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Originally Posted by woyvel
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09-07-2010 10:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Tom KarolOriginally Posted by derek
Whether it's for free or paid you guys are providing something more than entertainment, keep it up.
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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 MadnessLast edited by Tom Karol; 09-12-2010 at 07:56 PM.
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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.
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Originally Posted by DiznBird
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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!
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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
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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.
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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!
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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
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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!
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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
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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 !
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Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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!
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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.
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Originally Posted by Thumper
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
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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.
Sonny S. -- Les Paul Player
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