Had a great, lively and responsive crowd yesterday at a Memory Care Facility. All was going great, there was a woman sitting near me in a wheel chair who was really getting into it, then, all of a sudden in the middle of a song she grabs my keyboard, yanks it and almost pushed it off the stand. As surprised as I was I quickly grabbed it and pushed it back and just hollered, HEY, on the mic and the AD looked and I just pointed to her and then she was moved away. Wow, what a surprise how strong this frail old woman was. While I was doing everything by ear, there are times I like to use my tablet for lead sheets, but I'm pretty sure I won't bring it to a Memory Care unit.

Scott, maybe she didn’t like your singing. Hahahaha
John C.

NEVER be alone without an aide or 2 in a memory care gig situation period!

Scott....
Based on the picture you posted there were at least two people too close to you for a memory care situation. The aids in the room should never permit their folks to get within touching distance. I do very few MC's because of this very issue.

I perform at a place in Columbus (largest in state Alz) and believe me, it's like Time Square. I put my speakers at my feet, on the floor there. But their love of music is 2nd to none - very emotional job.

It's not only NH jobs that have this problem.
I encounter this problem at the restaurant, parties, senior centers.

People come up to talk, and have to lean on the keyboard, especially the older folks that have to steady themselves. I just prepare myself by holding the keyboard to prevent an incident.

I had a keyboard friend get hit in the head with a speaker when it got knocked over. Fortunately he wasn't injured too badly, but it looked worse then it was because his aspirin therapy caused him to bleed. He was a good sport and wore a hard hat next time he played at the place.

Regards,

Jerryghr

Surround yourself for safety

It reminds me the country bars, back in the day, when we played behind chicken wire to field the bottles and bodies involved in numerous fights. The good old days.

Guess what. I acually played that place in the blues brothers movie. It was in wheeling Il. a suberb of Chicago. If you saw the movie it was just like that. The worst dump we ever played. Needless to say we never went back even thou they offered use more money.

MEL

When I performed in a half dozen memory care locations in Maryland, I always insisted that no less then 2 attendants must be in the room at all times, one in the back and one in the front near me. Saved me a lot of grief! Once, at an Alzheimer's Center where I performed every other week, they decided to have a meeting, and left me alone with 75 Alzheimer's patients in various stages of the disease. I instantly stopped playing and announced on the PA that the music would begin as soon as 2 attendants came back to the room. The facility director came into the large room and asked why I was not playing and singing. I explained the many potential problems that I could not cope with without 2 attendants. He immediately left the room and two young girls quickly entered and apologized for leaving me alone with the patients. It never happened again.

When I was still working, I was required to carry $1-million in liability insurance, which cost me about $1,000 a year. It was well worth the expense. I had several nite club jobs back then as well as the NH circuit, and believe it of not, the nite clubs and restaurants were the problem places. Everyone that requested a song wanted to lean on my equipment, usually the Bose sound column as if it were a leaning post. I eventually solved that problem by creating a sign on the PC that said "DANGER - HIGH WATTAGE". The sign was black with blazing, bold, red and yellow letters. I placed one on each side of the Bose tower at eye level. Problem solved.

At some locations where folks constantly wanted to lean on my keyboard or console, I went to the expense of purchasing a theater barrier, which consisted of 4 brass poles and velvet covered plastic chains. This stopped 99 percent of the intruders, but there was always at least one person a night that would work their way around the barrier so they could whisper in my ear while I was playing and singing. I always found that amazing in that despite the fact they could see me singing and playing, they still fully expected my to hold a conversation with them. The best and most economical thing I ever did was get out of the restaurant and bar entertainment biz and go with the NH circuit. Better hours, better audiences, better pay, less hassles and no drunks to put up with.

All the best,

Gary

My nemesis was small children at outdoor events . They run on and off the stage while their parents sit at tables and drink beer paying no attention. I made pa announcements asking parents to watch their kids so they don't get hurt. At one gig, a kid toppled one of my EV zx1 over sb122 sub towers. Watched the satellite go bouncing across the stage after jumper cable came out. Lots of I'm sorries from parents but it didn't stop the rest of kids from continuing. Even after witnessing what happened, the other parents didn't become suddenly responsible.I had to take benches from some picnic tables and put them all across the front of the stage which was only one step up from the dance floor. Easily stepped over but message sent. Luckily equipment still worked. And those kids just can't resist the buttons on the bass side of an accordion. I've chased them away in the nick of time before they pushed one in too far.
Of course my parents would never let us act like that as kids..but today they let them go crazy without watching them, and they don't like it if you tell their kids to stay away or keep hands off. Especially after they've had a few..

Ed, This is excellent advice...thx for sharing.

John, I should have guessed I was in trouble when she requested that I play the Minute Waltz in less than a minute

Scott.... How much time do you need to play "It Was A Very Good Year"?

I'll time it next time and let you know. Really.