… First paid job 60 years ago. My experience pretty much parallels Don’s, started with a band, vocals consisted of OOO AAAHHHHs. To this day, my musicianship is still lacking, but I learned a long time ago how to entertain, make folks feel good. I don’t remember ever having stage fright or feeling nervous. It was easy in the beginning, most of the tunes consisted of three chords and what we used to refer to as “the Blue Moon chords” ( 1-6-2-5). We also worked out of the combo-orks books and fake books. In the ’50’s, most accordion/keyboard players just mashed chords to emulate the big band horn sections, solos strictly adhered to the written melody line with a flourish now and then. I still enjoy gigging, I have a good time and that seems to influence listeners. I have a very hard time playing at home, (so, I don’t practice enough - not a good thing). I need to perform in front of people and play off listeners’ responses, or what I perceive as a their response. Hopefully, Someday I’ll be as good a musician as most of the members of this forum … I’ll start practicing on Monday … errrrr, maybe next Monday. I will confess that I don't think I'd be working at all if it were not for the arranger keyboards and modules.

I have never been afraid of schmoozing - it's one of the fun parts of the job. I love meeting new people, and several years ago when I performed every Friday night at an American Legion in Havre de Grace, MD, I would fire up the keyboard, hit a Cm using the Pink Panther style, first variation, and walk through the audience and sing Fever with a wireless, handheld mic. Sometimes I would sit lightly on some of the ladies laps and sing softly to them, smiling the entire time. It produced lots of big tips in my tip pitcher (I use a plastic beer pitcher because it holds a lot more money). Sometimes they would run their fingers through my hair, which usually caused a chuckle from some of the other ladies at the tables. That was 25 years ago, though. Now I don't have enough hair to for them to do that, and I'm too damned fat to sit upon their laps.

All the best,

Gary

The two major sins in this business (IMO):
1. Being the wrong entertainer for the audience.
2. Having the wrong audience to entertain.
Virtually all NEW business that calls is by way of referral or by someone who has already seen what I do.
Before I take ANY new job I want to be sure I am right for them and they are right for me.
Asking the right questions will get you the answer you need to accept, decline or recommend an alternative.

Like most of us here, I learned the hard way, accepting jobs I was not suited for. The ABSOLUTE WORST was a nightclub that failed to tell me
(and I failed to ask) that it was a gay club that expected everything from broadway to techno. I should have known from the moment
I entered the lounge, where they had a display offering free condums. BTW... I also got stiffed that night....er...bad choice of words. Rather
they failed to send the check they promised.

Eddie

Eddie, I understand. When I came to Florida in 1984 I used a booking agent to get jobs. About 20 jobs later he booked me for New Years in a Greek restaurant. The people were very friendly but they refused to dance to anything but Greek music. I gave them my best. They only time they danced is when I played the only Greek song I knew Zorba the Greek. The four hours seemed like ten. Never worked for that leader again.

Schmoozing: Friendly yes, but I was never a schmoozer. My wife was the queen of schmoozers, after she began singing with the band people were all over us; we got more jobs. I was supporting a family with my music, there were enough jobs. When I added Miss Queen Schmoozer to the band jobs increased.

John C.

let me also ask this specific question also...
Why do you think your good enough to perform in front of paying audiences?

DUHH, I guess if the audience pays and then doesn't boo you are good enough?

I thought I answered that with my first response:

no always true Tony,....I know people that are desperate and cheap and will hire anyone just to have a body in the room..I'm glad we can choose our gigs, I always do.

or in some cases Don throw beer bottles at you
then again depending on the venue.....people will come to eat not knowing who or if they have entertainment so once they sit and order they are stuck with whoever is on that stage ...the hope is they are as good as you .....otherwise it's a dinner experience from hell ....

True. That's why I'm going back to work five nights for a while. The guy we had on Tuesday and Wednesday was running people off. He played guitar along with songs he sequenced on an old Casio arranger. He had two girls singing with him, and they were pretty good. Problem is he would talk for 10 minutes between songs, take 30 minute breaks, etc.
You get what you pay for, and he was working really cheap.