Well, I guess sooner or later I would experience the following - times sure are changing.

So, I am playing New Years gigs yesterday for my usual "senior" population and out of the blue I am getting loud voices asking me for Rock and Roll songs - not just any, but the hard stuff. Then on my second gig of the day - again for my "Senior" population I had three folks wanting to know if I played any Kiss or Eagles songs! Wow, who would have thought?

At least the people did not have nose rings or tats.

Deane

It's over .. We're doomed! Saw it coming years ago... Sorry Deane you went thru that
...... it's going to happen more and more again and again...

I used to get "Rolling Stones" quite often.

Eagles were big starting in 1971. That's getting really close to 50 years ago.
People in their prime at that time are now 70 to 80 something. It's only natural.
I do lots of Eagles songs. No Kiss though.
Credence Clearwater Revival is even a little older. Love everything they did.
If I were in a nursing home today, I would not care to hear music from the 30s or 40s. The good stuff for me starting in mid 50's.

This does bring up an interesting topic. What would you play for these people? For starters, I have never been a fan of that era of music and don't know what songs would fit. Rock and Roll, well I know bit more about it if in the 1950's time frame. Might be interesting to add a few of the "not so heavy" songs to my collection. What I have found though is few of these songs are instrumental type songs and I do not sing.

Deane

Instrumentals include Raunchy, Last Date, Watermelon Man, Tequila, Red River Rock, Walk Don't Run, Lonely Bull and other Herb Alpert songs, Happy Organ, Rebel Rouser, Wipeout, San Antonio Rose, Under the Double Eagle, Yakedy Sax... there are tons of great instrumental from the past 50 years.

I have played some Eagles songs at Senior gigs ...
Yesterday, along with other RnR requests, I had a request for Billy Idol's "Mony Mony" ...

Donny ... I'll bet the musicians of the 30's and 40's said the same thing in the 50's ...
Not to mention our parents !!!
The Circle of Life ... I know it's happening, it just gets tougher when it's staring us in the face ...

... a Summer Place, Pipeline, Walk in the Black Forest, Poor People of Paris, Stranger On The Shore, Swingin Safari, Pink Panther theme, Dragnet Theme... Green Onions, Classical Gas, Tiny Dancer, Music Box Dancer...
I have a folder of instrumental midi files from all the popular tv shoes during that era. I sometimes play "guess the tv show" and play the song until someone guesses it.

Or until someone drops a 'ten spot' in your jar to STOP playing it ...

Actually the songs are pretty short. It only takes a few second to recognize Andy Griffith Show, or Dragnet, or I Love Lucy, Mission Impossible is another one. At any rate, none of the songs much longer than a minute or so.

Makes me wonder what Arranger Artists will be asked to play 50 years from now? From all I've gleaned from my weekday ASCAP newsletters, RAP and House Music (I use the term "Music" lightly) are the big money makers now, followed by "Dance" music which is a far cry from what we danced to when I was in my teens and twentys.

Seems like a big gynormous spinning wheel. Who knows, maybe it will be Western Music in demand... again. LOL!

Great to be alive in 2019. I feel your pain, Deane. Sounds like Mason may be onto something with his name the show's tune contest... assuming the prizes are not too expensive. (Maybe Ernest's will throw in a Shrimp Cocktail or Crawfish Etoufe. (sp?)

Hang in there, guys and gals... assuming we still have some ladies active in this gathering. I'm working on the "Pelosi Waltz" even as we speak.

If anybody watched New Year's Rockin Eve last night on ABC shaking your head at the so called performers you'll get the picture this new generation don't want to know anything about the old songs we grew up with you're in for a rough ride thank God we had many good years playing music because it won't be long before you'll be shouted out of every venue you go to because you're not playing songs that the mainstream wants and worse than that you have no idea what they're talking about and then you have to sing them also?.... and I'm not kidding it's a sad day for our generation musically..... Makes you feel like what the hell am I doing up here? .. Grrrrrr!
The Future Has Arrived even in nursing homes don't be fooled the day has come when DJs will rule the world... this is only the beginning.

