What should I sing at a nursing home?

Question:HELP! I just found out today (as a volunteer) that I am needed to sing a few songs at a nursing home. I have no idea what to sing!! I have a pretty good vocal range, but I am mainly a soprano. Can anyone suggest some relatively easy songs to sing that would be appropriate/enjoyed at a nursing home? Thank you so much for your help!

P.S. There may be a pianist but I might have to sing a-capella.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: HELP! I just found out today (as a volunteer) that I am needed to sing a few songs at a nursing home. I have no idea what to sing!! I have a pretty good vocal range, but I am mainly a soprano. Can anyone suggest some relatively easy songs to sing that would be appropriate/enjoyed at a nursing home? Thank you so much for your help!

P.S. There may be a pianist but I might have to sing a-capella.

"You'll Never Walk Alone,"
"Amazing Grace,"
Somewhere over the Rainbow,"
"White Christmas" (in season :)
Songs from "The King and I," "Camelot," "Oklahoma," and other great musicals,
"I Believe (that for every drop of rain that falls)."

Such songs are dear to the memories, lives, and feelings of the majority of NH residents. Their memories for songs are more connected to their current lives than many other items, including sitcoms, newspapers, etc.

Even sing-alongs are great, if people are willing.

Good fortune...and smile, be cheerful. They really are people just like everyone else.

"The Great Divorce," C. S. Lewis, is worth reading.

John Denver - Almost Heaven!!

"Tomorrow" from Annie.

It depends on your audience. Why don't you ask them what they want you to sing...and then roll with it. If its a dementia home, you can sing just about anything and they will either love or hate it.

Try going to a used bookstore (barring that, a full-service music store or online bookstore) and see if you can find a collection of hit tunes from around the 1940s. Your audience will appreciate hearing things that were popular when they were young, and you'll have the music for the pianist if there is one.

Ask for info in advance, but maybe some Sinatra

You could even go very simple as well. My wife plays at rest and nursing homes all the time and her usual set includes songs like.... "Roll out the barrell" "My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean" "You are my sunshine" "Take me out to the Ball Game" on others like that. Also, any old hymns that you may know will go over well too. "How Great thou Art" "Amazing Grace" "Old Rugged Cross". Many may seem corny to us now, but they grew up with these songs and will love them dearly! Best of luck and God Bless!

If you have to do this tomorrow, the obvious answer is to sing what you know and rely on your own skill to sell the song and put it across to your audience. If you are not comfortable with the idea of singing without accompaniment, you should definitely postpone the performance until arrangements can be made. You can employ a lot of techniques to put this across however. You can try getting the audience to sing along or even clap. If you have any accompaniment tapes or CDs, you can obviously use those (karaoke) and there may even be someone in the audience who plays! The material isn't nearly as important as the idea that someone is willing to come visit, spend some time with them, and perhaps even help them to reconnect with the outside world. You can sing anything from sing along songs to show tunes, to inspirational tunes, and even modern ballads. These people watch television and listen to the radio so they are not as unfamilier with modern music as you might think. Treat them with respect, do the best you can, and most important, be willing to go back and do it again.

go with the 80's. everyone loves the 80's lol