Residents want to experience your show,not just passively listen to the music. When we invest time with them, it's crucial to make a connection and share the reason we love music and why we are so happy to share it. "My grandfather taught me how to play guitar. He also smoked cigarettes while he sang the songs. I don't smoke, but every time I smell cigarettes I think of him and the music he shared that made my brothers and I feel so good" Some little stories like this resonate with them. "My grandma danced and she couldn't dance. Grandpa sang and he couldn't sing. They stayed married 60 years." Open up to your senior audience and make them 'feel' what you feel. Let your stories lead into songs and bring them on an emotional journey with you. This makes a lasting impression that will get them asking for you back more often. Why are you so excited about sharing music with senior communities??

Hi all. I am lucky enough to have a few guitars to choose from for performing. Unfortunately that sometimes makes me have a hard time deciding which one will work best for playing at senior facilities. I have a nice old maple 1980 Guild F-50 jumbo which sounds great, but it has passive pad type piezo pickups with no volume control in the guitar. So, I have to adjust things on the amp. These guitars are full sounding and very bright. My other guitar choice is a nylon string Yamaha NTX3 crossover guitar which does have a built-in preamp and controls in the guitar. This guitar is very mellow. Any opinions on which guitar might be better for performing at senior facilities? The nice thing about the Guild F-50 is that it is loud, so if I were performing un-amplified this is the one I would take.

I'm playing Jim Croce's 'Photographs & Memories' , Johnny Cash's version of 'I've been Everywhere', and George Harrison's 'While my Guitar Gently Weeps'. I intend to try all 3 before the end of this week's show line up and will share my progress with The Performer's Circle! What songs are you working on?

I'm curious what everyone uses when referencing a setlist during shows? I go completely from memory and don't rely on anything and I'm wondering if anyone else does this?