 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: vivalamusica
Date: 2012-06-13 23:52
Hi all,
My boyfriend and I have signed up to play at his grandparents' senior citizens center. He plays clarinet, sax, and flute. I play clarinet, flute, and (a little) piano. Any recommendations for pieces/duets that this audience might like?
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2012-06-14 00:39
Night on Bald Mountain?.
Variations on a theme of Viagra (Cialis edition). ?
OK....... Gershwin tunes, some stuff from Big Band era, maybe Broadway tunes pre 1980, light operetta or transcriptions of operatic arias, and always toss in a novelty or polka sing a long.
If YOU have fun, they will too.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2012-06-14 13:52
I think you'll please the audience most if you play whatever you play the best. Bear in mind that the residents may include professional musicians (not necessarily retired!), good amateurs and other knowledgable listeners.
I don't want to invade the privacy of a well-loved member of my family by getting too specific here, but he's 90 years old and his concept of "assisted living" seems to be that he assists everybody else. He moved in there because he hates housework and he wanted a more active social life. He's been driven out of several concerts because the musicians played out of tune or -- this was much worse! -- because they condescended to their audience.
Their misbegotten idea of performing in a senior citizens' residence seemed to be: Toss the old geezers something to while away their wasted hours while they waited around to die. Most of the listeners grit their teeth, sit through the crap and the well-intentioned insults, thank the inept performers politely afterwards -- and then get together and scornfully laugh and rant later. "They've got a little list, yes they've got a little list, of musical offenders who never would be missed -- no, they never would be missed." The residents have asked the management to keep the denizens of that list out of their building in future, or else.
Give them your best, because plenty of them know the difference.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2012-06-14 23:03
I used to do that with a larger group and we were always well received. On one occasion we were all sharp and I expressed some concern. One wag commented, "Don't worry, they can't hear anyway, they applaud because we quit." But seriously,
Selections from WWII era should be a hit.
Bob Draznik
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Author: FDF
Date: 2012-06-18 23:29
As both a Senior and a performer of concerts for Seniors, the last two comments were right on. However, all senior citizens are not alike. We've played for vets, the well-off, and the doing OK, and the not much longer. Some elderly dancers still want to tap their toes. Beware of ageism. A little thought as to the diversity of your audience is recommended.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2012-06-18 23:56
I play in a band that does concerts for seniors at retirement homes and nursing homes. We play stuff from the more memorable stage shows, standard concert band fodder, light classics, some big band swing, operatic transcriptions and a bit of dixieland. It all seems to be well received. Attentions spans are sometimes not what they were, as are tolerance levels, so we find it works better if we keep items fairly brief.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking of the elderly as being somehow different from you. All they are is older, inside they're still 18 and raring to go. I realized a while ago during a concert that I was probably older than most of the people we were playing for.
Tony F.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2012-06-19 01:29
Ragtime (don't need to be super fast, the rhythms are catchy enough).
Showtunes go well, musicals (wizard of oz, stuff like that).
I'd refrain from heavy metal. For some reason that rarely goes well at the nursing homes we've visited. as said before, keep it light. Athough most of the time, and it's sad that this is the case, people in nursing homes and retirement homes are just happy to have ANYTHING there to change the day to day and bring something nice and new for a little while.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2012-06-19 01:31
If it goes well, maybe keep a keen ear and see what they would like next time and work it up for another time.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2012-06-19 02:46
What Lelia said.
My quintet, Cambiata Winds ("Find Us on Facebook"), just played a nice program at a local senior community. When I was talking to the organizer about what sort of program they preferred, she told me that anything we chose would be fine, but "don't dumb it down."
I don't know what other programs they have had, but I really took that to heart. And that would be my biggest piece of advice for playing at senior communities.
Don't dumb it down! Old DOES NOT = stupid.
Susan
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