My opinion:
Keep playing what you love. Above all do not try to play music you have no feel for. If you do, they will be disappointed and you will be hurt.
There still are some people who love the older music, but their numbers are diminishing.

Deane, most of the older musicians that I know are, or have, experienced the same thing. --- it has nothing to do about you.
John C.

Don,
I play a lot of the songs you listed but have not used them for gigs recently. Perhaps I will try them at a few places and see what happens.

Deane

John, Right on the mark ...

Yes, my wife and I 'sort of' watched the NYE presentations as I switched from channel to channel ... did we know the artists or the songs? NO, because we are not listening to today's 'pop' music ... Imagine how are parents and grandparents felt when Dick Clark started his 'Rockin' New Year's Eve' show in the early 70's after watching 20 years of Guy Lombardo on TV ... don't forget, 50's rock and roll was called 'the devil's music" ...
What we are witnessing is LIFE ... it changes, sometimes for the better, sometimes not ... only history decides ...
Most of us here are in our 70's or pushing close to it ... Accept what we had, continue to do what we can, and when the time comes, hopefully bow out gracefully ...

For decades I have said that the years we had the band in NY WAS the best of times ... we played music from the 40's, through the 70's in our own style, and people hired us because of it ...

I guess if one wanted to play music that stands the test of time, one would play Jazz, because even today the young Jazz players are playing songs that were popular generations ago ...

At the age of 77 years, I am happy to say that today I got a call to sub at one of my favorite high end Italian restaurants on Saturday ...
THE BEAT GOES ON ...

Deane,

I told you this would happen 10 years ago. It was inevitable! My rule of thumb has always been to perform the songs that audiences enjoyed when they were 15 to 35 years of age. Pretty hard to go wrong using this theory. Additionally, I took DNJ's advice and rarely performed a song that you could not dance to - made a huge difference in audience participation.

Now, for your next challenge. I have heard you sing in person many years ago. You have a fair good voice and with a bit of practice, you would be a lot better in no time at all. Your audiences would love it, and so would the ADs.

Good luck,

Gary

John and Tony,
I think you are right on target. My niche is playing songs they remember and have not heard in a long time - a very common comment I get all the time. I am will be 79 this year and most of my audiences are close to this age and older. Most grew up with the music I play and often people stop to tell me how the songs brought back many good memories. This said, I do understand the need to include newer music as needed.

Gary,
Yes, In my youth I did sing - a lot. Even won local town contests. But that was 65 years ago and I have done little to no singing in the past 40 years. Every once in awhile I will sing a song at a gig and it is interesting to see the audience reaction - most ask me to sing more.
Who knows, maybe I'll get back to it this year - actually thought about it. Seems a shame to waste all those hours of voice lessons I had as kid and while working on my music degree in college.

Deane

Now here’s a touch of wisdom by Tony.

Most of us here are in our 70's or pushing close to it ... Accept what we had, continue to do what we can, and when the time comes, hopefully bow out gracefully ...

I have been blessed with a career in music for many years ---- I have nothing to complain about. And I’m still playing my guitar and keyboard.
John C.

On the positive side.
To keep up with the change in music I had two CDs filled with original music like the Electric Slide, Hot Hot Hot, and up country songs. I did not want to use midi files. I did what I could do well like YMCA, Macho Man, Johnny B Good, and used the CDs to do the rest. It kept me in the business.

There was a series of CD’s, that were popular. One had a was “Hooked on the fifties. The music was a medley of songs played non-stop for approximately 20 minutes. They set up a strong beat and added the flavor of each song – the basic rhythm did not change, they did add to it. I heard a five- piece band do this at wedding, it was good.
This would not be hard to do with our keyboards --- and you would not be compared to the original artist.

Just a thought, John C.

I have definitely noticed this too; we play more and more earlier Rock (1950s-1970s), and we get requests for the Doors, Eagles, Beatles, Stones, others. Sometimes it's the family visiting the resident (who are younger), but sometimes the residents at the retirement 'villages' where I play, do indeed ask for rock'n'roll. As I'm only 59 myself, I'm all set and known plenty of rock (1960s-1980s was my heyday) !!

