Found myself with a few moments of down time and decided to catch up with the SZ scene. SZ continues to be a wonderful resource that rarely fails to help provide the info I'm seeking. Thanks to Nigel and all the members that make it what it is.

2015 looks to be a year of new challenges for me. Aside from the perpetual weight loss goals, I've decided to add an acoustic guitar and possibly a looper to my act for certain clients. I've thought about it for years, but it feels like now is the right time. Audiences are getting younger, slightly hipper and I think doing part of my show with the acoustic will be a nice enhancement to my traditional act. I know a learning curve approaches, but I think it'll work out nicely. Additionally, after speaking with half a dozen or so of my longer term clients, I'm surprised that there seems to be a lack of musicians willing and able to do "room visits." One after another AD said they'd tried several different folks but for various reasons it didn't work out. There was a general excitement that I would be looking to try my hands at it. My ability to relate to these type patients will serve me well as I add this element as well.


I also want to give a special shout out to Bob Hendershot, with whom I have traded many emails regarding the purchase of a tablet to replace the MusicPad Pro system I used the last ten years or so. Bob was a fountain of knowledge, answered all of my many questions on both the tablet and the Mobilesheets software. I haven't yet used the tablet (a 13.3# Archos) on a job yet, I'm still setting up my database which is a one time thing. From working with it at my desk, it seems to beat the MPP on all metrics. Price, screen size, utility, clarity of music, loading new music, etc. The processor, as you might expect, is so much faster than the MPP was, that happily, my days of waiting and waiting for a chart to load may just be gone.

Its lighter, the battery in the tablet actually works (unlike the damn MPPs), and I'll actually downsize my rig by switching to it. I add the original Tyros music stand to the set up, but I delete a mic stand. I won't need to have an AC connection for most of my shows, which is another thing I that'll save time. I'll carry the AC plug with me, just in case, of course.

I also now have a suitable mp3 player to use on breaks without carrying something special just for that...

Here's wishing everyone a happy and healthy new years!