Bernie, You are right – you can not play one type of generic music all night. Generic music is what you flavor the evening with honoring the event. The rest of the job will depend on the ages that are present. Are they dancers? As I play what are they responding to?

I once played a 4-hour job where they did not dance until the last half-hour. I tried everything I knew, Latin, Glenn Miller, Disco, 50’s and in the very last 30 minutes some of the young people got up to dance. As they began to dance I understood, I was no longer puzzled. I was playing Run A-round Sue and the young people were dancing a box step. I glanced at the bar and on one was drinking. They were a religious group from Pennsylvania. Amen!

And I was taking the blame for doing a bad job. Believe in yourself and your music and play the best of what you consider is great music.

John C.