Quote:
Originally Posted by brahmz118
...In general, familiar music with ingrained associations will elicit more of a response than unfamiliar music, no matter how fun or engaging the latter might be performed. ... If you don't have the right repertoire, you can always try to make up some songs on the spot - usually, the sillier the better.
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I agree... My wife taught 2nd grade for a lot of years and I used to take a guitar in and play for them a couple of times each school year. My wife's feedback on what they were interested in before going in to play for them was really helpful. Then whatever I did was familiar. One year they were into John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High."
I have also done sessions where we all made up a song together, and yes, the sillier, the better. Making up something, with of course a lot of help from the player to get it started, can be really fun and is really well accepted because they think of it as their song.
My grand children have asked for songs like, "I've Been Working on the Railroad," "She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain," and "When The Saints Come Marchin' In". One of my grandsons was into "Trot Ol' Joe" and "Lukey's Boat." I have always enjoyed singing Kenny Loggins' "House at Pooh Corner" and "Puff The Magic Dragon" (because I could ham it up), but familiarity, I think, really helps.
- Glenn