American Song Book – Popularity Prevails

At a recent Father’s Day Brunch at Jacaranda Trace Retirement Community, I performed tunes from the American Song Book. These are tunes from my parents’ generation, but made popular again by artists such as Stefani Germanotta (also known as Lady Gaga), Michael Bublé and Amy Winehouse.

Examples of these tunes are: “I Love You,” “Summertime,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” and “The Way You Look Tonight.” Original composers of these great tunes include people like George and Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields, and Cole Porter, to name a few. Because our population in the area of west central Florida (Tampa Bay and surrounding communities) consists primarily of retired people, they love to hear the songs of their era.

At a retirement residence like Jacaranda Trace, American Song Book tunes are the perfect music choice for any occasion. It was wonderful to hear the residents humming and singing along with the tunes that I played.

I used my Hagstrom HL550 guitar, playing through my Roland BA330 PA. This combination produced a great natural acoustic sound. Striking a balance between being heard and not being overbearing is the main objective of my playing. Having the speaker up about ten feet in the air worked perfectly. The residents were cordial and complimentary of my music and it was a wonderful event. I’m looking forward to another opportunity to play there.