Originally Posted By: eddie1261
<...snip...>Nobody knows what the audience wants. You CAN know what every other band in your city plays and follow suit. So to that point, let me ask you this by way of example.<...>

I don't know what the audience wants, but when I get to the gig, I look at them, how they are dressed, how they style their hair, what kind of shoes do they have on, and a few other cues.

A couple of easier examples: Cowboy hats = Country music. Women's shoes with T straps = ballroom dance music. And so on.

This gives me a good idea of what song to open with. Usually with something that has broad appeal and also fits the genre of music the audience looks like it wants.

With years of experience, I'm pretty good at this.

Then, when we play our first song, I see how the audience is reacting and that helps me call the next song.

We don't do set lists, I react to the audience to try to give them the right song at the right time, song after song after song. It's my job as the professional to know what they want, even if they don't.

I choose from our 'list' of over 600 songs spanning multiple genres.

To tell you the truth, I have no idea what my competition plays. I've never looked at their 'list'.

I know what my audiences like, and I plan to play what they want. Choosing the songs is an art form, and playing any music can also be artful.

And remember, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Prokofiev also composed and played what their sponsors demanded. The "list" of their day.

Notes ♫

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
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