Several years ago, Timm and I attended a dinner party with a group of couples that we already knew well. The hosting couple sent an email to everyone asking each of us to submit three songs from our senior year in high school, but to not share our song selections with anyone else.
When we arrived for dinner, after some initial mingling, we sat down to enjoy a delicious meal. The host let us know the soundtrack for the evening would be the collection of songs we had each submitted. The playlist would also be our entertainment for the evening. While we ate, when a new song came on, we were would cast a vote for who we think submitted that song. The game was a fantastic hit, and we had so much fun!
I have remembered this idea ever since, and I wanted to suggest it here as a way to break the ice and build deeper connections in a fun and light-hearted way.
The beautiful thing about the song game is that everyone wins. If you get a song right, it’s fun. If you get a song wrong, it’s equally entertaining. We laughed so hard trying to guess which song was from whom.
If your group doesn’t know each other very well, the song game provides an avenue to jump right in and have something to talk about without any awkwardness. In our case, we knew each other very well, and so we were able to talk and then, when a new song began, pause and play the game. The pacing felt perfect, and as an added bonus, their was a vibrant and varied soundtrack for the evening.
For the record, my song choices included Amy Grant, Michael Bolton, and Sandi Patti, and if that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about my high school experience, nothing will. I hope you use this song idea at your next gathering!
What a fun idea! Can’t wait to try it out on our long-time friends.