Performance order

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This topic has 4 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 8 months ago by Angela Biggs.

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

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August 28, 2013 at 4:25 pm #62652

jennifer-buehler
Member

I have a coffee shop performance coming up and am trying to decide how to organize my music. I know what I want for my opening and closing pieces but am not sure what order to play the rest of the pieces. I have several sub-themes (moon songs, spooky tunes, celtic, 60s pop) but I don’t think that I want to play all pieces from that theme at once. Any ideas?

Thanks!

August 28, 2013 at 4:43 pm #62653

kreig-kitts
Member

I’m totally serious here. Assuming this is a casual performance and the audience will be coming and going, and you want people to hear a variety, my first inclination would be to put strong pieces at the beginning and end, and order the rest randomly. If you end up with several too similar-sounding (slow, same key, whatever) pieces together, then switch the order of two pieces to break it up a bit.

That way, at any given moment somebody coming in will be more likely to hear a couple of pieces they enjoy. Their minds will stick on the ones they like the most and create a more favorable impression.

August 28, 2013 at 6:13 pm #62654

kay-lister
Member

Hi Jennifer!

It depends (in my situation anyway) on if I play the lever harp or pedal harp. If it’s the lever, then I go by “Keys” starting with Eb and then ease my way up the levers if you will. I just don’t want to be disrupting my playing with a lot of lever changes between pieces. As far as the pedal harp is concerned, I guess it doesn’t really matter.

Kay

August 29, 2013 at 1:39 pm #62655

jennifer-buehler
Member

Thanks Kreig and Kay! I was thinking more random would definitely be better with some more upbeat mixed with the slower. I’m not too worried about lever changes between pieces as I will have some “patter” as part of the program. I always love to talk about the pieces and about the harp. I also have a set of pieces for the lap harp. For logistical reasons, I’ll play those all at once.

August 29, 2013 at 2:41 pm #62656

Angela Biggs
Member

Hi Jennifer,

I also like to start with my strongest pieces; it helps calm me down and starts off with a really good impression. Like Kay, I arrange by keys first (my strongest pieces happen to be in EbM/Cm, so that works well!). Within that structure I definitely prefer to mix it up as far as tempo and styles go.

After you set up a tentative order, try playing the end of the first piece and moving right into the next one, then skip to the end of that piece and move right into the next again, and so on and so forth. That will help you to catch any awkward transitions — if the pieces don’t “feel” right together you can switch them around.

Oh, and — when you find an order you like, write it down! It will save you some planning for a similar future gig. I have my previous lineups in a spreadsheet organized by total playing time, and it’s so useful. I don’t always follow previous lineups exactly, but it’s a great jumping-off place.

I hope you have fun! 🙂
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