As in a previous post, I described playing today at one of our bigger nursing homes.

An observation I neglected.

This nursing home I played for employs about about a half dozen young lady's that are students of mine during the school year...ages 15 - 19....super girls.

I think they really enjoyed hearing me play and sing...because they know and like me as a teacher.

However, did they relate to my music?

No, I don't think they did...but they could appreciate how my music related to the very seniors they care for. So, from that standpoint, they appreciated my music.

Another thought.

There seems to be so much emphasis on producing arrangers to make them contemporary to the younger generation. Note PA 4X vs 2.0 update.

Why?

Most of the younger generation I know seem to me to want to produce their own music with traditional instruments to produce their own sound....just like we did in the 60's.

Thoughts?

before I reply what was your song list for this gig...?
and all instrumentals you say?

Donny, Re-read my post

"Played for about an hour and a half....90% instrumental."

http://www.synthzone.com/forum/ubbthread...lks_#Post433640

ok sorry you did sing some songs,....but I was asking about the set lists?

I was playing for a picnic of senior citizens.

My students during the year are 19 yrs or less. Hardly one of them recognizes "In The Mood" from WWII. But the folks they care for...the age of their great grandparents...well they do recognize that song.

My arrangers(all of them) have worked well for my parents and my(I'm 68)students great grand parents generation.

Keep in mind that song is 78 years old. Why would you expect those children would respond to, or recognize it?

Long before I retired I stopped playing songs older than 1950s stuff. These were the songs that were were popular when the residents were in their teens and mid 20s. From some of your recent posts, it appears as if you are playing songs from when they were born. You may want to reassess your play list.

Additionally, I found those audiences preferred vocals over instrumentals by a wide margin. Not only does this help in the songs recognition, but additionally it makes it easier for them to sing along.

Food for thought,

Gary

I’ve biased my playlist for the longest with tunes from the 20’s through the 50’s, because that’s what I grew up with and what I like to play. For the most part, my patrons seem to enjoy them, as well. The older standards go over with the folks in retirement homes. Such songs fit dining situations, with the volume pulled back. However, I’ve found a new interest in moving the playlist almost exclusively to the 60’s through the 80’s. Those songs seem to be getting a new respect when played and everyone seems to like them. I’ve got no problem with that. But, I still like a good Gershwin tune.

Although I am not playing in nursing homes at the moment, I did so for 9 years. I have to agree with Gary-I wouldn't do anything older than 50s at this point. The people in these facilities are as young as their fifties so you can do the math. If you are playing mostly instrumentals, you would be able to get away with some older stuff but as he mentioned vocals really are preferable if possible.

Hmmmm....The younger generation is using software & synths & pads. I personally don't use a hefty % of the styles on the KORG PA4X because they are irrelevant to what I want to do. But right up maybe your alley. The "lack" of contemporary music on the PA4X was really the only reason I would dump it...They seem to be addressing it for a broader audience.

For gosh sakes if my freaking $4000 keyboard has POLKA which I will never use & no Hip Hop that is plain archaic.

KUDOS to KORG for putting styles that maybe you won't use but others will...I will never use a Ballroom, yet that darn thing sits on my $4000 keyboard...I say we need more diversity in the Arrangers.....Way more.....I want options and don't do LATIN

I want to play Contemporary music but don't want to use software.....As do many, many people...

Bold move by Korg and makes sense....Especially to all the posters in the "will the Arranger go the way of the Dodo Bird threads".....

I'll bet you will really enjoy the Korg update because it seems to bring lots of new sounds, styles and controls to suit more modern needs!

Gary.....because the song is a Classic that will go on forever. No different from As Time Goes By (Casablanca).

Also.....we're keeping up with ("good") new songs like Happy/Pharrell Williams and Uptown Funk. Why shouldn't they keep up with good "old" songs. And keep real music alive at the same time so we don't end up becoming a society of robots listening to and playing mechanical music."

I just wrote a few weeks ago that my audience won't "allow" me to play anything beyond the 40's, except for a few choice songs...New York, NY...Sweet Caroline. Of course, I'm exaggerating, but in general I have to keep my stuff in the 40's and sometimes even the 30's. And, personally, I still like playing those songs. There are so many Classics from that era that are still remembered that you can play them all day and not repeat a single one.

