When I play for a crowd live, I feel like I'm doing Karaoke with the exception that I can vary the beginning, middle and end.

I'm definitely not a band, there's no instruments like guitars(or other instruments) with me(though it does sound like that).

Recently I was reminded that it's about the performance and not the sound.

Two groups from Nashville recently came through to perform. Both used sophisticated background tracks. They played to the audience and both sang and interacted with the audience....$15 a ticket, a few hundred in the audience.

I could have done more with my S970, with more flexibility, than their backing tracks.

I'm starting to think of recording a song on one of my arrangers and going out into the crowd to sing to them. When my wife and I perform, this is what she does....very popular.

I'm not sure if our audiences would care if we were performing from a boom box(well, PA with tracks)or an arranger.

Now your talking.......funny you now realized whats going on out there today,....it's a sad scene for shure....use the arranger to make the backing tracks with YOUR arrangements etc,.. and go out and enjoy singing with the audiences...have fun and good luck.

I know it's tough but if you make a living from entertaining people then understand and simply accept that as a fact . Go and entertain your clients anyway that works and get paid . Most clients are not aware of your musicality and don't care . They just want to be entertained .if you can have fun yourself then it's a bonus .

guitpic1 ... I recently started doing some gigs with a female vocalist - her gigs, her karaoke equipment - I bring me and my mic ... Some of the backing tracks are great, some a little less ... I find it totally different from using my KB (Pa900) ... I feel that I have more flexibility with the KB, even if I am using my own backing tracks, 'pro' midi files or mp3, or on board styles, and I don't see that much difference in 'relating' to the audience ... all I notice is that I haul a lot less gear when I work with her ...
For most of these gigs we are being paid to entertain for an hour, so whatever works, use it ... I still prefer to use my KB, but then, I would also still prefer playing with a live band ... but then, that's just me ...

I would enjoy performing and entertaining more if I thought people had an inkling of what I'm doing up there! They are so used to hearing DJs and Karaoke that many assume that's what I'm doing.
There is one table sort of behind me, where they can see me playing. Some of them actually have trouble concentrating on their food and iphones because they are fascinated that I'm really playing.
On another related subject, I've noticed SO many people picking up their phones and googling to find out the song I'm playing, or the artist. And they are using them to help them think of songs to request too. I'm hard to stump on the old stuff though.

What DonM said! There was a time, particularly when I was performing/entertaining in high end restaurants in Baltimore's Little Italy, when I actually provided a short demonstration so they would know it was me play, and wildly enough, me singing. Yep, it was hard for me to conceive that there were people in those audiences that thought I was lip syncing the damned songs. At first, I really got pissed off when someone said "It's not him - he's lip syncing." After a while, though, I felt it was kinda flattering when they thought I was as good as the original.

Now that I've retired, I think back at all those performances with fond memories. Whether I was playing a 12-string guitar, or a keyboard, it really didn't make any difference to the audience - they just wanted to be entertained. The ladies were there to dance the night away and have a fun time, the guys were there to hook up with the ladies, get plastered, and did their best to...Oh well, you know what I mean. My best musical attribute has always been my vocals, and even at 75 I can still belt out a tune damned near as good as I did 30 years ago. The big difference is I look older now, and the audiences are looking for younger entertainers, though some prefer us old codgers over the youngsters.

Rog, the bottom line is, in this business, you must first be a great entertainer - not a great musician, though it is an excellent attribute. If you are a great entertainer, you will have all the work you want - if not, you will not last long in the entertainment biz.

Good luck,

Gary

no I dont think so with midi file or style file we are far ahead of most many just use i Ipad and sing to it I for one play a Grand Piano put my Tyros on top of Grand Mic the Grand and bring in my Tele and do Guitar licks as well so us one man ban guys are not karaoke acts at all I get call ed a DJ once in a while I ask them how many DJ are playing Piano and Guitar and singing !!!!!!!!

I'm NOT an entertainer. I am a musician with a real believe that, in addition to sounding good, I have an obligation to educate.


Make it? I do one recording job a week that pays $3,000.00 plus. It's a track for av film update for a major truck manufacturer. I could do 3 (two fast foods and a shipping company)a week, but they're 30 hours straight and I couldn't do it for long. In recent years, the film business has exploded, with fancy UTube productions replacing many printed pieces.

I just laugh when I hear kids saying they can't find a $75.00 job playing Jimmy Buffet.

I play one job I've been on for 7 years...$100.00 an hour, as many hours as I'd like (as many hours as they're open). Usually amounts to 25 hours per week.

