Once in a while I stray from performing at nursing homes, assisted living centers and retirement communities and perform at a couple Italian restaurants. At both locations the audience age ranges 55 to 75 years of age. However, they love to dance, which makes for a great night of entertainment.

During the vast majority of my performances I sing nearly every song. Most are in English (British), a half-dozen are in Italian, and I usually throw in a couple of songs in Spanish.

In a typical one or two hour performance I usually do one to three instrumental songs, which includes a Polka medley, and a rock & roll song with a guitar or sax lead. Most of the time time the dancefloor is packed to capacity. I use a laptop computer for lyrics, MIDI files and for MP3s prior to the performance while folks are eating dinner or just siting around an talking. I keep the MP3 level quite low so it's really nothing more than background music.

When I fire up the keyboard I usually begin with something that everyone can dance to, something along the lines of a 50s doowap song, or maybe a ballad such as Unforgetable by Nat King Cole. In both settings (venues), which are relatively small, it is quite clear that I'm playing the keyboard and singing--at least that what I always thought. However, more often than not someone will come up to me and ask "Do you have this song, or that song, in that machine?" I usually respond by saying "There is no songs in the machine--it's me playing those white and black keys, and it's me singing the words to the songs."

The last time this happened I was tired, the nite club was the second job of the day, and I just about went berserk. This was an audience that I have performed in front of for nearly three years, and the person that came up to me and asked for a song was someone that had been at the venue since I began performing there three years ago. He asked me if I had a certain song in the machine, and he did this while I was playing and singing. I stopped dead in my tracks, hit the stop button, and said "Well folks, it's time for Gary's musical education class. This will take about two minutes, but it will require your undivided attention." I then went about demonstrating several instruments in the keyboard without accompianament. The next step was to bring in the drums, bass, etc until I had the entire style file playing. Then I applied the icing to the cake. The song I was working with was La Bamba, which I sing in Spanish.

During the entire demonstration, the guy who interrupted me was standing at my side--he was flabbergasted. His jaw dropped, and at the end he walked over to the table where his spouse was sitting and said "Grace, you're not going to believe this--it's really him playing live music, and that's really his voice you heard singing." At the end of the night he came up to me and said how much more he appreciated what I do, handed my a rolled up $20 bill, shook my hand and said "We'll be back next week with our dancing shoes on."

I've spent more than a half-century learning play music, learning to be the best performer/entertainer I can be, and learning to read an audience. It really irks me at times that some of my audiences, after all these years, still does not realize that I'm not a DJ. Yet, when the MC introduces you, more often than not, they refer to you as THE DJ. Therefore, I decided to provide all my audiences, even those in the nursing homes, assisted living center and retirement communities, with an introductory song where I introduce them to what we (OMB entertainers) actually do while on stage. You would be amazed at the responses--all of which were very positive. I don't do this every time I perform at each venue--only when I see new audience members. Not only does it educate them as to what I (we) do, but it's usually a lot of fun as well.

Cheers,

Gary

quote:Therefore, I decided to provide all my audiences, even those in the nursing homes, assisted living center and retirement communities, with an introductory song where I introduce them to what we (OMB entertainers) actually do while on stage.

Gary ... what is the song you use for this?

t.

Maybe we should take it a step further and bring out Kb's to teach salespeople in music stores like GC, Best Buy, etc, etc, .. what an arranger is all about how they work also

Tony,

The song choice varies. Sometimes I use La Bamba, but there are other times when I use Sway, As Time Goes By, and last week I performed New York--New York.

Donny,

The sales guys at the local GC asked me to do a 1-hour demo using my entire rig. They sell just about everything I use, and one of the guys in the keyboard area said he loved it when I came in the store because I always knew exactly what I wanted, knew how it worked and they could count on me to help is someone had a technical problem they couldn't solve. Problem is they don't have a budget for performers anymore. I would have to do this as a freebee, which ain't gonna' happen. I told them to call when they had a budget, which they said they definitely would.

Cheers,

Gary

Gary I hear ya ....its a shame these sales person have no clue as to what they are selling.

Even 75 year old people realize one person cannot possibly "play" all those instruments.

I don't understand number one why you should be surprised and number two why it would bother you. The Keyboard IS creating 80% of the music. If you don't believe thats true take an 88 and a mike to the next gig., Betcha no one will doubt whats going on and who's making the music.

I certainly don;t think its my job as someone who sells Arrangers its my job to make them think THEY can actually PLAY the machines.LOL Quite the opposite. I show them how EASY it is to sound like a big band and let the machine to the heavy lifting......and yes I tell them there are thousands of songs on there all they need to do is pay the chords...or in the case of the the songs we include simple hit play and sing away...reading the lyrics.

Kingfrog,

Unfortunately, a significant number of audience members believe the music is coming from a CD or tape, and all you are doing is sitting there like a DJ or KJ. This, despite the fact they can see your hands moving across the keys, and watch your lips moving at the mic. I guess my father's old saying really holds true--"The average person is well below average, and common sense isn't at all very common."

Cheers,

Gary

This incident happened to me last week, I was playing my S900 for a wedding , my jazz trio was playing for the reception and the couple getting married wanted me to play gentle music throught the ceremony...I set the S900 on 'Live Strings' and played orchestral style...just me playing with two hands ...no additional automated parts...after the ceremany a guy came up to me and asked what tape I was playing...it was me playing I said ! he really did not beleive it was me me so I placed both hands down and played exaclty what I played through the wedding...guess what? he SILL would not believe it was me playing...you just cant win !!!

Take the money & run.....nobody cares in this DJ saturated world. Not playing a acoustic instrument then your a faking DJ in the worlds eyes. It's the sad reality.
What isn't fake is the Money ! Don't be so sensitive out there nothing is going to change ....we ALL created this environment the last 40 years .....whats the big surprise now?

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 02-12-2009).]

Interesting... I can't understand why anyone with a IQ over 50, could see you singing, and you playing the keys and think it is a CD.

Why in H would anyone think we would go that level of trouble if all you did is DJ (not to take away from DJ's as there is some real good ones).

Lee