OK Gang, I'm starting over. I haven't played a solo gig in I don't know when. So I need some help in putting together a starting playlist. I know I'm going to include Sentimental Journey to set the mood but what are your have to do songs. I know each of us would come up with our own list but I figure if I take the best from each of you I should come up with an overall winner. I'm also thinking I will need about 15 tunes for an hour show. All comments will be appreciated.

Earl

Earl, it's a pretty easy thing to do. Just play the songs that were popular when the audience was 15 to 35 years of age - that's the songs they danced to, fell in love to, and remember best. Keep in mind that most of the folks now in nursing homes, assisted living centers and retirement communities are not much older than we are.

All the best,

Gary

Earl,

Everything Gary stated, as always, is spot-on.

I just started doing this circuit and Gary, Donny, & Ed, have all been a tremendous help to me.

Here are some of the songs I find seem to always get a good response:

1.) When your smiling
2.) In the mood
3.) Saints go marching in
4.) It's a sin to tell a lie [upbeat foxtrot]
5.) Beer Barrel Polka

Hope this helps.
Ron, in Vero Beach, Florida

When I was doing it I concentrated on Old Time Rock n Roll. It was at its heyday in the 50s and 60s, when most of the current crop of residents were in their's as well!

You can't go wrong with Elvis and Sinatra. Old Time Rock n Roll always works. Make sure you have some of the old classic C&W and R&B too. Try to pick the mega hits from the 30's-70's (50's and 60's "may be the sweet spot") and you should be fine.

go see alot of NH acts before you indulge in performing and make your own act better then theirs if you wanna succeed in this game, there are many aspects to a NH performer besides just playing.......good luck

Donny is right in that you should visit other nursing homes and see what the competition has to offer. That was one of the things I did when I sailed to the Florida Keys where I saw dozens of have guitar will travel guys on stage. After watching a half dozen of them I knew what I had to do in order to be successful.

Good luck,

Gary

I always get the audience involved and play some songs they can sing along with ... "When You're Smiling" "You are My Sunshine", "My Blue Heaven" or get them to sing the title or 'hook' phrase, like "... The Wonder of You", "... keep away from Runaround Sue", "...Bad, bad Leroy Brown" ... "Sweet Caroline - 'whoa, whoa, whoa ... so good, so good, so good" ... etc. I had them singing "Go Johnny, Go" ... on Saturday ... you get the idea ... I will stop singing and even lower the volume of the KB so that they can hear others singing along as well ...
I also keep everything pretty much 'up-tempo' ... lots of 'shuffle' styles ... even ballads I will play at about 90 - 96 BPM ...
You will find that people in NH/AL centers are the MOST appreciative audiences you will play for, and even in lock down alzheimer's units, your music will bring back a memory and they will sing word for word along with you ...
Have fun, and they will have fun, and it will be the fastest hour of the day ...

Some dreat advice from all of you. Most appreciated,

I have been playing "NH" gigs (retirement communities, rehabs, nursing homes, senior centers, etc.) for ~20+ years or so; plus I play lots of functions that have a wider age-range of people. So have gradually developed a decent sense of "what the like/want to hear".

I have noticed (As others have mentioned) that now more than ever, the people in the "NH" types of places love the early rock'n'roll; music from 1950s-1960s and even some 1970s. 20 years ago, that was not what they seemed to want; back then, it was music from the first half of the 20th century (mostly 1920s-1940s music).

Since "time marches on", the people who today are in their (age) 70s, 80s and 90s, are 20 years different than people in the ages 70s, 80s and 90s from a couple of decades ago ... so I started moving from purely 1920-1940s music, to add some 1950s tunes, and in the last few years, even music from 1960s and 1970s. I think they like the "energy" of the early-rock-n-roll and R&B type tunes!

I still do a good number of 1930s-1940s song, and an occasional classical piece, as there are people who like those too.

As far as "MUST DO" songs/styles, ones that either go over very well, or are requested time after time, there are many - here are a few that come to mind: "Tennessee Waltz", Sentimental Journey, In The Mood, Moonlight Serenade, most any Sinatra tunes, some musical-theatre songs from shows that were popular a few decades ago, Elvis tunes, Beatles tunes - and in recent years, I find they are asking for Eagles tunes!

So, there is a LOT to choose from that will please these audiences!

-Jim

Don't forget to get the nurses, and family (esp kids) involved too. The residents feed off their energy and if you vary the program to include a little of everything ... it's go over well, most times!

Getting the staff and visitors involved is of paramount importance. At several locations I would have one of the young staff ladies kick off while I played and sang YMCA, then I had some of them do some high kick (Rocketts) line dance while I played and sang NY - NY. Many of the retirement communities I performed at also had ballroom dancing classes and line dance classes, so it's a goood idea to brush up on those tunes as well. Most of all, be an entertainer - good entertainers are hard to come by, while good musicians are a dime a dozen in my part of the world.

Good luck,

Gary

The first time jobs for a group of seniors in NH or condos.

I need to connect with the new group of seniors. I give them a written sheet with:

1-A brief story about me and my music.
2-A few words that are warm and inviting.
3-I ask them to share/write on the sheet I handed out what their favorite type of music. Then add three of their favorite songs.

I bring the sheet to each table, and introduce myself just before starting to play.

I will always ask how the volume is. There have been times that a table was placed right in front of the band stand. I would go to the table pull up a chair and share the problem. Their answer was always the same, ‘Awe, don’t worry”.

Simply said; you and the people are 50% of the job – Your performance is the other 50%.

John C.