The point is, be entertaining, but don't sell out.

Do what works for you, but don't EVER look for me to be using background tracks of any kind.


Arrangers are GREAT, in their place. In my case, it's about 25% of the time.

It's more work for less money (sometimes), or recording of sound/music with no audience. That would not sit well with entertainers, particularly when you're approaching 20 hours, with 11 hours to go before the film debuts in NYC, with no room for error, and plant managers, producers and advertising agency people all arguing about changes.

I say draw your line in the sand and stick to your guns.


Russ

So, Russ, you make the same amount of money per hour with both jobs, $100 per hour. The only difference is the number of hours it takes to do each job, but the pay scale is the same.

So, if it's a money thing, well, the NH circuit, at least in this part of the world, pays better. When I was working as an entertainer, which I longer do, for 30 hours of work I got paid $3,750 on average, based upon $125 per hour. Now, there were some locations that paid more, up to $150 per hour, which makes it even more attractive, monetarily. Additionally, I didn't have to do any all nighters, burning the candle at both ends in order to meet a deadline. Kinda makes me glad I'm not a musician. Just kidding with ya!

Gary

Gary, broadcast residuals add 50%, depending on the buys. Additional business for design copy and other production doubles that.

It must be different here. I've never heard an entertainer at a local nursing home who wouldn't be run off a real bandstand.

And 12 string is not an instrument of choice for anything I choose to play, although I have several double necks with 12 on top and a 12 Guild for a chords for specific film client.

Thing is, we're all different and I'm as passionate about musicianship as you re about entertaining. You're a much better entertainer. I'm so good I have played myself out of most jobs (LOL).

We're both right, and I'd enjoy our time on a bandstand together out of respect and fellowship. I'd even play Buffet (UGH, GAGG) with you. And ENJOY IT!


Be well,

Russ

Russ, I know about the residuals - remember, I was the voice over guy for several car manufacturer and dealership commercials, probably some that you supplied the background music for. Residuals are great when they pay them, which is not often the case. However, I usually did the voice-overs in one take, with no residuals, so the pay was no where near $3,000 for those 30 to 60 second commercials - it was more like $300, but that's OK because I only had to work for 5 minutes at most to take home the paycheck. And, 4 minutes of the 5 was rehearsal time.

As for the NH guys on stage, most of them, at least the ones that I know, including myself, were on stage with bands long before they went the NH route. The vast majority were and are, really great musicians, some Peabody trained, such as Jerry Burns, who played the Baltimore nite club circuit for 50 years. Johnny Walker played Baltimore as well, and did a couple jobs with Zim Zimmerel's orchestra, which is one of the few bands selected regularly to perform at the White House. And, it would hard to beat Joe Ayala's incredible talents. Those that heard him perform here at my home for the Synthzone Jam can attest to that. Now, I don't believe anyone would to throwing rotten tomatoes at Don Mason just because he plays a keyboard. Don used to do the NH circuit and he made a pretty fair living at it.

Just because someone performs the NH circuit doesn't mean that he or she is not highly talented. No more so than because someone plays a lot of jazz on a sax, piano or guitar, they are musically superior to other musicians who play other instruments. Those that perform the NH circuit do so for several reasons, the least of which is it's a far better income, very reliable, long-term work, less stress and better working hours, just to mention a few.

If and when I get back to Lexington, I'll be sure to bring my gear with me, and if you wish, we can jam a bit.

All the best,

Gary

I don't feel that way at all, but maybe I play arrangers differently, or not how they are supposed to be used, so it is "live" when I play....

I always play full piano with accompaniment. So, there is zero Karaoke as I am playing live keys and having a backing band & telling the drummer when I want a fill or break.....

its the "musical automation" in any way shape or form that makes people believe its KARAOKE, FAKE, ETC, ETC,..

its the "musical automation" in any way shape or form that makes people believe its KARAOKE, FAKE, ETC, ETC,..people see someone "OPERATING A MACHINE" vs playing an acoustical instrument of sorts.

Donny, believe me, it was the same when I played a 12-string guitar and sang. With some folks, you have to hit them in the head to make them understand that the machine, or the guitar, does not play by itself, and yes, it was really me singing.

Gary

There's my justification of all the mistakes i make - it (hopefully) convinces someone that it's really me playing

- Jimbo

Jimbo, sometimes when I make a mistake, I'll make an announcement and tell them that "during the course of the evening they may think they hear me make a mistake, but that's on purpose, because some people are always looking for something wrong, and I like to try to please everyone!"