POSTED BY GARY—
“IT'S ALL A MATTER OF READING THE AUDIENCE - IT'S THAT SIMPLE. BEFORE I PLAY THAT FIRST SONG, I LOOK AT THE AUDIENCE, DETERMINE THEIR AGES, AND OFTEN GO THROUGH THE CROWD AND ASK IF THEY HAVE ANY SPECIAL SONGS THEY WOULD LIKE ME TO PLAY. THEN, I RETURN TO THE KEYBOARD, AND SELECT APPROPRIATE SONGS FROM WHEN THAT AUDIENCE WAS 15 TO 45 YEARS OF AGE, WHICH IS THE ERA THAT WOULD WORK BEST FOR MOST AUDIENCES”.

THE MAN IS RIGHT ON. BECAUSE IT IS A RESTAURANT WE CAN ASSUME THAT PEOPLE CAME TO EAT AND TALK.

I PLAYED AT MAYACO COUNTRY CLUB, IT WAS AN UPSCALE CLASSY RESTAURANT. USED MY KN7000 AND PROGRAMED THE ACCOMPANIMENT TO PLAY BASS,DRUMS AND PIANO. I USED ONLY PIANO FOR MY RIGHT AND LEFT HAND. I MADE SURE THE MUSIC DID NOT INTERFERE WITH THEIR CONVERSATIONS. ON OCCASIONS I USED A FLUTE OR A SOFT TRUMPET. MY JOB WAS TO DO WHAT GARY SAID – THEY WILL LET YOU KNOW BY A SMILE OR SOME TYPE OF BODY MOVEMENT.

WHEN I APPLIED FOR THE JOB THEY SAID NO THEY WANTED A PIANO PLAYER. I ASKED FOR ONE NIGHT, THEY AGREED. I WAS THERE FOR SIX YEARS. GOOD INSTRUMENT USED PROPERLY, (VOLUME) AND DOING WHAT OUR GOOD FRIEND GARY SAID. NORMALLY THERE IS NO DIALOG BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND THE MUSICIAN. I DID NOT SING UNLESS IT WAS REQUESTED.

WHY DO MUSICIANS GET SO CONCERNED WITH A REQUESTED SONG? WHEN I WAS ASKED TO PLAY A SONG I DID NOT KNOW I APOLOGIZED AND HOPED I DID NOT DISAPPOINT THEM. I FEEL THAT THEY WERE SATISFIED BECAUSE I ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM WITH RECOGNITION. I AM TALKING ABOUT 100 OR MORE PEOPLE IN A CATERING HALL -- PLEASING ONE WITH A SONG I AM NOT SURE OF OR THAT IS NOT MY STYLE, OR THAT WAS NOT ME, WOULD NOT DO MUCH FOR THE OTHER 99 PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE. I BURIED THEIR REQUEST WITH ONE OF MY BEST EXCITING SONGS THAT WAS POPULAR AT THAT TIME.

JOHN C.
PS, I am assuming that there is no dance floor in the restaurant.
I DON'T KNOW HAO THIS POST CAME OUT ALL CAPS AAAAH COMPUTERS,