From: kateh_1@charter.net   
      
   "Vince" wrote   
   > Michael,   
   >>This brings to mind a question I've been meaning to ask for years.   
   >>   
   >>When you're deciding what songs to play for a crowd, how do you know   
   >>what order to put them in?   
   >   
   > That's a great question. Here's my recipe, others may vary.   
      
   I do the set lists for the kids.  And they have different lists for   
   different venues....they have a bluegrass list, a playing for other kids   
   list, and a nursing home list, etc.  Here's the recipe for a kid-band  :   
      
   > 1. Play your best tune first, no matter what. It doesn't matter if it's a   
   > fast song, a slow song, an instrumental, a ballad, whatever...play your   
   > best tune first.   
      
   1B. Play a couple of tunes w/a rock-steady beat......maybe not their best   
   tunes, but the old favorites, the most consistant tunes.  That way the tempo   
   doesn't go to hell in the first three minutes.   :)   
      
   > 2. Look over your list and categorize according to things like speed, key,   
   > who sings lead vocals, etc. In my band, we literally take turns in a   
   > certain order on lead vocals. I lead, Mike leads, Dorothy leads, we play   
   > an instrumental. Then we start over, etc. John and Jim don't ever sing   
   > lead, so they don't go into that equation. Your band may do it   
   > differently.   
      
   2B. Vocals are scarce.  Do a couple of instrumentals and then a   
   vocal....most of the kid's vocal songs are slower, so this mixes up the   
   tempo as well.  I also try to group songs that require the kids to change   
   instruments....it saves a lot of messing around on stage.   
      
   > 3. Let's be honest, many songs sound a LOT like other songs. Don't do   
   > those similar songs back to back. Break them up.   
      
   3B.  Too true, don't put all your Irish fiddle-tunes together, unless you're   
   playing Saint Patrick's Day!   :)   
      
   > 4. End with your OTHER best song. You know you've got at least two that   
   > you do better than the rest. Start and end with your absolute best.   
   > 5. Don't take request. Here's the deal. You look stupid if you (as a band)   
   > don't know the song. If you know it, you probably aren't going to play it   
   > the way they were expecting to hear it. Even if your version is   
   > technically better than "the signature version" of that song, you will   
   > dissappoint the requester.   
      
   4B.  End with the best two or three songs.  Put anything new ...smack-dab in   
   the middle.   
      
   I can see the day coming when they take over the set-lists themselves.....it   
   simultaneously makes me sad *and* happy!   :)   
   KateH   
      
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