Take Requests?

Most of the time I honor requests. At one of the Assisted Living places there is a woman who asks for the same 3 songs EVERY time I, or anyone else, plays there. I've been told the other residents cringe when they see her heading for the bandstand. Once, while she was heading my may, someone in the audience yelled out: DON'T DO IT.

I will usually play one of her songs, keep it short and move on.

In a recent post elsewhere about John Denver the writer said: I went to his concert I wanted him to sing Annie's Song so I yelled for him to do that he yelled back and said it was his concert.

I'm guessing Annie's song was not performed that night.

Eddie

Saturday I had three requests to quit and go home early, but I didn't.

The issue for me is how to handle requests on tunes I don’t know. I had one guy request some 200-year-old classical piece (some sonata in c#, or opus in Gb----can’t recall the exact title). He said “All piano players know that song”. Not me.

People like that are just trying to impress you, or someone, and are not worth your time. I would politely tell them I must not be a piano player! Be sure and smile when you say it! Like this:
Sometimes I say I know every song every written except for seventeen; that must be one of the seventeen I don't know. Be sure to

A good joke is when a person ask "do you have something from Sinatra?" (example) answer: Yess five records and a signed photo !!

or

"can you play the entry of the gladiators?"
answer "i have only the music sheet of outside of the gladiators"

The people who request frequently are normally looking for attention; it makes them feel part of. A few smile and nice talk usually satisfies them.

For all others I play the request if I know it. If not --- “I apologize and tell them when they come next week they will hear their song playing”. It’s all about satisfying their need to add and be important.

It is not the end of the world when a song is requested unless you feel it is.

The people that came often, regulars, and had requested a song in the past got their song played as they were walking to their table. – If it was a good song.

John C.
PS, It is all about how you relate to people. They never have a chance dealing with the Gary or Don personalities. These guys are dangerous. (smile)

If it fits into the flow of the preformance without going into left field and of course if I knw it no problem. But sometimes people feel like they have to play Stump the Musician.
I also say I can play any song written on a $20 bill. That slows them down.

One thing that irritates me is when little kids want to "dance" to the latest fad dance because their parents think everyone wants to see how precious they are. I sometimes have to accommodate them, if the party is spending hundreds on dinner and they are leaving big tips. I just play the song from Youtube and let 'em dance. Just one per set though, so it doesn't bother the other people.
It's all part of playing the game, but you always must use good judgement!

At the beginning of each job, I always said "If anyone has a special song they wish me to perform, just write it down on the back of a $20 bill and send it up - I'll be glad to do it for you." I figured that would slow them down. Well, when I was performing in the Florida Keys, and in Baltimore's Little Italy, you would be amazed at the number of $20s that came to me with songs written on them, mostly in lipstick. I loved that part - but Carol was a bit upset.

Most of the time, the songs requested were ones I already knew and had no trouble performing, so it was really never a problem. The part I always hated was when some wise-ass drunk would ask for something really stupid that no one would perform. I just ignored them, which usually worked out OK. Sometimes, though I would take a 2 minute break and have a serious talk with either the bouncer or manager and they would have a serious talk with the customer.

Early on, when I first began doing nite clubs and bars in my early 20s, I would create a list on a yellow notepad, one that I had my wife, and some friends write song titles upon using pen, pencil, left handed, right handed, etc..., to make it look as if lots of people had already made requests. When they asked for a song, I would tell them to put it on the list and I would be more than happy to perform the song as soon as I did the others. That worked great for a decade or more until someone stole my note pad.

All the best,

Gary

Sometimes I'll tell them "if there's a song you want to hear, just keep it your/--I mean let me know what it is!"
Seriously at the venue where I play a lot, or more accurately where I played a lot, I welcomed requests. These were mostly rich people spending hundreds on meals and drinks and the tips were sometimes really good. Of course I never kept the tips. I always refused them or gave them to the waiters so I wouldn't have tax problems.

Don, the waiters where I performed in Little Italy made a killing every night. Some had worked at the same location for more than 40 years, and most owned large homes, had new cars, took great vacations, and made a lot more than I did - that's for sure.

Gary

Sounds like you should have become a waiter ...

Trust me, the waiters at Ernest's make more than I do. But they have to work a lot harder for it too!
If someone gives me a hard time, I can put on some recordings, take a break and drink coffee until they leave! The waiters have to humor them!
I WAS just joking about giving them tips. I do pay the valet $5. to load and unload my gear though. He's the only one I trust to do it. He's been doing it for many years.

I encourage and welcome requests and it forces the audience to dig a little bit mentally instead of just sitting there letting me do all the work. It engages them and tends to bring the audience a bit closer than if they didn't and ups the energy.

I'd say 15-20% of all my retirement communities shows are 100% requests. Sometimes I'll divide the room in half, or by gender or by tables and work my way around ther room soliciting requests.

I love that kind of a show because its different.

Another twist that everyone seems to have fun with is where the room is divided into two halves. One side makes a request, but the other gets to request the style that I'll play it in. (No, they don't get to know what song was requested...)

It keeps me sharp and takes us places musically that we would never go. I wouldn't do that for a whole hour, maybe 20 minutes or so, but its a lot of fun...

The biggest irritant for me is when someone asks me to play a song. Within a few minutes, I play the thing and then after the gig is over, the requester comes up and browbeats me for not playing their song.

Sigh, lol...

I learned this many years ago,....when you get a request and don't know it ALWAYS have an alternative song for them be very diplomatic, for example:

"Excuse me can you play Moonlight Serenade for us please"?...

your answer could be, ....

"Geeze I'm sorry, it's been so long since I've played that one but how about "Unforgettable"? and he say's ok swell,
that's a great one too thank you...

Now the husband goes back to the table, tells the wife honey he didn't have "Moonlight Serenade" but he's gonna do "Unforgettable" for us ok? you gracefully get out of the unknown request predicament,.....He's happy, she's happy, and they dance and hold each other, ....and best part they love you for playing a song for them !!

^ This.