Hi Bill,

I can’t believe you wrote that or was it another April Fool’s joke? I thought you were really refreshed in your new environment and looking forward to knocking them dead showing the folks down there what us Northerners can do.

Truth be told, I’ve been contemplating posting the same thing these last few weeks. I burned out about 4 years ago, and ever since then I've had all kinds of excuses for not getting back to work. I watched my NH accounts go from 75+ to the three I have left. I think the AD’s saw I was burning out too. And, BTW, my own Achilles Heel was not Leroy Brown but New York, NY.....hate that song with a passion.....I’d feed it poison mushrooms if I could find an opening to ingest them!

I’m not sure what happened to me? The same here. After 50 years of playing full time, I just don’t want to play anymore. If I’m correct, it’s the direction music and entertainment took almost overnight. There’s no more appreciation for what you do, no professional respect that we used to eat up like lapdogs. Then there's Generation X-er’s in the audience on their smart phones, and....fill in the rest of the blanks. Aside from the paycheck there’s just no more pot of gold at the end of the rainbow like there was in the old days.

I do have the option to go into musical comedy as I have a good sense of humor and good stage presence. Or maybe learn that PA3x and take it out and do lectures on today’s music technology. But, again, it comes down to dealing with people. Most, up here, are rude, indifferent to you or your music, self-absorbed and focused on one thing only.....making money That’s the one glitch in the whole process.....people!

Newbies on the block don’t remember what it was like for us experienced musicians who came up through the ranks, so they have nothing to compare it with, so.....what’s out there now is the status quo for them. I think for people like us, back then we knew we were affecting people’s lives in a positive way and we walked away feeling good about ourselves and our contributions in making the world a better place. No more of that. Now it’s just a “bland”.....do the job and wait for your check in the mail a month later. The glory days are no more.

Didn’t mean to sound so negative, but you hit a nerve in me that I, myself, have been wrestling with for a while now. I mean, I still just love LISTENING to music, but playing it is something else. And I’m tired of the constant practicing when I'm not even working!

I think it’s something like, back the, when we sat at the piano, it was fun working out arrangements to please people or just learn new songs that we knew would jump start an audience, etc. Now the audiences (but I mean around my neck of the woods) are like bit players in the “Night of the Living Dead” series.

Unfortunately, since this is all I've done all my life, I'm going to have to find a way to get back into some kind of a groove. After all, bills DO have to be paid and while I'm financially OK now, "financially OK" doesn't go on forever.

So after all my ravings here, it comes down to.....I know exactly what you mean (unless it‘s your own post-April Fool‘s joke). Never thought I'd get to this point, but here I am too.

Now, if I can't figure a new direction for myself, I hear there's a "wise oracle" off Delancey Street in Chinatown that will answer any three questions for $1. My first question would be......."why do you charge so much?"

I think Gary is running the same “special” but at half the rate on Tuesday and Thursday evenings!

But, let me say something someone once said to me that I never forgot. It was: “would you rather be driving a taxicab in NYC on the night shift?” My own saying is: “the very worst of this job is still better than the BEST of any other job in the world.” Well, I suppose it’s not better than being a professional gigolo, but close to it!

Any others getting weary of playing?

Mark

Captain
You are in a situation and of a talent level I've always been envious of. Getting to play good music with good musicians for a crowd that appreciates you.
YOU also mentioned you were thinking of quitting the live music scene to concentrate on your production business. I bet the music wouldn't let you go.

[quote=Mark79100]Hi Bill,

I can’t believe you wrote that or was it another April Fool’s joke? I thought you were really refreshed in your new environment and looking forward to knocking them dead showing the folks down there what us Northerners can do.

Mark
No I'm not quitting just wanted to start a conversation among a group I feel is closest to my situation in the business. I'll keep going as long as I can find the right kind of gigs which is getting harder as I get older. I'm 65 but don't think I look it, and I know I don't act it but that ain't 40 or 30 or a 20 something which is what most of the working musicians here are. There's still the stigma of an older guy (me) walking into a place and asking for the mgr. to give him a card. Put yourself in his place and you know what he's thinking. I was treated so rudly at a place in Cape May I told the female mgr. "Do me a favor, don't throw my card away until I pull out of the lot"
I've hit the sweet spot of seniors here, Sun City, 8000 residents and they love me. I'm doing ever other Wed. at their CC restaurant. I just also am booking another CC that has the worst Karaoke host and singers I've ever seen for their only entertainment. I told them they need something else so we'll see how that goes.
Did a big AL place here and it went great. So maybe more of those as I branch out.
Thing is I got spoiled a few weeks ago and posted about it. House party where I played piano and sang and was treated with respect. I was on a high for two days. Wish I could get more like that.
The positives here are I have found that you do get treated better than up North, people in general are more polite and laid back, the gigs pay better than I expected and there only 3 hours. Most are earlier too.
I still practice every day as I have my whole life and am still buying equipment I don't really need so I'll" keep on truckin". ( does that phrase make me sound old ? LOL )
Mark from what I know of you , you have a very special skill set and I think you could use that to your advantage. Good luck

So tell me more about the gig. It must have been a private affair. I tried for a couple of years to get into the "Brown Room" there and couldn't get booked if I offered to play for free. A lot more opprotunities here but I do miss Cape May in the summer.
thgat's one of the reasons for my post. We're thinking about coming back there for the summer and I want to be able to make my own schedule.

I played the Grand Hotel Cape May so many times,....then after the gig I would shoot over to catch Fran Carango's band "Just Us" performing at Alfies In N. Wildwood
Fun Times love the shore!

Donny
I think I have a talent for entertaining people too and wish to do it as long as it makes sense. You've got your finger on what works for you and thats a gift in itself. Your in a great place for what you do so I'm sure you can keep going as long as you'd like but didn't you post a similar topic a while back ? I remember it shocked me.

I think this needed repeating if you want to continue successfully in the music business.

Mark

What I really hate is when people come up and ask "Have you got (name of song) in there?" They assume everything is some sort of karaoke. Don't know if I should feel flattered that it sounds good or offended that they don't even know I'm playing.
I'm thinking of turning my rear end to the audience so they can see that I'm playing!
In the old piano bar days, I had a huge mirror behind me, tilted so people could watch my hands. Also, they were sitting right next to me as well.

John....thanks for posting this. You made me realize something. I'm not tired of playing music. I forgot that I could sit at the piano and play Elvis's "Until It's Time For You To Go" and other favorites in variations for an eternity.

As I think about it now, what I'm tired of is having to continually adapt to this ever changing music business. And life in general if you want to stay on top of the game. Everything is complicated now. I don't have enough time anymore to get to enjoy the pleasure that I used to from playing my favorite songs in "400 variations!"

So now I need to remember, what we both wrote here, as I seek a solution to my burnout.

Mark

I'm glad you did.....I'm getting a lot to think about from this thread.

I hear you on this one. I'm also viewed as looking younger, feeling younger, thinking younger than I am, but the bottom line is I'm NOT younger and that's a heavy cross to carry in the music business. In other countries, they're not concerned about age...it's about the kind of music you're producing. Here's it's all about image and quality takes a back seat!

Ouch..that one really hurt. It's another testimonial to NJ. You have to live here to understand the mentality. It makes me think even more about leaving this area before I end up as "damaged goods" myself.


Yes, those few piano jobs are my life support right now.



So it's not my imagination. I think if people had to judge the USA based on this tri-state area, they would ostracize this country and kick us out of the United Nations!

Mark