Connecting with potential audience communities

[Ben-jammin]

Recently I’ve started playing more in public and the responses have been mostly positive besides a few comments about the fact a majority of my repertoire is not regionally appropriate to the one venue.

I’m getting to the point that I think I need to evaluate where my accordion studies are going to lead to. I have been focused on just improving and working through the pieces my instructor puts in front of me. Which while technically challenging and rewarding to play may not have an apparent audience reasonably local to me.

My repertoire currently is very Italian Liscio focused with some South American and European tangos and a bunch of odds and ends. I checked out the website of some local ballroom dance studios and see they teach the dances that corresponds to some of the musical styles I play and some others I’m interested in learning. I am hoping to connect with that scene to see what’s going on there, are they having balls that require live music? If so what would be specific music needs be so I can see what types of music to add to a repertoire that would support that community. It’s very possible it’s a dead end, but I think it’s worth investigating. I have written to two of the studios requesting to consult with them even offering to pay their private lesson rates but haven’t heard back yet.

is anybody here familiar with the US ballroom dance scene to share some insights?

 

[HumbleBeginner]

I am not familiar with US Ballroom but in the AUS;

Are they having balls that require live music?
We have a big Italian community, so Liscio is perfect and ballo liscio. At the dancing halls, they try to always have live music present. And more socially for weddings, the Tarentella is always played with live music and an accordian is essentially a must.

If so what would be specific music needs be so I can see what types of music to add to a repertoire: With my limited knowledge, the European and south American music is extremely popular in social clubs in the cities so i would say you have a great foundation. And as mentioned above, any celebratory tunes for weddings, debs, dances would be seen positively.

Apologies it's not the country you requested but I believe we share similar social and cultural norms to an extent. So if you have a local italian community or a local European group maybe check out their social clubs and dancing halls. And any local schools that hold formals and what not, I hope this insight helps you out.

 

[Tom]

Sorry, I don’t know about the ballroom dance scene, other than the fact that around Wisconsin, as you can imagine, dancing with live accordion music involves polkas and old time music in general. It may not be a genre that interests you, but even in your area, it could be an opportunity.

 

[NickC]

I am going through a similiar situation. I play mainly northern Italian music, and everyone around here is from the south. I never got around to doing it, but my plan was to play festivals. If there were several groups performing, then the Neapolitan, Sicialian, etc regions would be represented by other groups, so I would be able to have a more specialized rep. My wife is a dancer and dance teacher, so I eventually thought it would be cool to have her teach the audience a few steps to get them involved.

In the meantime, I've been learning some classic Sicilian songs and Italian-American favorites. I figure that I can sprinkle those in when needed.

Specific to your question, I did contact a few dance studios about 12 years ago. I was playing bass with a salsa group. There are several studios that focus on salsa and a few that offer it as a class. I discussed either playing during an event at their studio or partnering for an event outside. For me, it was a dead end, BUT don't let that discourage you. I think part of it was due to the size of the band. It was a 12 piece group that needed a large sound system and performance space, etc, plus we were a lot louder than the rooms could handle. I think a soloist would have worked well, and I think it's worth a few calls.


If anyone is interested, here is a promo video of the group with our music overdubbed on top:

 

[JerryPH]

Recently saw a movie about US ballroom dancing starring Richard Gere and "Jay-Lo", great sound track.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22shall+we+dance%22

Should give you an idea or two at the least.

 

[losthobos]

I'd advise you to go along to a ballroom evening and watch the dancers, listen to the music and then ask yourself is this the staid strict tempo scene you really wanna be playing too....
Then nip along to a jazz swing club and do the same.....
A Roland and BK7 would pull you through the ballroom gig...
You'd need to be a bit freer for the swing one....,
I went down this path in the UK and the midi sequences that were played at the 'sequence dances'....a type of ballroom with predetermined steps was truly nauseating....ditched the idea...
P.S. I am a far better dancer than I am accordionist....in both ballroom and swing....

 

[dak]

More often than not, ballroom club dancers are not musicians. That means that the rhythm section has to be quite "in the face" and not indulge in any intellectual niceties. Also, the beat has to be kept like clockwork. That makes it sensible to work with arrangers and typically at least employ bass MIDI. I would lean towards usually using natural accordion sounds on the right in order to provide the audience with some matching audio to the visuals.

 

[Tom]

How is it going with the ballroom scene Ben? I have the same repertoire searching going on, but with an audience of Wisconsin farmer market attendees. Of course they love polka and old time but I refuse to do a full set of such, although I can name three colleagues who do. I search for “music I like that will be appreciated by my audience.” This includes a lot of uptempo familiar tunes, although I sneak in a few Italian (Vieni Sul Mare) or Stephen Foster (Beautiful Dreamer). Smiling and eye contact however, trump everything, and make just about anything palatable when mixed with the known.

 

[John M]

How is it going with the ballroom scene Ben? I have the same repertoire searching going on, but with an audience of Wisconsin farmer market attendees. Of course they love polka and old time but I refuse to do a full set of such, although I can name three colleagues who do. I search for “music I like that will be appreciated by my audience.” This includes a lot of uptempo familiar tunes, although I sneak in a few Italian (Vieni Sul Mare) or Stephen Foster (Beautiful Dreamer). Smiling and eye contact however, trump everything, and make just about anything palatable when mixed with the known.

Just like you, I like variety in what I play. I have found that some of the old hymns such as "Just a Closer Walk With Thee", "Be Thou My Vision", "How Great Thou Art", are really appreciated by the general public -- not just in church. Maybe not at a Farmer's market, but in an assisted living place, it is really appreciated. I mix all this in with polkas, waltzes, country, folk, marches, Hawaiian songs, Patriotic U.S. songs, etc.

I love song variety and especially the huge tonal/sound/instrument variation that I can get with my 8X to "fit the song".

 

[Ben-jammin]

How is it going with the ballroom scene Ben? I have the same repertoire searching going on, but with an audience of Wisconsin farmer market attendees. Of course they love polka and old time but I refuse to do a full set of such, although I can name three colleagues who do. I search for “music I like that will be appreciated by my audience.” This includes a lot of uptempo familiar tunes, although I sneak in a few Italian (Vieni Sul Mare) or Stephen Foster (Beautiful Dreamer). Smiling and eye contact however, trump everything, and make just about anything palatable when mixed with the known.

I never heard back from any of the ballroom people. I have since kind of fell into a Bavarian social club with a Schuhplattler group and I’m learning the music for that. They seem to be patient with the fact that it’s not my highest priority. Hopefully that patients continues as I don’t expect my work to slow down.

 

[Pipemajor]

e. I have since kind of fell into a Bavarian social club with a Schuhplattler group

We're all doomed laddie. Doomed I tell ye.
(private Frazer, Dad's Army, 1970s British comedy)

 

[Tom]

I never heard back from any of the ballroom people. I have since kind of fell into a Bavarian social club with a Schuhplattler group and I’m learning the music for that. They seem to be patient with the fact that it’s not my highest priority. Hopefully that patients continues as I don’t expect my work to slow down.

Interesting, thanks. I’ve never heard of that type of music playing. Hope it goes well for you.

 

[JerryPH]

I have since kind of fell into a Bavarian social club with a Schuhplattler group

I'd have a lotof fun in that kind of group!

 

[Rosie C]

I never heard back from any of the ballroom people. I have since kind of fell into a Bavarian social club with a Schuhplattler group and I’m learning the music for that.

That sounds wonderful. I'm imagining it as Oktoberfest all year round!