Back in July I was looking for some feedback on my playing. I pretty much said something wasn't clicking in my playing and wasn't as busy as I would like to be. Much of my target market was nursing and retirement homes.

My original post was at this thread:http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/011063.html

Well, there was some great advice much revolved around audience interaction and I have put it to use.


Well, I'm happy to give some feedback of what's been going on and it is positive. I no longer just play for folks and briefly say thank you. I now open my peformances with a warm and sincere greeting to all those who are there to listen and usually joke with the audience in some way. Between each song I give a little bit of history on the song i.e. who sang it, who wrote it etc. And if the original artist has a colorful history, I go to town with the story. (as a former career sales guy I can really whip up the BS if I have to). I played 2 gigs on Saturday and they were very successfull. I had the audience answering questions and had a great dialogue going my audience at both venues.

I have been taking voice lessons the last 8 weeks and am making some progress there, but have a way....................... to go in the department.

Thanks for all the original suggestions.

Steve ... glad to hear things are going well ... I don't know if you play "Crazy" which was written by Willie Nelson, but the story is that one of the times Willie was 'down and out' he sold the song to Patsy Cline for $500 ... no doubt the best $500 she ever invested... It remains as the 'most played jukebox song in history' ...
t.

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Thanks Tony, yes I do play "Crazy" I'll have to add that tidbit when I play.

this is wonderful news for you!!
Keep at it, sounds like your moving forward in a big way!!

Jill

Steve,

This is what being a musician/performer is all about. Read and adapt.

If you are weak in an area, read it and then strengthen it.

Congratulations! Your on the right track.

Al

Steve...

Glad to know you've made such progress is so short a time, that's great. Keep it up, the more you improve the more fun you'll have at it (not to mention the $).

Glenn

Steve, ... I'm glad things are working out ... but, hey, I don't need any more competition in the singer/keyboardist department ... stick to instrumentals !!! .....
t.

Tony:

Worry 'bout nothin' my friend, I've got a long way to go, by the time I'm ready to sing on a gig, you may be retired

Are there any other song tidbits out there? I liked that Willie Nelson info!

Doc-Z

Many know Ray Charles was blind, but I never knew(until seeing the movie "Ray") his real history,the problems with heroin addiction(much stemming from the fact he felt responsible for the drowning death of his brother) and that he was a womanizer.

I also have a unique story to tell when I play Fats Waller's "Ain't Mishbehavin." My grandfather had a butcher shop in the Bronx back in the 40s and 50s. Waller's wife was a customer at his shop.

Doc-z your web site is a sharp looking site. I'm looking forward to your updates to it.

Thanks, I've been meaning to update it now for quite some time. I hope I will find the time between work and gigs this fall to update it.

Another story about Ray which I heard in a PBS documentary, is that in order to become a "Ray-Lette" (his female back up group), a girl had to 'let Ray' ...
t.

Tid-bits ...
Bobby Darin's "Splish-Splash" was written in the studio in about 15 min. ...

Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" was written in the recording studio also, as a 'throw-in' for an album they were recording in the dead heat of the summer ...

Gene Autry's "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" was originally a poem written by an ad guy for Department stores to hand out to kids at Christmas time ... the first year they gave out 2.5 mill copies of the poem ... Some years later Gene Autry recorded it as the 'B' side of another record.

Here is a site that gives stories about the origin of Christmas songs/carols... http://www.carols.org.uk/
It'll be here before we know it !!!

Any others out there ???
t.

[This message has been edited by tony mads usa (edited 08-23-2005).]

Excellent.

Now keep on with the singing coaching; once the techniques become automatic (and you can concentrate on the song you are singing rather than the mechanics of the techniques required) you will be astonished just how much better you sound. I was! My range hasn't really increased, but the extra control means that much more of it is usable "live".

Thanks for the encouragement. Many of you who post here sing.....well let me tell you I have new found respect for you!!! Singing isn't quite as easy as I thought it would be.

It sounds like you are progressing quite well in the vocal and entertainment department. Have you also been working on the rhythm and meter area? This is equally important to the overall performance.

Tom

I have been working on that rhythm and meter area as well. After the constructive criticism I've got in my original post I have discovered I many times have played the rhytm/meter according to how I recall hearing the song. And in a quite a number of cases when I really read the lead sheet with care I discovered my interpetation was incorrect. Yea, I got a bit more work in that department.

Steve,

You're gonna' do just fine. Glad to hear things are turning your way, and when you get to the point where your vocals are beginning to click, don't come to Baltimore--I've got enough competition here!

Good Luck,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Stephenm52, on your site there is a big picture of you infront of a keyboard. What keyboard is this? And is this the same keyboard you used for "How deep is your love"? it looks like a DGX(305 or 505) is that right?

Doc-Z

Doc-z it's a DGX 505,the photo was taken in October 2004 before I purchased a PSR 3000. The 505 just didn't have what I was looking for in a board. I only bought it for 88 keys. I didn't think I'd be happy with 61 keys on the 3000 but since it's such a great board I quickly adopted to the 61 keys.

"How Deep is Your Love" was recorded on my Clavinova CVP 307.

Gary if I come to Baltimore it will be to here you play!!