Mark

Don......I'm reading about the PA4x upgrade performing some kind of magic with the keyboard. What is the upgrade all about? Did they modernize it even more (styles, sounds, etc) or did they make it for general, more traditional use.

I'm still looking for a good cha-cha, tango, Strauss waltz, etc. No one seems to care about traditional styles anymore.

Mark

You might try working those styles. It may help develop your ability to play the modern stuff you want to do. No different than many rock stars study Classical music even though they'll never play it.

I haven't done it yet. I have a big job tomorrow and don't want to risk losing anything in case I screw it up. It appears to me from reading the lists of sounds and styles added that a lot of it is geared toward newer music. The 52 free styles on the Korg website are Pop, Ballad and Dance, and can only be played using the new OS 2.0 because they use the new sounds. Probably nothing I'll use there, but you never know.
I will update the first of the week.
I do know there are new sounds, new drum kits, new styles and some added operational features.
Have you considered using the midi-to-style converter? You can select a midi file and automatically convert it to a style. Some of them work great, others not so great, but it may be worth a try if you have a good midi file that includes the genre you want.

I found some info here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGEHuaVd0tY
http://www.korg.com/us/products/synthesizers/pa4x/v2.php
https://soundcloud.com/korg

Don.......I rather like these new styles...and I'm not a "modern styles" person. Maybe that's why I'm not a "modern styles" person because I don't like what's been on the market pre-PA4x.

And that midi-to-style converter. I could easily buy into that. I have hundreds of great MIDI files I've collected over the years. Probably the only way I'll ever get a decent cha-cha, or even a decent (forgive me for saying the word).......POLKA!

Mark

Remember Korg allows you to overwrite ALL styles - trash the Polka and put in your favorites!

My two cents ......it doesn't matter what song or how old or new it is regardless.....
but it does critically matter ....
HOW YOU PERFORM THE SONG and HOW IT SOUNDS!

As the player only you are responsible for what the audience thinks!!

Exactly Dave you can make a Korg arranger any way you want......
btw with the new update dont you wish you kept your Pa4x?

That said will there even be a new OS Update for the Pa900 also now?

Dave.....I can see you don't read the Bible. The 8th Commandment reads "Thou shalt not trash the Polka!"

Interesting replies. Many of my listeners are in their 80's...some in their 90's.

At age 68, the music I listened to started in 1960...even some in late 1950's. Many of my listeners started listening in the late 1940's and WWII ballads still go over well.

I still throw in waltzes and polkas as folks will dance(if they can) to those.

I've yet to get a teenager(student or grandkid) interested in messing around with an arranger. Perhaps with time?

There is a lot of talk about what to play – I feel that’s going in backwards. Anyone remember when nine out of ten songs were instrumentals. Now we have nine out of ten vocals. Reason? They can relate to vocals.

Keep in mind that we are communicating an emotion; so it is not which song you play as much as it is which emotion they are reacting to that is important.

My system:
1-I have a list of 120 in 5 categories. They are my laptop on one page. Each song is set up in my keyboard.
2-Start - Play the songs I normally play.
3-Now the important part of the job – see what type of music they respond to.
4-Now go home and research that type of music.

At one NH the caretakers loved anything that was upbeat; mostly disco and 50”s and 60’s. The caretakers started dancing all over the place – the seniors saw them and became excited. It takes sensitivity – who would have thought I needed that type of music in a NH. We started with 20 people in a small room and after six weeks we had to move into the main auditorium with 125 seniors present.

Your first job is to have THEM TEACH YOU what they want. I have given out a questionnaire before a job asking what they would like to hear both songs and types of music. I also ask the caretakers what kind of music the seniors respond to.

Why I read all Donny’s post. He is a character and adds flavor to our forum. AND the man knows what he is talking about. (Most of the time, smile)

It is the musician/performer that is number ONE. If you are just a musician and play good music you will get only part of the room. If you are just a performer they will get tired of you after a while. If you are both you have them where you want them. I am both musician and performer and I am always open to learn. After watching Eddie at a NH job I went home and added more fun stuff to my song list.

Ex. Song: If you’re happy clap your hands. They have a part in the music you are playing. They clap their hands, stomp their feet, they wiggle their nose – they are right in the center of what you are doing.

I play the same song for the effected children in my church.

IT IS THE MUSICIAN THEN EVRYTHING ELSE FOLLOWS.
John C.

