Chas, with few exceptions, most of the world's greatest musicians are dead broke, or just dead. Fortunately, I'm not a musician - I'm an entertainer, and the arranger keyboard makes it so I can continue to entertain my audiences and make a decent living wherever I'm performing. I ran across some really great musicians in my lifetime on stage, most had other jobs because they couldn't make enough money as a musician to support their families. I talked with a couple local guys who were in the Navy Band and were hired by The Glenn Miller Orchestra while they were touring the mid-Atlantic region. They were paid $75 a day for their two hour performances, and these guys were the best of the best.

I personally dedicate about two to three hours every day to music at this time, and that has been fairly consistent since I first picked up a guitar back when I was 12 years old. I no longer do this 7 days a week, mainly because I'm too old and physically screwed up to maintain that kind of schedule.

As for the technology part, I guess I'm a bit more fortunate than most in this respect. I've been working with electronics and electronic gadgets since I was a kid. It just comes kinda natural to me to delve into the innards of an arranger keyboard, an amp, mixer, etc...just to see what makes them tick. I got my Ham Radio General Class license when I was 12 years old, built my own transmitters and receivers from junk radio parts I salvaged from the neighbor's trash cans when they threw out old radios, even built my own first guitar amp from junk parts. I kinda wish I still had it, just for posterity, though.

I'm one of the few guys on the forum that reads the instruction/user manuals from cover to cover while sitting down at the keyboard. I also have the repair manuals for nearly every Yamaha keyboard I've ever owned. So, I guess I have spent a lot of time with the technological aspect of music as well, depending upon who's standard is used to determine this.

For a couple years, a lot of time was also dedicated to the business aspects of music, which for me, was equally as important as being a good entertainer. I learned the ins and outs of advertising, marketing, bookkeeping, and set up my own retirement program more than 20 years ago. My wife and I talked about this last night while we were discussing my health issues. At age 75 I continue to work the same schedule I did when I was 55, which is insane. The big difference this past year is I took off for three months and went to the Florida Keys for the winter. Of course, I worked down there as well, but only three nights a week.

If I cannot resolve my back problem, surgically or otherwise, this will likely be my last year as an entertainer. It's quite difficult to play and sing effectively with excruciating pain in your back, while your legs go numb. Pain killers help to some degree, but not enough most days to make me pain free. Today was no exception. When I got finished the one-hour job, I was almost afraid to get off the stool fearing my legs would buckle beneath me. Next Tuesday I'll be visiting the neurosurgeon to find out what the next step will be.

Good subject, Chas,

Gary