Help! Our song list has been changed at the last second...?

Question

Me and my friends Ash and Jake are in a school band (Shadows Of Darkness, or S.O.D for short) and we've done a lot of rehearsing with the same songs, which were chosen by students at our school, but the Gifted and Talented co-ordinater and headmistress have decided that we have to do more modern, mature songs from our age group. We've spent three weeks preparing for the concert, and have perfected all our original songs, and we don't want to disappoint our audience and at the same time, we don't want to be expelled for saying that we don't want to do the new song list. Please help! We're going to write a letter saying that we don't want to do the songs because we feel that he new songs are for little kids, not teenagers! Does anyone know what we can do, or say in our letter which wont offend our the G&T co-ordinater and headmistress? The new songs are listed with the original songs in additional details if it helps.

New songs:
The theme song from balamory.
Hello by Lionel Ritchie

Original songs:
Don't stop me now
We will rock you
Redundant
Jesus of Suburbia
Homecoming
I don't wanna miss a thing
Shadow of the world (one of my poems which became one of our own songs)

FYI the concert will last for around two hours. because all we do on the first day is see the welcome back concert and get our timetables for the next year.

We don't really have a choir/band director. It's the G&T co-ordinater who direct us.

Answer 1

Led Zepplin them. Led Zepplin use to do covers live, but Robert Plant knew more of the songs than Jimmy Page. When Jimmy Page couldn't go any farther, he would hit a note telling Plant to switch to a new song without finishing the first song. Just make a collage of the new material into one long song which would sound like what Led Zepplin did with their act.

Answer 2

Just be very polite...i totally agree with you! Give logical explanations like the amount of effort and time u have put in and how it will be a waste n very stressful to change now. Also say that a lot of the students back your decision n you don't want to dissapoint them. I think if your polite and give the logical reasons written in your question you will be ok. Anyway they can't expel you for that! What kind of school do you go to lol?

Good luck x

Answer 3

I think the best thing to do is try and come to some kind of compromise. Not sure why the G&T person and HM think you should play more current songs, maybe ask them their reasoning behind the decision. Ask if they have objections to the ones you've practiced, could be some kind of school rule situation. Best thing to do is have a face to face and discuss it openly. Good Luck....

Answer 4

The obvious answer is negotiate a compromise. Offer to do one for one swaps of theirs for yours and make sure all of your friends know in advance of the cramp on your (and their choice) artistic style.

Almost every band has had to compromise on what they want to play against what they have to play (to make money usually). In the long run you will be able to have more say in what you do. For now, bend (but don't break) to 'the management'.

Good luck and hope you have a great musical career.

Answer 5

Ask if you can compromise. You'll sing one of their songs, and also do what you want too. They might accept that. Write them a very cordial letter telling them it would be extremely strenuous to try to learn the new songs in such a short amount of time... Whatever you say, just be polite. :D

Answer 6

Hopefully, your school has a band or choir director who can take care of this problem for you. He/she/they can explain to the headmistress that you do not have enough time for adequate rehearsal.