Again I don't understand what is being posted in this thread. I currently have 103 Independent and Assisted Living venues I book every year. Some I have played at for nearly 10 years. My song list includes 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s , and 1950s most popular songs. My audiences absolutely love the really old songs and often make requests for them. Most of these audiences are 70 years old and up with the average age being about 78 but they not only remember these really old songs but often have stories about how their parents or family listened to or sang these songs.

All I can say is these songs sure work for me. I get at least 1 phone call daily for future bookings from these places. And guess what, I don't sing - just play the songs.

Deane

I thought that needed to be repeated. Never heard it put that way.

I noticed when I play, I can play beautiful music, but very syrupy. Still, some want "syrupy" music and that's the emotion I'm transmitting at the moment.

Other times when I play, at the point I'm boring myself to sleep faster than a Tylenol PM, I wake up and put pizz-azz (rhythm) into my songs. I'm lucky I was blessed with it.

So, at any given time I'm transmitting an "emotion." Beautiful music for people who want to feel calm and serene, and upbeat, for people who want to feel the emotion that makes them want to dance.

Never thought about "transmitting emotions" rather than "transmitting music." That's a really powerful thought....I need to spend some time thinking about that.

Mark

A musicians job, the way I see it is a storyteller. Whether you use words or instruments, it's still a story - tell it with feeling, and someone will connect with it.

Hi,
my 2 cents worth.
It's a bit of a pity korg didn't add a few more styles for us oldies, a few more older type ballads , and country ( can't believe I'm requesting country, never played them before ,till I picked up an old Nashville songbook, love the tunes in it).

Anyway, had no idea what KAOSS was till I tried it. Really freaked hubby out when I started playing round with the dance styles and the kaoss function. Haha. Thought at long last she,'s moved into the current century.

Be interesting to see if the midifile to style convertor has improved.

And one good thing for me, I think they have finally fixed one of my major bug bears, my psr converted user styles may finally be using the correct program changes instead of defaulting to Gm. Fingers crossed. No more wrong drum sounds.
Only downloaded upgrade yesterday, so busy day ahead. Haha

Interesting that you said that Dave. An AD at one of the places I play is a genuine AD.....cares about each resident personally and only hires musicians who can connect with them like she does.

She said to me one day:

"Whether you're introducing a song or telling a story, use "visualization" techniques to paint a picture for your audience....i.e. make it so that what you're saying conjures up an image in their mind. In this way you're presenting a whole package to them, not just the music."

Mark

Hi - interesting topic ... lots of interesting discussion and good points. I have played at "Retirement communities" (and similar senior-oriented venues for ~20+ years. (before that, I played mostly to younger to middle-age type audiences). I also still play at non-senior venues. These days, about 60% of my gigs are at senior-oriented venues.

Lots of people have good points in this discussion. What I do is (1) get a sense of their response to what I choose to play, and (2) always ask for requests - and when I ask for requests, I suggest they can request specific songs, or request kinds of music they like. Based on all of this, and the years doing this, and thinking about their ages (i.e. if they are in their 80s or 90s now, or are in their 70s, what music might they have heard a lot of in their youth and young-adult years), I play a mix. Requests often include 1930s and 1940s songs, and things like "play some classical", "play some slow ballads", "play some Glenn Miller/TommyDorsey", "play a jitterbug", all the way to "play some beach music", "play some rock'n'roll", "play something with a good beat" and things like that.

20 years ago, for senior groups, I played mostly 1920s thru early 1950s music. Now 20 years later, it has 'shifted' so that I play some 1930s and 1940s, but a lot more 1950s and 1960s, and some 1970s music, for senior audiences. I also take note if there are family members in the audience that are younger (children of the residents) and play a few for them too.

One thing I figure too ... let's say (as an example) it's 1954 and an 18 year old is at the prom. The band in 1954 would play some early 1950s popular tunes, but they'd also play the best of the music from the 1940s too, and maybe some 1930s music. This would be in 1954 (as an example). So if someone "grew up" in the early to mid 1950s, when they were growing up they probably heard a lot of 1940s music too, plus the newest music from the 1950s. (just another example).

anyway, interesting stuff!

-Jim

A "good" song is timeless. I play all types for my audiences, regardless of the age of the group. If I can "sell it" ... I can sing it.

People SIMPLY have different tastes in music.....

If I played what you played, I would never play anywhere again. My audiences wouldn't have it