As a writer, you start to see the world through a different lens. So today, I’m shifting gears and offering a public service announcement rather than a story from my past.
As always, you can find that different lens in my first novel, Dangerously Overcaffeinated, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0gpgp2Uf. If you want to learn more about me, visit https://www.dalethomas.com/
The Most Important Rule: Consider the generations that will be listening. Choose songs that appeal to each group.
Specific Themes: For dinner music, choose instrumental tracks. For the meet-and-greet, mix jazz and contemporary songs that aren’t too loud and don’t have explicit lyrics. For mingling, choose songs people will hum when they walk up to get a drink.
The Basics: Decide on the timeframe. If you need a one-hour playlist, start by building a two-hour one. Think of this step as a rough draft. Let the songs sit for a while, revisit, and then delete those that don’t meet your criteria. Save the unused songs and deleted songs in a playlist for a future occasion.
Account for the Unexpected: If you need one hour of music, build a playlist that’s one hour and 15 minutes.
Choosing Songs: Once you have a theme, choose your songs carefully. For example, many country songs are about breakups and heartache. They may work for a divorce party but not for a wedding or rehearsal dinner. However, songs about trucks are fine if your man or woman owns one.
Here’s a good example of a song that goes awry. “She’s Just My Style by Garry Lewis and the Playboys sounds like a great wedding song; however, as the song continues, Gary Lewis sings, “She’s not much to look at,” and we want people to notice the bride!
Timing: Build your playlist with a couple of fast songs, maybe three, then a slower ballad.
Finding New Songs: To find new songs not in your playlist or world, use Shazam when you’re out and about to capture potential songs. Places like J. Crew and Nordstrom have good playlists. Just stand under a speaker to capture the song easily.
Most of all, don’t get too attached to songs you like. I might like the song “Sex Bomb” by Tom Jones. It’s a great song, but probably not for the older guests mingling at a rehearsal dinner. I’m not sure they will be humming it as they walk up to the bartender.
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