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#428965 - 02/15/17 11:30 AM Guess I should stick with playing for seniors
guitpic1 Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 04/16/14
Posts: 1950
Loc: Missouri
Valentine's Day I filled in at a restaurant for an act that had cancelled. Since I play mostly for seniors, I realized my music was dated for this under 45 crowd that showed up.

I even learned(well actually am learning..Don wish I could get some help)) Lay Down Sally....but even this song is 40 years old. The 45 year olds were around 5 when this song came out.

Sometimes I feel like I'm caught in the middle. I'm a baby boomer at 68. But my music is way too old to play for the under 50 crowd and too young to embrace all the music of the 85 - 95 year olds I find at most of the places I play.

Thoughts?
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#428966 - 02/15/17 11:58 AM Re: Guess I should stick with playing for seniors [Re: guitpic1]
Dnj Online   content
Senior Member

Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
get some up to date dance mp3s to play and mix it up in that situation....

Blurred lines
Can't stop The Feeling
Cake by the Ocean
Lets get Loud
Cupid Shuffle
Fireball
Do It

etc, etc, dont get stuck in a wrong crowd situation they will tear you a new one if you get my drift. wink


Edited by Dnj (02/15/17 03:10 PM)

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#428967 - 02/15/17 12:18 PM Re: Guess I should stick with playing for seniors [Re: guitpic1]
tony mads usa Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/16/02
Posts: 14376
Loc: East Greenwich RI USA
Originally Posted By guitpic1
Valentine's Day I filled in at a restaurant for an act that had cancelled. Since I play mostly for seniors, I realized my music was dated for this under 45 crowd that showed up.
I even learned(well actually am learning..Don wish I could get some help)) Lay Down Sally....but even this song is 40 years old. The 45 year olds were around 5 when this song came out.
Sometimes I feel like I'm caught in the middle. I'm a baby boomer at 68. But my music is way too old to play for the under 50 crowd and too young to embrace all the music of the 85 - 95 year olds I find at most of the places I play.
Thoughts?


What type of music did the other group play? Since it was a restaurant, were they expecting dance music? There is a lot of music from Billy Joel, Elton John, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, etc.that can be played, and in a restaurant setting I don't think it has to 'sound like the record' ... this past week I did a version of "Can't Buy Me Love" using a Big Band shuffle style and it went over well ...
Plus, with the recent popularity of 'duets' - Sinatra & others, Tony Bennett & others - and re-releases of standard songs by Michael Buble, rock stars like Rod Stewart recording American Standards, there is a lot more exposure to standards than there has been in a long time ...
HOWEVER, if it IS a 'DANCE' setting, then obviously newer songs are needed ...
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#428972 - 02/15/17 02:38 PM Re: Guess I should stick with playing for seniors [Re: guitpic1]
travlin'easy Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 15556
Loc: Forest Hill, MD USA
It's all a matter of reading the audience - it's that simple. Before I play that first song, I look at the audience, determine their ages, and often go through the crowd and ask if they have any special songs they would like me to play. Then, I return to the keyboard, and select appropriate songs from when that audience was 15 to 45 years of age, which is the era that would work best for most audiences. This technique has never failed me, and I have played for everyone from Spring Breakers to octogenarians. Even if they don't dance.

Now, unlike some folks here, I never used MP3s and DJ'd a job - it's just not my style. When I was still working, I was a singer, musician and entertainer and very successful for lots and lots of years. I played restaurants where no one danced, and restaurants where everyone danced, and never had a problem keeping the audiences entertained.

I sincerely believe in having a diverse repertoire, and being able to cover every genre of music from rock to ballroom and modern country. This is one of the reasons Don Mason has always been one of my music idols - he can cover all the bases and does so very professionally. If someone in the audience asks for a Jimmy Buffett song, it will take him about 6 seconds to kick into Margarettaville, and 6 seconds after that song ends he can be into any Sinatra song or a country oldie. That's what it takes, and he, as some noted in his recent video, can readily mix with the audiences. I tried to emulate many of the things that Don does in Ernest's every weekend, though I wouldn't wear that hat if you paid me to. wink

The best advice I have is for you to update your song list, registrations, MFD, songbook, etc..., practice those songs, and work on reading those audiences.

Good luck,

Gary cool
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#428974 - 02/15/17 03:15 PM Re: Guess I should stick with playing for seniors [Re: guitpic1]
Jerry T Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/23/05
Posts: 1002
Loc: Phila. 'burbs, Pa. USA
Yeah, but it was Valentine day ... surely many 'love songs' cross age barriers. I'm fortunate in that I play Italian restaurants, so I could do old traditional Italian songs and mix the entire rat pack repertoire in - and I love doing Fats Domino - just tell everyone that his surname ends in a vowel so its appropriate. And with the aid of midi files, I can do just about all genre when pressed. Not too much call for country here however. I do have a WWII vet that asks for 'San Antonio Rose' each time he visits ...

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#428976 - 02/15/17 06:41 PM Re: Guess I should stick with playing for seniors [Re: Jerry T]
bruno123 Online   content
Senior Member

Registered: 06/04/02
Posts: 4912
Loc: West Palm Beach, FL 33417
Play the music you love and then find an audience that appreciates it.

John C.

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#428977 - 02/15/17 06:59 PM Re: Guess I should stick with playing for seniors [Re: guitpic1]
guitpic1 Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 04/16/14
Posts: 1950
Loc: Missouri
Good thoughts all. Need some time to figure out what is next. Tx
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#428985 - 02/16/17 04:53 AM Re: Guess I should stick with playing for seniors [Re: guitpic1]
shueymusic Offline
Member

Registered: 04/26/11
Posts: 648
Loc: Lebanon, PA
Know your crowd! We did a gig for an oil company's Christmas party. 50 plus was the age at 5/6 tables. The last table was 30 somethings. It was the table in the back corner and we just got this vibe from their body language. Well, 5 of 6 tables enjoyed our program.

Musician's rule... You can always sell yourself enough to play a gig once. If they ask for you again, they liked you!!

We do the gig we do because it works. If you like it, great. If not, as long as you get paid, you still did a good job. Make the person paying you like it and do what you love!
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"The Shueys"
www.shueymusic.com
Yamaha Genos - RCF M20x - RCF HD10A (Stereo) - Jupiter Pocket Trumpet - Sennheiser e935 - Neumann KMS-104 plus-N

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#429027 - 02/17/17 11:47 AM Re: Guess I should stick with playing for seniors [Re: shueymusic]
guitpic1 Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 04/16/14
Posts: 1950
Loc: Missouri
Follow up.

Yesterday.

Played for a group of about 50 seniors 70 - 95 yrs. I used my PA 4X and JBL Eon One(so impressed with both).

Had a wonderful reception. Was suppposed to play for 60 minutes, group kept me around for another 15 minutes and they didn't want to quit.

Maybe this is where I belong?
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#429044 - 02/18/17 07:34 PM Re: Guess I should stick with playing for seniors [Re: guitpic1]
KORG80 Offline
Member

Registered: 02/27/13
Posts: 654
Yes for sure!

God Bless,
Don
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God Bless,
Don

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