I finally put together a spreadsheet to manage my call list as I contact places to offer music. I wanted it on the computer so I wouldn't misplace papers - right now my house has enough paper in it! Just thought I would share that. I am playing for a running event in 7 hours outside in mid 30 temperatures (3 Celsius for those outside the US) - have appropriate clothes and we're using my backup keyboard because of the weather. This is my fourth year volunteering there and it's always fun to encourage those running/walking.

I had a great gig at one of my regular monthly senior communities on Wed. It's an assisted living facility, but they also often bring in some of their memory care residents from the other wing. But it's generally a younger, more engaged crowd that enjoys music into the 70's and even 80's. And on this particular day they were responding to the more upbeat stuff early on, so I stepped it up and played some more rocking numbers and we all had a great time! Fast forward to my gig in another assisted living facility on Thursday that usually has a lot of youngish folks that are into any good music from all the eras. So I was planning on doing the same kind of thing here since I had such a good time with it on Wed. But as I was setting up a woman came in and sat down at one of the tables. I overheard the activities director speaking to her telling her it was going to be loud. (I'm NOT a loud performer at all, but I do have a small PA system. I'm not totally acoustic.) The resident acknowledged that information and decided to stay. At one point as I was still setting up she said to me that she may block her ears. Okay, noted. I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. But it did change my plan. I definitely dialed it back and went with more of the lighter, oldies and singer-songwriter parts of my repertoire. She did block her ears a few times, and scolded one of the other residents for clapping during a few songs. But the AD spoke with her and told her that wasn't appropriate. Other people were allowed to enjoy the music in their own way. So overall it went well. Just a few awkward moments. But she stayed for the whole show. And everyone else enjoyed the lighter musical fare. I spoke with the AD afterwards about it and she said that's an issue that she is working on with this resident. She likes to attend activities, but gets agitated when people are talking. But other than movies, that's what people are gathering for. So she said she was going to have a discussion with the family and the resident to address how to handle things going forward.

Here comes the deluge of last minute requests for NOV 11th. Some LED's are more organized than others, thankfully. But here at Music We Remember, we seem to bail folks out quite frequently who are a little, shall we say "disorganized?" Or maybe new to the field? SURPRISE! Veteran's Day is happening NEXT month. And here come the emails... Now, a decade or so ago, demand was high for the female vocal trios with tracks, singing about Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys in Company B. But as The Greatest Generation fades away, and their children are populating the communities where we serve, we find a mix of Vietnam veterans, and also the flower children and hippies who may have very mixed feelings about seeing anyone honored for military service. It's getting to be an interesting blend... And some veterans were likely in both camps themselves. Who's got a Veteran's Day Program lined up that always goes over well? What do you include and what do you leave out? "Give war a chance!" - The Smothers Brothers (Perhaps this is mis-attributed to them...)

What's the difference between 'live music' and a 'music program'? I've discovered that the main difference is engagement. I see myself advertised as both when I visit senior communities. However, I don't know which role I'll play until I see the room full of residents. For me, 'Live Music' falls under the category of background performer. It's the kind of show where I'm not the 'main event' and something else is going on in conjunction with the music. Holiday party, dinnertime, happy hour...live music is primarily just playing the songs and singing as a compliment to an existing program or celebration. A 'music program', the kind of show I mostly do, is part music part storytelling. This kind of show has residents sitting in rows right in front of me and I'm the main attraction. They watch me setup and talk with them and tell jokes and maybe do a little juggling. Residents listen to me greet everyone coming in and slowly start playing a few chords and begin introducing myself and setting the tone for the whole show. The 'program' part is about sharing a part of myself through a story or a joke. It can also teach our audience a thing or two about music or about life. The 'program' can be both musical and entertaining. Example , (I'm playing You Are My Sunshine) "My grandfather smoked a pack of camel cigarettes a day and even smoked while he played guitar. When I was a kid I asked him if I wanted to pick guitar do I need to pick up smoking?"...Usually I'll get a laugh... Sometimes we need to be in the room and observe the setup and the audience before we determine what kind of show it's going to be regardless of how the community advertises us. When you play for seniors, what kind of show is your favorite to do?

A funny wee story. A group of four musicians play regularly at the local rest home and have invited me to join in. It’s all voluntary. However, two of them can’t make the next one. So the remaining two, who generally play in the background, and only sing the odd harmonies, invited me to join them for a practice … except I will be away on that day too. When they found out, you should’ve seen the looks on their faces. I said, "You got this guys, you can do it!" … watch this space ;)