Thread: how often do you change music

Hi all,

I was just wondering how often do you change your music or set when you have a regular weekly gig at a hookah lounge or restaurant and have to dance to recorded music.

Do you stick with certain sets or change every week so the regulars see something different??

It seems to go both ways. I have some that like to hear the favorites (like the gp going to hear an 80's cover band) they know what they are getting.

was just wondering how everyone else handled this?

Thoughts??

You see, I asked myself the same question. But I never posted a thread on here about that. I have a gig every other week and I try to do different music each time. I have regulars and I would like for them to get different music each time. Problem is that after a while I am running out of music, specially the one that makes me feel really good when I am dancing. Case and point, I have a show tomorrow nite and I am not finding what I need to complete the show, but I guess I'll live. Hope this helps.

We use different SETS for every gig, public and private. There is overlap on the individual SONGS.

As far as what your GP wants, I am reminded of something I once read re: choosing clothing colors to match your complexion: Q: 'What color are men most attracted to?' A:' The color of a pretty girl.' The point being, that if you lean into the music choices that make you happiest, then that is what will make your audience happiest too. But don't ever stop growing your music collection!

Maurazebra offers great advice that I was just about to offer as well. I use a different set every show (and I dance twice a week at the same venue). I re-use many of the same pieces of music but in different combinations. I sometimes re-use a set I used 1-2 months (or 1-2 years!) ago. I love my ipod! (beats burning CD's all the time)
Whatever you choose, make sure it's music that moves you. People will remember how well you danced, not necessarily how many impressive moves you executed but rather how easily you danced from your heart feeling the music.
Music is like costumes. I'd never dance in the same costume week after week (or the same 2, 3 costumes) so why would I dance to the same music week after week?

ITA with MauraZebra and Hala Jamal. I really don't like the idea of a cookie-cutter set, so I try to mix everything carefully to really capture the vibe my clients are going for.

That being said, I do have a couple of "go-to" songs that often seem to make their way into my sets. Other dancers might think some of my music is cliche, but 1. my audiences don't consist of other dancers, and 2. I think you should always dance to music that makes YOU feel good, and music that you know like the back of your hand. If you already know what you're dancing to (whether it's recorded or you're working with a live band), that's half the battle, and your brain is free to have fun and interact with the crowd.

Of course, I think everyone's entitled to a good music buying spree once in awhile, and it's always fun to go back and revisit CD's you've had in your collection for ages. I go through phases where I get sick of everything and go crazy buying new stuff. But if you have a few comfortable favorite songs, that's not exactly the end of the world, either.

I have a regular gig at a restaurant. I used to change the music every week but that's a massive waste of my $ for CDs since I can't run my ipod off their system ( don't ask). SO I actually don't change my set for a couple of months sometimes. I seek out & tweak my music constantly for that perfect blend since I only have 15 minutes... so when I find something that works I pretty much leave it alone. This isn't a place where I get "regular "customers so its always new to them.

When its a special gig then yes, I tailor the set to the specifics.

At regular gigs that don't really have regular customers I tend to stick to sets with songs that please me a whole lot- although that's a wide range and is also of course influenced by the owner (Turkish? Arab? Indian? etc). I change them almost every time, but tend to return to favorites often.
Places with regulars- I use a different set each time, however I DO of course repeat favorites- both mine and theirs. I pay attention to who is there and try to be accommodating.
When starting out, I had about 4 or 5 intros, 3 or 4 veil songs, 2 sword songs, 2 saidi songs, a bunch of audience participation songs and just about 4 tabla solos that I used regularly and mixed in various ways.
Currently on my "intros" playlist I've got 78 intros (of course there is repetition/variations). I've used at least 35 of them. Some I don't like and will never use again...but hey, at least they helped me add in variety for regulars. lol. About 10 are ones that I frequently return to, another 5 or 6 every now and again return to.
It's important to keep in mind that there are some favorites that regulars will WANT to hear again and again - either because they love the song or because they appreciate your dancing to them. ..g.:

Same here -- I have a collection of songs I love and try to mix & match so I have a fresh set and don't repeat the same music all the time.

A lot of it is audience perception. A really distinctive song is going to be remembered; but only another dancer is likely to catch that you're doing the same drum solo you did last week (and only if she has the same one in her repertoire!). Most GP American audiences can't tell one ME song from another in a lot of cases, so they THINK it was the same music they heard last week even if it's not. Whereas an Arab audience is going to realize that Alf Leyla and Nebtidi aren't the same song, and Hakim isn't Saad.

e-music is a HUGE help in building a music collection affordably, by the way.

Another factor no one has mentioned is how often you dance at a particular place. I've only been on the schedule once a month at my last three gigs. I could probably repeat myself every fourth time or so and no one would notice. If I danced there every night, or even every weekend, I'd need to mix it up quite a bit more.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

e-music is a HUGE help in building a music collection affordably, by the way.

Same goes for amazon.com mp3 downloads. ..g.:

For weekly gigs, I have about 6 different "sets", but some songs are repeated in several sets. So, it will be over a month until I repeat an entire set, but I may have used one or two songs a few times in that month.

Same response as many above - I mix and match quite a bit. Keeps things fresh for everyone, including me! For GP bellygrams, I tend to use certain songs, though.

I keep adding to my list here on BellydanceDownloads.com. (However, if it's from a CD that isn't easy to find on the web, I haven't listed it.)

Check out the whole Dancers' Picks section. I learn about new songs (or versions, at least) every time someone sends me a list.