Karaoke Forums

We're seniors not dead. It would piss me off, but then that's me.

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Singing just for you

If you go to South Padre Island during the winter you will find that most of the venues are just about all senior singers. I sang at one of the clubs and all my material had to be oldies. And believe me when I say some of the seniors can really sang. A lot of them were professions at one time in their life.

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Singing just for you

Mr. McGinley, would you be so kind as to provide us with a list of the songs you like to sing?

I brought my non-professional-style karaoke machine to my grandfather's retirement home a few years ago. We connected the machine to a large-screen TV, but as with many of the previous posters, almost none of the residents wanted to sing. The employees, on the other hand, couldn't get enough of it. The residents were more interested in listening than singing, although I think a large part of it was that they couldn't read the lyrics and weren't familiar with many of the songs (one woman complained that she didn't know these newer songs, referring to something that came out around 1960). It was one of the few times when I really needed some Mitch Miller songs or traditional folk songs.

Everyone seemed to have a really good time anyway. We tried it again a second time, but the second time they didn't seem to like it nearly as much. Only about half as many residents showed up, and they didn't seem as happy about being there. Still, I was glad we did it.

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Reward: nine yen in drawer.

My wife sings karaoke style for about 20 different assisted living and nursing homes. These shows are always 1 hour and charges just enough for her gas to town and back. She works full time as a CNA and is going to school to be an RN so of course 'The Singing CNA' seemed fitting.

Very seldom does she get residents that get up and sing. They all absolutely love her and have a great time. She continues to add to her library of songs stretching further and further back to satisfy requests. The shows most enjoyed are Veteran's Day, 4th of July, Christmas, Easter. Some have asked for her CD and autograph She always comes home beaming. She has come to know many of her regulars by name as well as some of the family members and staff.

As someone stated previously, the amount of equipment needed is minimal. one Mackie 350, a 6 channel Beringer mixer, rSQ CDG player and a portable DVD player for a monitor, all wheels in easily on a small cart and fits in the back of the car.

No matter how busy she gets she will not give up these shows. Very fun and rewarding for her.

With the number of 'baby boomers' retiring and someday living in retirement communities, I see karaoke as being a likely activity on the event calendar. Now what better KJ to have than a registered nurse?

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-Kona

Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Glen Miller, songs from musicals like Oklahoma or Hello Dolly

I'd definitely have songs like Glenn Millers Chattanooga Choo Choo and Moonlight Serenade--classics!

I have a few of these older discs and here are some of the songs I like:

Pocket Songs 1146, Big Band Classics
You Made Me Love You
Elmer's Tune
Brazil
Maria Elena
What a Wonderful World

Just Tracks 019, Rogers & Hart
Blue Moon
Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered
Isn't It Romantic
Manhattan
Thou Swell
The Lady Is a Tramp
There's A Small Hotel
Where or When


Music Maestro 6186, Singing' with the Big Bands
Moonlight Serenade
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Satin Doll
Puttin' ON the Ritz
Take the A Train
How Deep Is the Ocean

Pocket Songs 1025, Cole Porter
Night And Day
You Do Something to Me
Just One of Those Sings
Anything Goes

Investigate the lyrics to make sure that if you are a guy, they are guy type songs, and vice-versa

Music Maestro 6293 has an interesting mix of old and less old songs--sinatra, Billy Joel, Bob Welch, Bobby Darin, BJ Thomas, Neil Diamond

The first couple Sweet Georgia Brown discs have some of the standards with a jazzy feel, but they have long instrumentals in them too...beware!

Country songs like Don't Fence Me In--that song is in a lot of karaoke books, at least older ones as a standard

Tunes like Up a Lazy River, Sentimental Journey, Que Sera Sera, Deep Purple

Sinatra songs like, Fly Me To the Moon, That Old Black Magic, Where or When, I've Got You Under My Skin, Baubles Bangles and Beads, and of course New York New York!

There is a great Top Tunes TT-209 Rod Stewart Great American Songbook cd that has a lot of good songs like I'll Be Seeing You, It Had to Be You, Moonglow, The Very Thought of You, The Way You Look Tonight, They Can't Take That Away from Me

Also, Check out the Legends Series Dean Martin/Tony Bennett Disc CDG Vol 009 available on Amazon.com. Lots of great songs.

Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Glen Miller, songs from musicals like Oklahoma or Hello Dolly

I'd definitely have songs like Glenn Millers Chattanooga Choo Choo and Moonlight Serenade--classics!

I have a few of these older discs and here are some of the songs I like:

Pocket Songs 1146, Big Band Classics
You Made Me Love You
Elmer's Tune
Brazil
Maria Elena
What a Wonderful World

Just Tracks 019, Rogers & Hart
Blue Moon
Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered
Isn't It Romantic
Manhattan
Thou Swell
The Lady Is a Tramp
There's A Small Hotel
Where or When


Music Maestro 6186, Singing' with the Big Bands
Moonlight Serenade
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Satin Doll
Puttin' ON the Ritz
Take the A Train
How Deep Is the Ocean

Pocket Songs 1025, Cole Porter
Night And Day
You Do Something to Me
Just One of Those Sings
Anything Goes

Investigate the lyrics to make sure that if you are a guy, they are guy type songs, and vice-versa

Music Maestro 6293 has an interesting mix of old and less old songs--sinatra, Billy Joel, Bob Welch, Bobby Darin, BJ Thomas, Neil Diamond

The first couple Sweet Georgia Brown discs have some of the standards with a jazzy feel, but they have long instrumentals in them too...beware!

Country songs like Don't Fence Me In--that song is in a lot of karaoke books, at least older ones as a standard

Tunes like Up a Lazy River, Sentimental Journey, Que Sera Sera, Deep Purple

Sinatra songs like, Fly Me To the Moon, That Old Black Magic, Where or When, I've Got You Under My Skin, Baubles Bangles and Beads, and of course New York New York!

There is a great Top Tunes TT-209 Rod Stewart Great American Songbook cd that has a lot of good songs like I'll Be Seeing You, It Had to Be You, Moonglow, The Very Thought of You, The Way You Look Tonight, They Can't Take That Away from Me

Also, Check out the Legends Series Dean Martin/Tony Bennett Disc CDG Vol 009 available on Amazon.com. Lots of great songs.

In sing at many Nursing homes and assisted living homes now that I was laid off of my full time job of 26 years,
I sing full time now and have found that the older songs are not what they are looking for anymore, I sing everything from sinatra, dean martin, to KC & the SSB and they love the more up beat songs, I find Hermans Hermits and old Monkee's era songs are welcomed the best and gets them moving.

Just my 2 Cents


http://www.gainesvillekaraoke.com/

Oh Driz, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come sing with me and sing some of these. I sang in a small group for years and we did '40s and '50s music, 5-part harmony, and I just love this stuff. We could duet some more!

That sounds like fun Karen! I'll have to get back up there.

Seniors are a great audience, easy to entertain and appreciate you being there for them. I do regular shows at senior citizen facilities, veterans clubs, etc, and find each to be a rewarding experience. Playing and singing songs from mrscott's quoted list of artists are timeless treasures for someone in that age range. I often have a group of friends join me who are very good at singing karaoke selections from the 40s & 50's.

In a addition to the standard karaoke monitor, I also set up a 6' screen and video projector for the audience. I switch out my standard Pioneer CDG player and add a Denon DVD player which will also display karaoke graphics. Between karaoke songs, I play music videos from The Grand Old Opry Classics which is a Time-Life product.

Watching the expresions and hearing their comments when they see and hear the videos of Marty Robbins "El Paso," Jim Reeves "Tennessee Waltz," Faron Young "Hello Walls," Patsy Cline "Crazy," Ernest Tubb "Waltz Across Texas," and Loretta Lynn "Coal Miner's Daughter" are priceless.

I know that many are not set up to do mobile video DJ/KJ presentations, but it's worthwhile and you can stay busy in regions where there are larger populations of senior citizen homes and assisted living facilities. More folks are getting up and singing the more often I play their facility. I think that may have to do with the advent of Wii games and senior participation in that activity. That also means they will have a big screen to tap into for karaoke graphics and videos, so I don't have to set up the screen and projector.

When it gets to the holiday season, I invite karaoke friends to come to the shows and sing Christmas songs for the seniors. The graphics displayed on a big screen or with a video projector will get the audience involved. I have several shows booked for holiday parties in December and January.

Cheers !

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"Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid."