Wednesday, July 11, 2012
CRANK UP THE TUNES!
We’ve all had this experience. You’re the first to arrive at a party and it’s awfully quiet in the house. Oops! Wrong day? Too early? When I invite friends, I want them to feel as though it’s a fun party from the moment they arrive and nothing does that faster than great music. I have a 6-disc CD changer -- you might have Sonos, Pandora, or an iPod -- but it’s really important to set up the music before your guests arrive. I try to choreograph the evening with old and new recordings; upbeat and fun during cocktails, like Cesaria Evora, Taylor Swift, and Aretha Franklin, and then switch to more mellow and romantic music during dinner, like Frank Sinatra, Carla Bruni, and Natalie Cole. Then, just as people are finishing dinner and they’re almost TOO relaxed, I crank up the tunes again and play old favorites like The Beach Boys and Marvyn Gaye. But of course, don’t we all think everyone has better music than we do? What’s your favorite party music? I’d love to know!