Hello

I have a wedding job coming up shortly, the bride to be just informend me they want music from the 50's and 60's for them and that some of the guests will be in their 30's. I am a big band and standard kind of player, but I have played in rock bands. I know I have stuff to throw together for the 50's and 60's, but what about for the 30 year olds? Disco??

I have always just played a variety of everything. This seems to work out fine for weddings. It always used to be if I played a hokey polka for example, the young kids would come out and fill the floor. If I played a rock tune the older folks would want to dance and act young.

One tune requesed was "Amazed"which I previously had a request for and found out it didn't translate well into an instrumental as a lot of modern tunes don't that were originally vocals. I didn't play it last time and I'm not going to do it this time unless I can find a good rhythm on my Tyros that would fit. Previously I was using a KN1000 and there was nothing close. But if I remember correctly not much of a melody too.

Any suggestions welcome.

Scott

I play in a cover band and of course 80s songs go down really well with the 30 year old age group because they grew up with that music. Tears For Fears "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" could be performed on keyboard alone and would just require a simple triplet rock feel.

There are some good midi files of "Amazed" out there.
Songs that you may know that that age group may like include:
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet
Brown-eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Driftaway - Dobie Grey (Uncle Kracker}
I Will Always Love you - Whitney Houston
Electric Slide
Strokin'
Harlem Shuffle
If you do those, you'll make them dance.

It's too bad, but many people around 30 want to dance to music that is quite vulgar, such as Kid Rock's "Cowboy", some songs by a group called Tone Loc (one of them is Wild Thing, but not the Wild Thing we know!), and others of similar genre. I think it's the beat they like.
There are, however some beautiful songs of that era, including Michael Bolton's version of "When A Man Loves A Woman", Berlin's "Every Breath I Take", and several by Whitney Houston, Alanis Morrisette, Celine Dion, etc. If you can play a little Pearl Jam, you will impress them greatly!
Good luck!
DonM

First IMHO

The music scene has changed so much for the older muscian. There are preformers that play records, and CD's,there are some that play with recorded backgrounds, and some that play live. I have lost jobs to some of these pros. I attended a dance at my wife's plave of work, it was a one-man-band. He had a guitar, a tenor sax, a mini disk player, a CD player, a Technics Kn2000, and two large speakers.

He played a CD and sang along with the singer on the CD. He would stop singing whenever he wished. He stroked the KN2000 without actually palying it. He played the guitar, my instrument, once, just strummed a few chords. I thought I would die when he played the sax, he was terrible, like a beginner.
The people who hired him knew I was a muscian, they asked me what I thought of the one-man-band. Without hesitation I asked them what they thought. They answered, I loved his sax playing and his voice, and we can't wait until we have him back next year.

This is what I have decided to do:

1-I will not, better still I should not play any song that I do poorly. I'm 72 and singing songs like the Electric Slide and hot hot hot is not what I wish to do. Soooo, I have them recorded on my SD card in the KN7, ready to play when needed.

2-I will be using sequences, I can sing better when I'm not playing full keyboard. This will also give me the opportunity to play my guitar, which I earned my living with for many years.

In short, I am going to use it all, it's a new day. The people we play for now accept all of it, they don't care, they just want to have a good time. So I feel orig. recordings, sequences, and live playing does it all. Scoot, don't play anything you do not do well, play the recording. And, keep the excitement and quality of your music at a high standard. Amen!!

IMHO----John C.

[This message has been edited by bruno123 (edited 10-22-2003).]

Thats the ticket in todays world out there!!
Yes my friend it IS a New Day!!

Hey Don

Another senior moment above!
Think you're getting the songs of The Police and Berlin mixed up.

Berlin ... Take My Breath Away
Police ... Every Breath You Take

and I thought you were "just a country boy at heart"

Cheers

Will

I stand corrected, Will! It's Take My Breath Away I meant to say. It took my breath away though.
Thanks,
Don