Does anyone have a web page to share? I tried to make one with Google Sites (which was free), but I'm curious what others have done. Actually, I'd like to completely redo my site. Please add yours so I can get ideas to improve what I have. Here is mine: https://sites.google.com/view/beecherbusiness/brian-beecher-music

So last night I was looking at Face book page of a care home about 15 miles from me they had had an seasonal flower arrangement activity I left a nice comment about and the Activity director read it and called me today to ask what I did and has booked me for next month 3rd time I have gotten a booking like this it is important to comment form your FB business page as for me that's where my contact info is it's worth a shot👍

My morning audience was a little quiet today so I got them to interact with me a little bit by saying things that prompted a response.. "Don't count your chickens before they.....(Audience says, 'Hatch') "Rome wasn't build in a.... (Audience says , 'Day') "Birds of a feather flock... (Audience says 'Together') I tried being creative about this technique and used it within a story I was already telling. "..I was listening to my brother complain about the weather for the thousandth time and finally I said ENOUGH IS.....(Audience says..ENOUGH!) Even if they don't respond (which is never) I just simply finish the saying myself and move along with the story. Also, right after I get a REALLY good response I'll say something like, "And I'll bet this NEXT song will knock your socks off..are you ready? (Audience mumbles yes) Then I repeat the question with more volume and pretending to be annoyed..."I said ARE YOU READY?!" (Audience yells back "YES!") Then I play an upbeat intro to Blue Suede Shoes and say "I got ONE FOR THE MONEY...." And the song brings them along with some gusto! This technique works especially well for audiences that are on the quieter side. I'm VERY sensitive to where and when I include use this method-usually toward the middle of the show. Sometimes if I get crickets and absolutely NO RESPONSE or sound or movement what- so -ever, I'll playfully say something like "All right gang everybody's gotta settle down!" (Audience stares a me a moment as I look at them pretending to be serious...) We're there to have fun together and sometimes you need to make light of a situation that isn't working the way you had intended. We go in with the best attitude and a heart of love and do the best we can with them. One moment at at time and one song at a time...one bad joke at a time😅

Digging through the old Cashbox magazine archives is a favorite tactic to unearth classic material our listeners may be familiar with, but I may not be. While I prefer material from 1965 and ideally earlier, our audiences are getting younger all the time, in a sense. So I'll get the TOP 100 songs list from the final DECEMBER issue for a given year, make a playlist, and listen to it while I'm doing other boring things, like INVOICING. If a song stands out to me, I'll put it on my to-do list. Unfortunately, much of the material that came out in the late '60s and the '70s is just about as FUN as invoicing to my ears. Perhaps it is due to a shift in the music industry, current events at the time, increasing "overproduction," and countless other factors. Here are my musical archaeology finds of the weekend. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5LsyEStExwvOZ4pFNs9rdn What are your favorite tunes to play that get the best resident reactions from 1969?

I'm known among senior communities as 'the guy who talks about his grandfather'. I didn't market myself this way-it just happened. Overtime, as my confidence grew, I began to share my music roots and why I'm happy to be with the residents and how my grandfather's guitar changed my life. When I shared my 'why' with the residents, the show became more than the music and started transforming into something else. In between songs, I'd say something like, "...Pop pop told me if you have a song you love you need to share it with others, they will feel the love even if they don't know the song.." Then I'd start playing 'Yesterday' or 'What a wonderful world'. The show was becoming more like an 'experience' as I shared the stories and reasons behind the songs I play. Music became almost secondary. As if one were admiring the intricately designed framing before ever noticing the beautiful painting. As I grew as a performer, so did my recollections of being with my grandfather and his lessons. I'd sit at the kitchen table and practice a song and Pop pop would say, "..you're playing too damn fast. Imagine you are eating a piece of you're grandmother's cheesecake..the goal isn't to eat as fast as you can-savor every bite and make it last." Every time I play a song on the guitar I think of that. Mmmmm cheesecake! I think this is why my show is different than others. Why did you begin playing music? How does this shape the life you live? These are a few good questions to answer and share with residents at your next show. They want to know you, not just listen to your music. The more you share about yourself and the love you have for your music, the more you will connect with your senior communities. What do you want to be known for?