Jim

50 years from now the question will be "What the hell is an Arranger?"

Jerryghr

50 years?.... they are already saying that already! seriously

On our New Tears Eve gig we played the early shift for the dancers, followed by a younger rock group.

The group that followed us came in early and listened to us. As I was packing up they came over to compliment us on the sounds coming from a duo. They couldn't believe what they were hearing.

They never heard of an "Arranger" and were quite impressed with it. I know that they aren't going to run out and get one. Besides they aren't sold at the local Guitar Center.

Enjoy em' while you can, and be thankful for the work we are getting.


Jerryghr

+ 1

Changed channels between football and the NYE shows. They were so boring with the announcers trying to be funny and kill time. I didn't know any of the performers or songs until the last one by Christine Aguilera. She can still sing ( yell ? )
What I did notice was the bands playing in the pouring rain. I know it was all taped music but it must have been a well paying gig to bring your multiple keyboard setup out in the rain and have it get soaked. I was watching the rain pour off the edges of Christine's keyboard player. And rain ain't too good for a guitar either if I'm correct.
Do any of you think that maybe the backline rental companies have non-functioing boards and dummy instruments for such occasions ?

Bill, I hadn't thought of that, but it is quite possible ... There was one point when I saw the top of a Grand Piano with puddles of water on it !!! ...
I can't believe that there can't be some arrangement where these entertainers have a covering over their heads ... and while it looked liked Diana Ross was performing at the ice rink in Rockefeller Center, I didn't see any rain falling down on her ... perhaps Diana even has power over Mother Nature ...
While I figured the background music was recorded, it did seem to me that a lot of the singers WERE actually singing ... and Sting looked liked he had his eyes fixed on a lyric monitor for most of his performance ...

As for the 'banality' of the hosts' 'fill the dead air' comments, I could not help but feel that the next day they would wake up like the drunk at the office Christmas party, saying "Oh no, did I REALLY do that?!?"

Señor Hammer,

I do find that the music of the 70’s goes over very well at the nursing home and senior venues. Barry Whites “Love Theme” is a great instrumental, Copacabana works well as an instrumental too. For the Eagles, Hotel California works great as an instrumental too. I have a fake book published by Warner Brothers called the “Classic Rock Fake Book” Also Hal Leonard has produced a good series of “Pop Real Books” with the music the 70’s to today in lead sheet format.

But really you should give singing a try! I used to do all instrumental too, but once I started singing just a few years ago ( with no prior training) I felt like i connected much more with the audiences and got much more compliments and more business despite not having the greatest voice. If you can sing in tune
there’s no reason you should be singing at your shows!

Deanne ... + 1 on the recommendations to add more vocals to your performances ... Instrumentals are beautiful, but one can pour forth a lot more emotion with vocals ...

I've heard Deane sing and he sings VERY well. Same with Paul.

Sing your heart out. They love it as it's the human element in the sea of synthesis. It connects on that human level. People don't 'sing' instrumentals, there's just not much emotional connection to them. Net result is that most instrumentals on an arranger, unless the player is exceptional, are going to register closer to elevator music more than anything else.

Instrumentals have their place but are mainly for background. Vocals put the 'you' out there.

Thanks Don! That means a lot coming from one of my favorite SZ singers

But Deane, just consider how “ singers” have made millions without being very good singers . There are so many from every era. Often times they maybe good at entertaining or perhaps they can get an emotional message across well, or maybe they’re just lucky. I don’t want to name any names, but just think of a famous singer that doesn’t sing so well, and think to yourself “ if they can do it, why not me”?

Sorry, I didn't read every post in this thread...

We still play at the local Veterans home.

When we first started playing over a decade ago, WWII music was big. Now most of the Vets are Korean war era and music from that era works best.

That said, we are starting to see Vietnam war era vets and rock and roll from the 60's and early 70's is requested. Not as much as Korean war era but it is growing.

Thing is, I was in uniform early 70's, and am comfortable with music from the late 60's early 70's.