ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Jul 21, 2024 14:59:05 GMT
I suspect you have found your niche, Nik!
K
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Post by malcolm on Jul 21, 2024 17:57:18 GMT
Congratulations and well done. I sometimes play free gigs organised by the local library but contacting local nursing homes seems like a good idea. I would have thought there would be a lot of bureaucracy involved, but maybe not.
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Post by NikGnashers on Jul 23, 2024 17:28:58 GMT
Congratulations and well done. I sometimes play free gigs organised by the local library but contacting local nursing homes seems like a good idea. I would have thought there would be a lot of bureaucracy involved, but maybe not. Every home apart from one so far, has simply said 'yes just turn up on the agreed date/time' and I didn't even have to sign in as I was supervised. Only one so far has asked for me to complete an online DBS check, which I was happy to do, and should allow me to play at any of their many homes in the area. I guess each place has it's own regulations. Looking forward to a folk session/singaround on Sunday night, and then more nursing homes next week
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Post by Mike Fowler on Jul 25, 2024 14:48:11 GMT
I think that's brilliant. Very well done.
I used to do it about ten years ago, but I was too nervous to sing (as always, very envious of those who do) and after a few months of playing fingerstyle to the old dears, I wasn't asked back. It had it's moments.
I remember one old lady thought I was her husband and she was outraged that she hadn't seen me for forty years, which was a little distracting.
Another woman kept complaining, "When's he going to play? he just keeps tuning up!" (And that was after I'd been playing about half an hour.
The funny thing was was that I still got the shaky hands before and during the first two or three pieces, despite playing in such an ostensibly peaceful environment. I think my nerves were caused by my desire to please, rather than by worrying about expectations.
As I say, I'm in awe of anyone who can play and sing. What a wonderful thing to be able to do.
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Post by colin on Jul 27, 2024 7:33:43 GMT
I've thought of doing this before, and I'm curious about song selection. You mentioned Simon & Garfunkel, but did you select all your songs from that era or did you work in some more recent material?
Part of me thinks that it would be best to stick to songs from the 60s but I also wonder if it's a bit patronising for me to think that way, since they also likely engaged with the music of the 70s and 80s.
Did you get the impression that anything you played would have been ok, and it was enough just that you were there and performing for them, regardless of material?
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Post by NikGnashers on Jul 27, 2024 12:38:36 GMT
I've thought of doing this before, and I'm curious about song selection. You mentioned Simon & Garfunkel, but did you select all your songs from that era or did you work in some more recent material? Part of me thinks that it would be best to stick to songs from the 60s but I also wonder if it's a bit patronising for me to think that way, since they also likely engaged with the music of the 70s and 80s. Did you get the impression that anything you played would have been ok, and it was enough just that you were there and performing for them, regardless of material? Hey Colin, I know what you mean. The way I saw it, I am not a professional (or even semi-professional), so I always say I have a songlist that I have learned, and I don't do requests or learn songs specifically to play, as I simply play songs I like myself, and if other people enjoy them, then that's great. I just happen to love the early stuff, for example as regards Simon & Garfunkel, I play Scarborough Fair, Cloudy, 59th Bridge Street Song, Kathy's Song, Homeward Bound, and April Come She Will. I do play 'A Most Peculiar Man' but it's not really well known and the lyrics are a bit weird especially the last verse about him turning on the gas and going to sleep lol. The Jim Croce stuff always seems to go down well, and even the Bert Jansch & John Renbourn songs too, so along with Classical Gas, and a few others, I have enough to stretch to 90 mins max, with a bit of talking in between, and chatting to the residents.
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