Now, imagine how the phone would be ringing if you were to put 100 great promo packages together, do some direct mail advertising, and follow this up with phone calls and personal visits to the places you wish to perform. This could be awesome dude!

Good Luck,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Zuki-

I heard recently that the PSR 3000 will NOT work if you get too close to Dayton.

Hmmm, imagine that?






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Bill in Dayton

Zuki getting the jobs is easy....after you play there once & gettingthe repeat business year after years is the hard part...the proof is in the pudding

Yes, the proof is in the performance. I'm pleased with my unspectacular presentation for glorious presentation and should do very well.

zuki

Zuki,

Keep everything upbeat, play what the audiences want to hear and you'll have all the work you can handle. This is particularly true when performing in nursing homes, assisted living centers, retirement communities and similar venues. Most of the people there are just one short step from the cemetary--they need some fun and excitement in what remains of their lives, and if you provide it you'll be returning. Play some gloom and doom ballads, or slow songs that you may enjoy playing at home and the phone will not ring again.

Good Luck,

Gary

Good Luck,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Gary,

Thanks for that big tip I only have 50 or so songs in registration - a far cry from your 1000's. In time, I'll build my repetoir. I can read, so the fake books will help - but I'll try to refrain from that.

I sang for the first time today in a long time and my pipes were rusty. It got better a couple hours later, but it'll take some time to get the voice where it once was.

Hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained. It'll be fun to get the adrenalin flowing again.

If I'm a flop, I won't have to worry about my 3000 not working in the Dayton market

zuki

I want to respectfully disagree with Gary's suggestion to avoid ballads or slow songs...

I play a couple of these in every hour long NH show. I've done it since I started...and its never been mentioned to me by an activity director, and it certainly hasn't hurt my business.

Today, I had an afternoon gig at a local nursing home and I know I played both Always On My Mind by Willie Nelson and I left my heart in SF (which was a request)

Both were very well recieved, people got up and danced to both numbers, and the whole show was just fine...

IF you do ballads, YES, be careful how you plug them in, DO NOT play them back to back if at all possible...Just use your head...

Maybe my crowds are easier to please than Gary's are, I don't know...



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Bill in Dayton

Don't do ANYTHING by rote...... Try a little bit of everything, and see what this particular audience responds to. Night by night, day by day, things vary. Try to tune into what THEY want, rather than what you have played for them before......

Bill,

As you know, nothing is etched in stone, especially when it comes to audiences--they're all a bit different. The type of songs I was referring to, however, were what I refer to as Glood & Doom, songs that remind folks that they are soon going to die. I get requests from a small number of individuals for songs such as Nearer Thy God To Thee, etc.. and I just will not play them. Now, I do play Crazy, Unforgetable, and others that folks know and frequently get up from their wheel chairs and walkers to dance to. However, they interspersed with a host of upbeat songs they also know, but can no longer dance to because of physical limitations. I really don't expect anyone to dance to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, but they sure enjoy the song, tap their feet and clap their hands. I guess I should have clarified my earlier statement bit more.

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Thanks for the clarification...sounds like we're likely both doing about the same stuff...



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Bill in Dayton