Basic - for a Seniors Entertainer 
1. Easy Level
Your voice: I have found that in anything other than a small, intimate room you will find yourself straining your voice even slightly. After an hour, this can cause you to strain your voice or damage it temporarily. Good vocal technique really helps and we will get into that elsewhere.
I always use a microphone as I do up to 4 engagements a day and I need to save my voice.
It may not be very impressive to just walk in and sing unaccompanied.
An acoustic guitar, piano or accordion and your voice is better.
This is simple and can be OK for a small room. Any musical instrument that you can accompany your singing with is OK. Some will be more practical than others.
I'm not a big fan of Karaoke as it shows very little real talent but if you can put on a very visual show it can work.
So here you are, you walked in with your gear and now to set up. Choose an area that affords a view of the most people. If you need electricity find an outlet nearby. Never run an extension cord where some resident or employee can trip on it.
They can get into things fast and you might not have a chance to warn them. I prefer using an outlet behind me as I set up back to the wall.
2. A step up
Most entertainers will bring some sort of amplifier with a microphone etc. for their voice and instrument. You don't need to be loud but again the voice issue makes it so much more comfortable to sing easily with a mic. If you are in a noisy room you won't be bashing away at your instrument to get a little more volume and it will sound better.
One amplified speaker for both microphone and guitar or piano is practical and usually enough. Some amplified speakers such as JBL makes have 2 channels. You can use a small multi channel mixer first if you like. I prefer using a mixer for the inputs of the guitar and microphone. It offers more control over tone and the volume control is more accessible. If you can raise the speaker(s) up the sound will carry across the room better. Aim it at the audience. If you are in a large room where the sound from one speaker isn't sufficient, use two speakers separated to the left and right of you and raised up and facing the audience.
 3. Even better
I prefer a headset wireless microphone (see the picture of me on the right) as it allows me much more freedom. If I have to move about from a fixed position the mic stays with me and I don't have to stop talking or singing.
My friend Marc plays guitar and he uses a headset wireless mic and wireless guitar setup as well. He is totally wireless and walks around the room with his guitar strapped on and playing while mingling with the audience. He is a flirt and the ladies love him. We entertain at the same places and I hear about him from the ladies...
4. More Better ;-)
I like versatility and I use a variety of things to achieve this.
We'll get into this later in My Equipment.
Here the idea is to give them more sounds and a better show.
As far as sounds are concerned. Backing tracks are a great idea.
It makes you sound as if you are a whole band.
People use many different ways to provide backing tracks.
You can record them yourself if you can play other instruments or you can use a midi device and find the backing tracks online. There are some backing tracks available for sale on the internet. A drum machine is a great tool to use to liven up the beat, especially when the residents are physically able to dance and the facility that you are at encourages it.
If you can try to use another instrument for a treat, such as a trumpet or harmonica or whatever. Variety is interesting to the audience.
Clothes and props will make the show better..
5. Move the equipment
 Do everything you can to carry your equipment in with one trip from the vehicle to the set-up area.
Several trips back and forth can be tedious for you and take the fun out of it, it takes more time and looks amateurish.
I suggest a 2 or even better, 4 wheeled dolly.
It will take less time and you can waltz into the set up area where the people who are early birds get to watch you set up. Oh well. |
