Diki,

I wasn’t offended in the least. Many of you on this board have very strong personalities…I’m learning to overlook the differences in viewpoints and expressions here.

You quoted me: “On the one hand, you say you've been playing forever, and on the other hand, it's 'Do you really think I'm proud to say I'm a DJ when people ask me what I do for a living? But if that's what the people want for entertainment, that's what I give them' That basically implies that they DON'T want you to play for them... Surely you can find a gig where they want you to PLAY... “

Diki, I do NOT say this egotistically, but I WILL say I am one of the best musicians I know for what I do….repeat: for what I, myself, do. I’m not a recording genius, nor a gifted composer, nor a concert pianist. What I am is a musician who does what he has to do to “entertain” and does it well. I’ve studied my craft and I‘ve studied the keyboard for years. And when I say studied, I don’t mean just in school. I’m talking about in the field. When soldiers go to basic training, sure they’re ready to face the enemy “on paper!” It’s a whole different story when they go into battle. That’s where the gymnastics end and the REAL training begins. Same with music. I spent many years (after formal schooling …metaphor for basic training) out in the field analyzing and studying what “works” in entertaining people. And I spent just as many years practicing keyboards 3-5 hours every day.

What I’m leading up to is: as good as I do my job, most people call me as a DJ. The best it gets is they’ll ask me to do a OMB/DJ combo. Times have changed and they’re changing even faster as I’m writing this. I can see the day coming, when most audiences won’t even REMEMBER live music as we know it today!

“Can I find a gig where they want me to play.” Of course. I play accordion during the week at nursing homes, piano performances for special events, OMB where requested. But if I had to rely on that for income, I’d be in the “poor house” right now with today’s incredible cost of living and instrument prices in the stratosphere.

For the record, because I do DJ also it doesn’t mean I’m happy about not playing live so much anymore. Don’t you think I feel like a “nobody” when I walk in with my DJ equipment and no one even cares. When I show up with a keyboard, everyone’s in amazement at the “non-DJ” and I get treated with respect when they see I even know how to play it. But, as I said: “I’m there to ENTERTAIN people, no matter how the job has to get done via DJ or OMB.” I can play for and entertain MYSELF at home!

Further for the record: I do DJ but I don’t associate with other DJ’s because in the back of my own mind I harbor a certain amount of resentment for these young “cowboys” with “attitudes” who come into a room impersonating God and who have never paid their “dues” other than to invest in big time equipment.

Please, don’t get me started. I have a lot brewing inside of me about the state of music nowadays and the complacency that exists everywhere, but….I like to stay “low-key” as much as possible.

P.S. How on earth do you write so much so easily. I speed type but it still takes me ½ hour to get something like this out. I should be practicing for that ½ hour!

P.S.S. All these postings have helped me to remember my password!

Lucky