Actually, while most of my income comes from designing brochures, annual reports web sites, blogs, market research, packaging, P.O.S. collateral, etc., I have always played live. In the 62 years I have been working, before Covid, I had had 9 weeks off from playing at least 4 nights a week. I started at 12 years old at an Officer's Club at Ladd AFB in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Playing live, in real time keeps me grounded. I also used the time to rehearse. I'd go over a tune and have a similar tune in my head so I could "bail out" if I "bombed" and finish with the tune I was more familiar with. Never got caught, by the way.

I often use an arranger in a club (house) setting. It's always a Ketron, with the 13 note pedal-board. I have a piano of some kind at my right hand and a portable SKSS Hammond on top. That way, I initiate drum starts and stops, breaks, etc. with my foot, sweeten with the right hand, and access left hand bass and Hammond sounds with the top keyboard.

Basically, I'm using the pedal-board, combined with the left hand to take some of the automation feel out of the process when just using the arranger.

Pro's who come see me see three keyboards, foot pedals and lots of "run up" bass lines impossible to do in arrange mode. I get lots of questions, but not much criticism.

I do at least 3 film scores a month, but miss playing live. Thought I never would. but now believe that playing 2 hours live is better than practicing for 4 hours.

Calling me a pro musician is a bit of a stretch. I write, storyboard, shoot and edit the films I work on. Music is the "sweetener" not provided by most other producers. At a $15,000.00 budget for a 10 minute film, most producers use "needle drop" music; simply layering it and fading off at the end of the film. The resulting product is pretty dry.

Music brings me joy, pays the bills and gives me a real advantage in the marketplace. I also get lots of high end Corporate jobs from the people I produce for. And, they always want to grab the mike and introduce me as the producer of the project just completed. Then, I play the piece, and the film is run.


Man, has music been good to me!


Russ