So, whether you're a pro, or a weekend part-time warrior, or just an onlooker sitting in the bleachers.....what are some of your own personal "tricks of the trade" that you use when performing that you've never mentioned here before. I know most of you don't just go out and play songs at random.

I have so many I'd be writing from now into the after-life.

There is no magic secret "modus operandi" it's all a personal thing that only you as a performer can create for your audiences,....what works and how its crafted for one person could be a disaster for the next,.....
your shows have to be as unique as you are,..don't fall into the "COPYCAT" trap" make it Your Own!

Good Luck

That's true ... I always try know what kind of audience I am going to have and 'plan' a playlist accordingly ... then it depends on the dynamics of the setting - the actual audience, what they are reacting to, etc. etc. ... very seldom if ever, do I stick 100% to a prepared playlist, and that even goes for NH and AL venues ...

I don't have a playlist, other than what's in my Songbook on the keyboard, and that's about 50 or 60 song/setups.
I have thousand of chord/lyric text files in both keyboard and laptop and in my again head.
I just look at the audience and try to decide what they might like. After a few songs I can see what, if anything, gets the best response, and go from there.
There are a few songs I do that seem to transcend generations and audience types and I do those first, as a rule.

When I was working in nursing homes, I was doing country and pop from the 50s through the early 90s. As Don mentioned, there are certain songs and artists that seem to please just about everyone and I did many of those in every facility. Some of the artists that come to mind are Elvis, Kenny Rogers and Hank Williams sr. Some songs that always went over were "Rose Are Red" by Bobby Vinton ( a favorite of the ladies that make up 90 % of the residents) and "Raindrops" by BJ Thomas.

But you eventually get to know the facility and go from there. At a memory care facility, you could be playing "Comin Round the Mountain" and similar songs and going over well while some places wanted straight country. Of course, you could get sing-a-long type song requests anywhere. I got a request for the Rolling Stones in one place and that shows the breadth of the type of songs people in these places will like since ages run from 60 (or younger) to 100. I had one lady that always wanted "San Francisco" and she lived to 102.

Wow! Every once in awhile I find myself (arrrrrgggg) having to agree with Donny . In 50+ years of gigging, except for a half-hearted (and sometimes comical) version of 'Happy Birthday', we never, ever took requests (and usually had a 'NO REQUESTS' sign posted prominently on the bandstand). Of course, these were mostly jazz or 'bar jazz' gigs which attract a totally different kind of audience. In jazz clubs and other venues that primarily feature jazz, the audiences come to listen to what YOU have to offer. It's NEVER a dancing audience and most only expect to be entertained MUSICALLY. Showmanship not required (although my poor drug-addicted friend, Don Patterson, DID used to play with his tongue - hell of an organist, though). Miles was known to have played an entire gig with his back to the audience - but then again, he was Miles .

In a Nursing Home (although I've never played in one), you're playing to a captive audience and YOU are there for THEM; in a jazz club, THEY are there for YOU - big difference. Having to take requests is very demanding of the musician and requires an extra level of expertise and versatility - to be admired, for sure. For the most part, old school jazz groups (trios/quartets) played pretty much what they wanted to, sometimes with a 'set list', sometimes just winging it. The benefit was that the all the tunes well known, well rehearsed, and well liked, by the musicians performing them. I'm guessing that most 'specialty music' venues (Rock clubs, C&W clubs) were the same.

So again, paraphrasing Donny, Don, and Tony - do what feels right in the moment. Following your instincts (if you're a seasoned musician) will probably produce the best performances. JMO.

chas

chas ... you made me think back to 1978 when I saw the Phil Woods Quartet at a hotel in NYC ... we had a table right in front of the bandstand and on a break Phil came down and spoke with us ... I had an album he recorded in 1976 that had the Janis Ian song "At Seventeen" on it - after hearing his version, our band used to play it during wedding cocktail hours - so I asked if they could play it ... his response was "We don't have it in our book", and I realized that as simple as the song is, he was not going to play anything the group did not have down perfectly ...

Just announce to the audience
"Yes We take requests,.......But, we don't do them"

I too, agree with DNJ on this subject.

Gary

I'm there to please the audience. If they want to hear a song I know, I'll happily do it for them, as long as it doesn't distract from the overall program.