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HI everyone..I am new and I have no idea if I'm posting my question in the right area...I have started playing my violin in retirement homes. I play a mixture of hymns, patriotic music and classical music...I am looking for a few more poupar songs that will be popular with seniors.....any ideas? and if so..where can I find free sheet music?..thanks, Dawnmarie
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Tell us a little about your level of playing. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Fiddlerman said
Tell us a little about your level of playing.
and what part of the world youre in will help also, what may go over as oldies in Tennessee may not fly in Washington state.
There is no shame in playing twinkle, youre playing Mozart
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I have no idea what seniors might like to hear but I don't think they want Lawrence Welk. Maybe music from the fifties or late forties. Try some music by the Righteous Brothers, Unchained Melody.
The seniors I know like Pink Floyd.
King
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Kevin, when do you think Lawrence Welk was popular on TV ?
I would say that people in retirement home's are at least in the mid 60's to 70's and beyond. I wouldn't think Pink Floyd would be on their list of old favorite's for senior citizen's, maybe for someone who hasn't reached 60 yet, it's likely. But i'm probably wrong again, that's why I pulled the list before "dawnmarie" could see it. She probably wouldn't have liked them song's either. Usually song's that senior citizen's like are the song's they heard their parent's sing and dance to while growing up, not what their kid's danced to.
Unchained Melody was 1965. Pink Floyd was from 65' and on to the 90's.
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hahaha...you guys are funny...
fiddlerman..my level of playing?..I'm not sure...I 've been playing on and off for 30 years...completed 5 suzuki books ...I had several teachers in highschool but I never studied in college....played in a few weddings...
Barry..I live in Punta Gorda, Florida
Fiddlestix..Unchained Melody huh?...hmmm
I'm trying to find music that they can sing along to..they really like partriotic songs....but the other day I had a request to play "My wild Irish rose"...which I was not familiar with.....I also had a request to play Gypsy music....sigh***
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I assume you read music pretty well.
Kreisler is perfect for this occasion.
Here is a list from a book that you can get called "The Fritz Kreisler Collection"
- Caprice Viennois, Op.2 Composed by Fritz Kreisler
- Tambourin Chinois, Op.3 Composed by Fritz Kreisler
- Liebesfreud Composed by Fritz Kreisler
- Liebesleid Composed by Fritz Kreisler
- Schon Rosmarin Composed by Fritz Kreisler
- Rondino On A Theme Of Beethoven Composed by Fritz Kreisler
- La Gitana Composed by Fritz Kreisler
- Variations On A Theme By Corelli In The Style Of Tartini, Composed by Fritz Kreisler
- Chansons Louis Xiii And Pavane In The Style Of Couperin, Composed by Fritz Kreisler
- Scilienne And Rigaudon In The Style Of Francoeur, Composed by Fritz Kreisler
- Praeludium And Allegro In The Style Of Pugnani, Composed by Fritz Kreisler
- Melodie From 'orfeo Ed Euridice' Composed by Christoph Willibald Von Gluck, Christoph Willibald Von Gluck
- Rondo From 'serenade In D Major' Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Song Without Words, Op.62, No.1 Composed by Felix Bartholdy Mendelssohn
- Slavonic Dance In E Minor, Op.46, No.2 Composed by Antonin Dvorak
- Spanish Dance In E Minor Composed by Enrique Granados
- Tango, Op.165, No.2 Composed by Isaac Albeniz
- Danse Espagnole From 'la Vida Breve', Composed by Manuel De Falla, Manuel De Falla
- Three Cadenzas For The 'concerto In D Major', Op.61 Composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven
- Cadenza For The 'concerto In D Major', Op.77 Composed by Johannes Brahms
- Cadenza For The 'concerto No.1 In D Major', Op.6 Performed by ; Composed by Nicolo Paganini
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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WOW...this is great...thank you thank you thank you!!!
King
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Dawnmarie,,, I wasn't suggesting "Unchained Melody", although it would be a good one seeing it is from the 50', something they can relate to.
Do you want sing along music or just anything you can play they would recognize.
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"Barry..I live in Punta Gorda, Florida"
well since Florida is the retirement capitol of the states, Im sure you can do a mix and find something for everyone
There is no shame in playing twinkle, youre playing Mozart
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Barry...I prefer sing-a long...right now I play all the old hymns and patriotic music...which they LOVE... I'm just looking for a few more that they can relate to and sing along to and thought you guys might have some ideas..
I'm trying to play all types so that when they have a request I can just whip it out and play!..lol....
thanks for the Fritz Kresiler collection fiddlerman ..I'm looking forward to practicing those!...
( I love these little smileys)
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Dawnmarie, you can't go wrong with show tunes from the forties and fifties. Like songs from The King and I, Oklahoma, Singing in the Rain, The Music Man, Carousel, etc.
I'm in my sixties so I know these songs.
Brigadoon is great, too. Here is Adam Lambert performing "Come to Me, Bend To Me" which is my favorite song from Brigadoon:
Here's a link to free sheet music:
I've learned so much from my mistakes that I've decided to make some more.
Honorary advisor
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Some of the old Frank Sinatra standards would be good, too. I've Got You Under My Skin, Witchcraft, Strangers in the Night, Fly Me To The Moon, It Had To Be You, etc.
Here's a site that has 493 sheets for Frank Sinatra, for free!
I've learned so much from my mistakes that I've decided to make some more.
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wow..thanks Gail!..you all are really a big help!..I'm very thankful I found this forum!...
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I don't know if you noticed it or not, but when you click on a title and get the screen with the sheet music thumbnail, just under the download button there's a "transpose" link. If you transpose each piece to your favorite key before you download it, it will be much easier to string several pieces together to make medleys. You could make up lyric sheets (large font. Old eyes don't see that well up close) and hand them out for your sing-alongs. This will be so much fun for them.
I've learned so much from my mistakes that I've decided to make some more.
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