Writing a Set List of Songs That Inspire Your Audience

by Sam de la Haye

As a performer, one of the most important aspects of your performance is the setlist. 

A set list is a collection of songs that every performer creates either before she performs or during the performance. For example, you may see an artist singing for 45 minutes, then take a 30-minute break and then sing for a further 45 minutes. This would be 2x 45-minute sets.

But how do you go about creating a set list that will keep your audience engaged and inspired? 

CONFESSION!! : When I first started performing I made tons of mistakes and my first mistake was writing a list of songs that I loved including my own! BIG BIG Mistake.   

You see I love singer-songwriters that most people have not even heard of!  And I would sing my heart out for three or four songs, look up at the audience and they would be totally ignoring me! 

Why? 

Because an audience engages...