I think that most "Americans" today don't really know what they want however, what is accepted is what is pushed down their throats by promoters and record co. the media and the BIG MONEY...look at the shift in todays musical tastes...what are the people buying and spending that hard earned money on???it's what ever is being pushed at the time with a generous helping of as always,SEX....I'm sorry, 80% of what I've been hearing today as the "New Age Music" is IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, trash...but that is what is selling and that is what the people want to hear, be it from a OMB, DJ,
Karaoke team or a live band....and the DJ's seem to have ahold on the market.....
Tony Rome

[This message has been edited by Tony Rome (edited 10-17-2005).]

Karaoke has ruined the experience of beeing a live musician. Every night I play, and people come up to me ask med if they can sing a tune. If I let them, peopler are happy, they drink more beer, but my employer gets cranky. If I don't let them, people get cranky, don't drink more beer, and employer still gets cranky. 10 years ago, when you played you were the boss, and you controlled the crowds mood. Now it's the other way around.

On saturday I had a woman who came up to me and said "You should let the people sing, if you want to play this place again..." She actually threatened me!

I usually reply telling people that this is my job, and that I don't go around to their jobs wanting to try it out. Like if you are a plumber, I don't ask if I can come to work with you and lay som pipes. But then they say "But the other pianoplayer let us sing... boo hoo hoo".

Any ideas on how to stop this? and regain control?

doc-Z

I set a policy with management that there will be no "sit-ins" at my main place of employment. That's sad, because that prevents my friends from playing, which is always a joy.

The place is a quiet restaurant, and I mostly play "under the radar".

I just tell the "drunks" that we have a "no sit" in policy, and management backs me up.

Russ

And the better AKs become, the more polished they sound, like a finished CD, the more that's the case. That's why whenever there's a piano in the room, even if it's in the back of the room, I'll play a few numbers on it. If it's out of tune, great... so much the better for ragtime. Certainly leaves no doubt to the audience that I'm a musician.

Glenn

Glenn....
Its an everlsting battle of truth, justice and musicianship

I'LL take mine with a cherry and sweet vermouth.....
Tony Rome

My band that I play live with has been told we can't work at some venues unless we play some hiphop numbers. That's pretty ironic seeing as no live musician plays on any hiphop hits which are just looped audio samples. I don't think much of the public is even aware of what live music is nowadays. But note I don't say all because there are some people out there that DO APPRECIATE live music.



[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 10-20-2005).]

The irony of this thread is the OMB players putting down DJs. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black...........

You want musical respect? Earn it! Join a band. Stop using ANY auto accompaniment........ Ahhh, but you want to make money, you say?? Well, few of your musical heroes did that (or killed themselves with drugs when they did).

If you are not entertaining a crowd as a OMB, chances are you won't if you were in a band (because the guitarist is probably a great front-man!) and you just stand behind your keyboard. Entertaining a crowd has little to do with how well you play (we ALL know a mediocre musician who packs 'em in every time - how does he do it??)

As an earlier poster said - ask any drummer or bass player what HE (or she!) thinks is the difference between you and a DJ/Karaoke singer. Not much, probably.

The key word here is ENTERTAINING !
It takes a cetain type of individual to be one sucessfully & make a living....its a people business and has to be dealth with accordingly like any other. How you do it in todays world doesnt matter as long as it works, you might not like it, you might want to be a musician purist, or whatver, but the botttom line is Are you working & making a living, supporting your family, doing it part time when you want to do it fulltime, singing also, being the life of your clients party day in & day out, are you lazy and have given up to just play the same low paying boring venues?
Repeat business only comes from a super satisfied customers & diligent work habits on stage & off behind the scenes. I have to thank Dj's, karaoke artists, and sub par OMB, & even full band players.....they create tons of work for me because clients are discusted & dissatified with what they hear sometimes at venues which in turn allows me more opportunity to play for them and satisfy them in multipl ways.
We are in the Entertainment business so go out there and ENTERTAINE, put your heart into it 200% every day & dont be a wall flower

well said DnJ. But still I can't figure out an effective way to make drunken karaoke hungry wannabees stay away from my mic. And the more entertaining I am, the more drunken idiots want to sing...

I miss the good ole days when sitting round the piano singing along to the music was enough for the crowd. Nowadays it doesn't count unless you are in the spotlight.

Doc-Z