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#169291 - 07/19/05 08:14 AM Re: Attention restaraunt players!!!
tony mads usa Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/16/02
Posts: 14376
Loc: East Greenwich RI USA
Bill ... MOST IMPORTANTLY, as this is their first venture into having music, BE CAREFUL OF YOUR VOLUME !!! ... They are not used to having live music, so anything could seem loud at first ... Better to have them come to you and tell you to raise the volume, then asking you to turn it down ...
I played for a while in an Italian restaurant that had 2 VERY small rooms... I even suggested that it might be too small for music, but the owner had heard me at another place, and wanted me to work there... The complaints about volume came from the wait staff who said it was difficult to hear the customers orders... Now I was keeping the volume really low, but they were not used to having ANY music, so it bothered them ...
Having played very similar venues, I can concur with the suggestion for instrumentals early and starting with some 'light' vocals later...
For instrumentals, bossa rhythms (using bass, drums, and guitar background)always seem to work well with all kinds of songs, such as the Beatles "Michelle", "Yesterday", etc.
As it is an upscale Italian restaurant, I would also suggest you do a search for 'Italian' midi files, and songs by Jerry Vale, Vic Damone, Jimmy Rosselli, etc., especially with LIGHT Latin rhythms, even if only to help you expand your Italian song list.... and while I play a 'technics', I would expect the Tyros has a good accordion sound you can utilize also ...
I am sure you will do well, and keep us posted...
t.
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t. cool

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#169292 - 07/19/05 08:33 AM Re: Attention restaraunt players!!!
TresorTX Offline
Member

Registered: 09/20/04
Posts: 95
Loc: Dallas, Boston, Orlando
Bill,
This question has nothing to do with $$ but I am interested in your experience, in knowing how to play using FULL KEYBOARD mode with the styles. What is the trick in making the automatic chord recognition work well in full keyboard mode?

In my very limited experience (in-experience)I have a hard time playing full keyboard mode simply because too often, the kybd generates chords that I don't want. It seems to want to pick-up on the intervals between the chords that I do want, and generates chords that I don't want. Could you give this junior some tips on playing in full keyboard mode?

Thx, Russ
_________________________
Russ Bolduc
russbolduc@tx.rr.com
817-714-0488

PSR S900
Korg PA1XPRO
Kurzweil PC3X
Logitech Z

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#169293 - 07/19/05 09:00 AM Re: Attention restaraunt players!!!
Bill in Dayton Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 08/23/04
Posts: 2202
Loc: Dayton, OH USA
UPDATE!!!

I had another chat with owner of this restaurant this morning and can provide additional details:

1) He's changed his mind about which location he wants live music. He's decided he wants music in his Troy, OH restaurant NOT his Dayton location. (I actually live in Troy...10 minutes away, this just makes things easier for me!)Beats the 45 minutes drive I thought I was going to have there and back...They've had music here off and on for years...but usually a solo or duo guitar act. They pipe Italian music non-stop through the house system 24/7...he actually wants me to be an alternative.

2) Either wants me in his dining room or in the lounge, but wants my music quietly distributed to all areas of this medium size place. I've explained to him that I can "probably" achieve this by running some cables but that we need to keep his guests safety in mind at all times.

3) Confirmed pay at $100 per night from 6:00pm - 9:00pm. Troy is a growing, rural community with an expanding business base. I'd say $100 in Troy is closer to $125 or so in Dayton proper...

4) Have 4 Thursdays penciled in (7/28, off, 8/11, 8/18 and 8/25) to give it a trial run and see what it does, if anything for his business. He plans on advertising this on a Dayton mainstream jazz station as well as a in house newsletter. He does want to find a night that he can have on a steady basis...THAT will be difficult at least until next year, but I get the sense he understands my schedule and will try and work with it.

I'll post an update after my meeting with the client Friday at 10:30am. Potentially, this could be very nice because he's also considering adding music to his other location as well.

Bill in Dayton

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 07-19-2005).]
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Bill in Dayton

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#169294 - 07/19/05 09:05 AM Re: Attention restaraunt players!!!
Stephenm52 Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 04/13/05
Posts: 5126
Loc: USA
Tony Mads USA, you've got e-mail from a Rhode Islander.

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#169295 - 07/19/05 10:27 AM Re: Attention restaraunt players!!!
tony mads usa Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/16/02
Posts: 14376
Loc: East Greenwich RI USA
Quote:
Originally posted by Stephenm52:
Tony Mads USA, you've got e-mail from a Rhode Islander.


Steve ... you've got a response ...
t.
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t. cool

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#169296 - 07/19/05 11:05 AM Re: Attention restaraunt players!!!
Scott Langholff Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/09/02
Posts: 3163
Loc: Pensacola, Florida, USA
Hey Russ

Are those prices for 3 or 4 hour gigs?

Scott

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#169297 - 07/19/05 11:54 AM Re: Attention restaraunt players!!!
Scottyee Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/01/99
Posts: 10427
Loc: San Francisco Bay Area, CA, US...
The rate in the SF Bay Area is around $125-200 night, + tips & free dinner with pay scale commenserate with musicianship experience & your drawing power. Bigger (in demand) entertainer-musicians obviously can command even more $. The advantage of playing in a restaurant with a dedicated bar-lounge is that this type of venue encourages more song requests + singing, & audience interaction, reaping more tips, often equal or more than the house pay itself.

Bill, your new restaurant gig venture sounds like a promising opportunity for both you and the restaurant. I agree with Tony in starting out 'low key' to test the waters & management & diners mood-response. I believe your job in this venue is primarily providing restaurant BACKGROUND music abience. The dinners should still be able to easily hear & carry on a conversation with each other. After establishing yourself, perhaps adding vocals later in the evening would be a welcome addition and attract a later crowd to come for after dinner cocktails & dessert & enjoy your music & singing.

Scott
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#169298 - 07/19/05 01:03 PM Re: Attention restaraunt players!!!
captain Russ Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 7285
Loc: Lexington, Ky, USA
Scott...officially they're usually three hour jobs, but as you all have probably experienced, if enough people are hanging around, you occasionally stay an extra 1/2 hour or so. It all balances out...sometimes you get off a little early during the week.

Russ

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#169299 - 07/26/05 06:33 PM Re: Attention restaraunt players!!!
Bill in Dayton Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 08/23/04
Posts: 2202
Loc: Dayton, OH USA
Update:

Client asked me to come in this morning and set up my rig so he/we could assess the volume. I set up my Tyros with the small yamaha speaker system...

It filled the main room...plus carried out to the bar. I was on about 70% full volume...I'd need to drop to about 40-45% as the place fills up...

Got three dates set up in August to try this out. After that, we both talk about how its going and then proceed accordingly. I really hope this works out because it fills such a nice hole in my client roster.

First night is Thursday, August 11th...I'll post afterwards my observations...

Bill in Dayton
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Bill in Dayton

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#169300 - 07/26/05 07:31 PM Re: Attention restaraunt players!!!
Dnj Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
Good luck at your opening....
take some dig pics for us too

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