{"id":219,"date":"2023-05-09T08:49:56","date_gmt":"2023-05-09T15:49:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/harpistanneroos.com\/blog\/?p=219"},"modified":"2026-01-04T02:15:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T10:15:34","slug":"ridiculous-and-not-so-ridiculous-requests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harpistanneroos.com\/blog\/ridiculous-and-not-so-ridiculous-requests\/","title":{"rendered":"Ridiculous and Not-So-Ridiculous Requests"},"content":{"rendered":"

I love a good challenge. I get bored playing the same set list over and over again. So long ago, I stepped up to the plate and accepted music requests, playing whatever my audience wants to hear. This can invite trouble, though\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

My wedding couples deliver their music selections to me well in advance so that I can dust the cobwebs off songs that I haven\u2019t played in a while. And when an unfamiliar request comes to me, as long as I have plenty of time to get the sheet music and work up a harp arrangement, I\u2019m happy to oblige.<\/p>\n

This is how I add new songs to my repertoire. Without taking requests, I might never find out about cool new material!<\/strong><\/p>\n

I also love taking requests on-the-spot, when performing at restaurants, on cruises, at wine tasting events, and at all kinds of public events. Besides delighting listeners when I honor their requests, they enthusiastically fill my tip jar. No complaints here.<\/p>\n

But when the events are private where only invited guests are allowed, I stick to the music list that\u2019s provided to me by my clients. If their list includes unusual songs with questionable titles or lyrics, I check with them to make sure those songs are okay to play.<\/p>\n

Even though I\u2019m not singing, guests may be puzzled about songs that are out-of-place. That\u2019s why I’m careful about performing songs that are inappropriate for the occasion, such as selections typically played at memorial services that are requested for wedding music. In this case, it doesn\u2019t even matter if the tune has lyrics or not–Even the wrong melody can bring about tears of sadness instead of tears of joy.<\/p>\n

\"Cal-Neva
Cal-Neva Resort 2010. Hotel is now closed. (Photo: Wikipedia.org)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What\u2019s the most ridiculous song request I\u2019ve ever received?<\/strong> This one is hard to top\u2026<\/p>\n

I performed for a small wedding reception at the historic Cal-Neva Resort<\/span><\/a> <\/span>on the shores of North Lake Tahoe<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>Guests gathered in\u00a0 Frank Sinatra\u2019s private Board Room for the meal service, lining up at the bar for drinks while I played music reminiscent of the Rat Pack days. Just after the bride and groom entered the room from their post-ceremony photo session, a small-framed man approached me in a drunken swagger and asked, \u201cCould you play \u2018My Ding-A-Ling\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you mean the song by Chuck Berry?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes! I love that song!\u201d he exclaimed while a fog of alcohol stench wafted in my direction.<\/p>\n

Dear readers, are you familiar with this early 1970s novelty song? Chuck Berry<\/span><\/a><\/span> was proud of this little ditty that unabashedly contained lyrics about playing with his private parts. The melody sounds like a nursery rhyme, and it would be uninteresting on the harp, even without the lyrics. (I\u2019m not posting the song here, but you can listen to it and read the lyrics at songfacts.com<\/span><\/a>.)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Chuck Berry, 1972 (Photo from Wikipedia.org)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How did I respond to this request?<\/strong> I held back my laughter and said, \u201cI\u2019m sorry sir, but the bride gave me specific instructions to follow her list of songs. If I play something that isn\u2019t on her list, she\u2019ll get upset. Feel free to talk to the bride about your special request. She will ask me to play it if she wants to hear your song.\u201d<\/p>\n

I dared this blotto guest to approach the bride with his request for \u201cMy Ding-A-Ling\u201d. My strategy worked. Even in his drunken state, he shied away from approaching the bride. He understood it was the bride\u2019s day, so with a nod, he meandered back to his table.<\/p>\n

What if this guest requested a nice love song befitting of a wedding, and not \u201cMy-Ding-A-Ling\u201d? I still wouldn\u2019t play it, because the request needs to go through my client for approval. I shudder to think how disappointed the bride would be if I played a song that reminded her of an ex-boyfriend, a deceased relative, or an unhappy time in her life.<\/p>\n

To be safe, I try to avoid playing most songs bearing titles or lyrics that are suspect, unless it\u2019s obvious that the audience is into that sort of thing (for instance heavy metal and hard rock songs are completely acceptable at a public wine bar, but playing religious church hymns would not necessarily be welcomed).<\/p>\n

The safest thing to do is to play songs that don\u2019t have any lyrics at all. Everyone can get into the action when a tune is just a fun toe-tapper, like this impromptu dance by the flower girl and ring bearer from Madison and Dean\u2019s wedding reception.<\/strong> Madison\u2019s grandmother requested an Irish jig at the reception, and dancing ensued. The tune played is \u201cConsidine\u2019s Grove\u201d from my \u201cA Light in the Forest\u201d album, available here on my website<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. Special Thanks to Cynthia C. for sending this cute video along to me:<\/p>\n