So, I've promised to play piano in a local dance studios gala night, which is a something like a month from now, and should build a suitable program for the evening, something from 1 to 2 hours of music. I already have some pieces ready, and will probably do a lot of Satie (Gymnopedies, Je te veux, etc) since they are quite easy and I can do them mostly by sight-reading. But I'm still missing a few pieces. I guess I'm looking for something easy, maybe little jazzy and more entertaining classical music, but I would also like to play something else than Satie exclusively. And why not just jazz if someone can recommend, but I've not been too much down that road yet myself. Thanks a lot in advance!

I wouldn't play too much Satie is I were you. This is just me, but I don't like going to a party and all you hear is slow-ish type music. It keeps everyone subdued and the party is a bit dull. A couple Satie pieces sprinkled about would be ok, but I would play more lighter and upbeat music. For classical music, how about some Grieg. He has plenty of not too difficult and light Lyric Pieces. Or some Chopin Waltzes and Mazurkas (that fits the dance theme well). But especially play more music like Gershwin, Cole Porter, or Richard Rodgers.

I recently had to play background music for a memorial service at a church, for mothers who had lost small children or had miscarriages. That's one of the strangest things I've ever done, especially considering that they picked out the music for me to play and some of it was Garth Brooks. They told me I would be playing with a singer (all of the stuff they gave me was in song format, with the words and all). Turned out the singer was only doing one song with me, and on the rest of it they expected me to play the accompaniment AND the melody. So I kinda had to wing it, lol.

Good luck!

I got this disc the other day:

http://www.amazon.com/Nostalghia-Piano- ... 569&sr=8-4

and I think there are some very nice pieces for background music there.

Maybe a Beatles fake book?

can't go wrong with Satie, Ravel, Debussy, Saint-Saens, even MacDowell

Sorry, J - but that selection would put everybody to sleep. Brian's on track with the Beatles book.

M--should he play 25/10,11, and #12 to wake everyone up?

Have you considered rags? There are a great many quality recordings on this site. Even Nazareth would be good music too.

Thanks everyone for the good advice. Yeah, I have already the "mandatory" amount of Debussy, Satie and the co, and some Chopin waltzes. And yes, I've considered playing some rags and jazz stuff, the only problem being that I have almost no expience in them, and don't own any notes either. But if anyone is willing the share or tell me where to get my hands on some sheets (maybe from the composers pianolady mentioned, they sounded good when I listened to them ) I would be very thankful. Now that I think of it, its kinda wierd that here (at least where I'm studying) nobody plays too much outside the "classical genre," so the little expierence I have is just toying around with some pieces. But, I will continue my quest and check out some other composers also mentioned here, thanks again for the advice.

Nazareth: http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Nazareth%2C_Ernesto

Joplin: http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Joplin%2C_Scott

Scott: http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Scott%2C_James

Gershwin: http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Gershwin%2C_George

And the Beatles fake book you can find that on Amazon.com

Hope that helps.

Try your local library. You can sometimes find big books filled with music such as Broadway shows, movie theme songs, music through the decades (skip the 1970's - yuck ) etc...

Some of the quieter Jazz Preludes by Kapustin would do great as lounge background music.