audience. If someone doesn't like what I'm playing, I tell them to cut my salary in half. I also tell them if they don't like what I'm playing to turn down their hearing aids and I'll tell them to turn them back up after I'm done.

  10. #34

    User Info Menu

    About to leave for the 1st 'holiday' gig. Settled on:
    Jingle Bell Rock
    Let It Snow
    Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
    Silver Bells
    The Christmas Song
    White Christmas
    We picked these, because they should be the easiest to do with zero rehearsal!
    Attached Images Attached Images Gigs at Senior Living Facilities!-holiday10-jpg 

  11. #35

    User Info Menu

    Reading this thread I got the idea to play with a friend in a Senior Living Facility. We're playing in a guitar-duo since two years and were searching for our frist gig as a duo. So we asked for a gig (for free) and got one. I live in Germany. And we were very nervous and were wondering if the old people like jazz.

    But it was very, very nice. We started with an easy tune - Centerpiece. And at the end we heard a woman say "That was very nice". We played ten tunes - almost an hour, got coffee and cake - and a bottle of wine as our first fee (is it the right word?).

    Our setlist:

    Centerpiece
    Blue Bossa
    Autumn Leaves
    Summertime
    Fly Me To the Moon
    Groove Yard
    The Girl From Ipanema
    Little Waltz
    Black Orpheus
    Beautiful Love

  12. #36

    User Info Menu

    So we played, "Jingle Bell Rock," and this one lady was tapping her foot. And when we finished it, my wife overheard her say to no one in particular, "That was was just darling!" I love playing for these folks!

  13. #37

    User Info Menu

    Did another one today. They're always fun and very gratifying. It's really nice to be able to brighten up those folks' lives for an hour!

    But we're getting bored with our set list (we only play for an hour):
    Sleepwalk
    Autumn Leaves
    Georgia On My Mind
    Walk Don’t Run
    Girl From Ipanema
    Misty
    Satin Doll
    I Can’t Help It If I’m Still In Love With You
    Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
    Somewhere Over The Rainbow
    Last Date
    One Note Samba
    Days of Wine & Roses
    Summertime
    Tenor Madness

    So we've decided to replace or rotate many of them with some or all of these:
    All Blues
    All The Things You Are
    Black Orpheus
    Blue Bossa
    Fly Me To The Moon
    Lil' Darlin
    My Funny Valentine
    Polka Dots And Moonbeams
    There Will Never Be Another You
    Tuxedo Junction

  14. #38
    The last time I played at a "rest home" for elderly folks, I was surprised when a man in a wheel chair yelled out, "stop playing this old crap, play some rock and roll." At first I was taken aback, but then realized that if it was 2010 at the time and the man was 80 years old, that means he was 26 when Elvis came out with Hound Dog in 1956 !

  15. #39

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    I guess some folks find it strange i share musical taste with people my grandparents age, but hey, good music is good music!
    It makes me wonder if, twenty years from now, retirement community sets will open with, say, "I Fought The Law (And The Law Won)."

    The people who heard my favorite songs when they were new are either dead or creaky. They do love that music and will pay to hear it; thank God!

  16. #40

    User Info Menu

    Like some of you posting here, I, a guitarist, and a singer are putting together a set or two to go do a Senior tour.
    My original thought is that I can get a little experience playing in front of people who are glad we are there. I was fortunate enough to find a young woman who sings very well who is willing to join me. I am very please to hear so many of you that enjoy this experience.

    I really appreciate some of the set lists below. Great ideas for songs.

    What kinds of topics do you use to talk to the crowd a bit?
    I need some appropriate jokes or something.

    I am particularly excited about the Christmas season.

  17. #41

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Thumper
    Like some of you posting here, I, a guitarist, and a singer are putting together a set or two to go do a Senior tour.
    My original thought is that I can get a little experience playing in front of people who are glad we are there. I was fortunate enough to find a young woman who sings very well who is willing to join me. I am very please to hear so many of you that enjoy this experience.

    I really appreciate some of the set lists below. Great ideas for songs.

    What kinds of topics do you use to talk to the crowd a bit?
    I need some appropriate jokes or something.

    I am particularly excited about the Christmas season.
    I'd look into acquiring some of Bob Hope's material, or Milton Berle.

    Just be yourself and engage them; they will appreciate it, even if you're not up there cracking one liners. I have a relative who is in an assisted living and just today when I was visiting a band was setting up that comes once every couple of weeks. You can't even believe how happy the folks were just to see them and this was when they were setting up. Generally they're just nice and friendly, not too jokey, they take requests, and just sort of talk to the residents about whatever interests them when a resident brings something up. It always goes over great.

    Best of luck!
    Last edited by paynow; 08-21-2011 at 07:09 PM. Reason: typos

  18. #42

    User Info Menu

    The Senior market is one of the growing markets in the USA for good music. As it turns out, the era of the late 40s-50s-early 60s is now the one they want to hear, including Bobby Darin, Sinatra, Elvis, Orbison, Belafonte, etc. Here's a tip: please the staff as well as the residents; the staff hires you back. A little up-tempo jump blues like Jump Jive & Wail, an Elvis hit, a spritely Latin groove will go a long way. Jazz is fine, but you're better off not calling it that. As far as patter goes, introducing an old tune with "You're all too young to remember this" goes over very well, especially if you are significantly younger than they are. Don't talk down to them, many of them have been around the world, seen the great stars, and are familiar with jazz, flamenco, classical, etc. I have replaced my teaching practice with senior and school gigs, it's much more rewarding to play than to teach, and the money can be quite good if you have a good act and good marketing materials.