Last week I was in Houston on business. In the lounge at my hotel they had live music for two nights. They had a grand piano with amplification, and the performer had a Roland RS-7 on top of it. He had the backing tracks playing from the minidisks, piping it all through the Roland KC500 amp.

I must say, the guy was exceptional - he had both the keyboard technique (miles beyond mine), and the ability to while playing with one hand, use the other one to reach over to the keyboard and press buttons which he could not see quite well, and keep adjusting the volume knobs on the amplifier behind him.

He was very friendly, and after we got to talking, he invited me to play a bit. Of course, I did not know his backing tracks, so I played straight piano. Well, several people came over to compliment me (no tips, but I don't think he got much tips either). In any case, I think that people enjoy the music which resonates with them, and not the one played on a particular instrument. In any case, this was a very gratifying experience for me.

Basically, what this gentleman does is no different from karaoke (playing along to a minidisk, or to a laptop sequences, as some of us do), but his musicianship is what sets him apart from a drunk making a fool of himself in front of a karaoke screen.

Regards,
Alex