Many people have commented about patrons thinking they are not even playing, that their laptop is making all of the music. That's not good, seems to me. In fact, if they can even SEE a laptop, that's not good. Althought, I don't know a way around it. How could you 'hide' a laptop?

Another thing would be if you didn't have a music stand to block their view. If you need lyrics, if the lyric was displayed on the onboard display, that would be ideal.

Another way would be if you had a Music Pad Pro like Scott Yee and you mounted it in some kind of way that they still see your hands playing.

It won't make a break you but many people take great pains to do this and that. Just a thought. Differentiating yourself between a musician and a d.j. could prove beneficial. Then again, maybe not. Haha. Maybe they could not care less and only WE worry about such.

Bill,

They just want to be entertained. Most of us who have been doing this for some time had dozens of times when people come up to you while you're singing, watch your fingers doing their thing, stand a foot away and begin asking questions as if you could sing, play and hold a conversation at the same time. My dear departed father had an old saying for those individuals. He said "Keep in mind that common sense is not very damned common these days!" He was right.

If you want to hide your laptop, place it on a standard, heavy-duty music stand, position it off to the side, and then maybe they'll think you're looking at sheet music. NAH!

Gary

I don't use a laptop or the sheet music holder and anyone who cares to come take a look at my fingers is welcome. Most of my jobs, however are on stages where they can't see the keys anyway.

At small dinner parties where there is not stage, I may angle the keyboard at a 45 which creates a little more intimacy with the guests.

As Gary and DNJ have always said, larger parties just want to be entertained and don't really care how you do it.

Eddie

Yes, we all gotta be good entertainers (at least to some degree) to succeed as musicians, but I for one am specifically billed as "keyboard-vocal musician" and audiences (at least mine) expect no less.

I realize there are many differing arranger keyboard entertainment markets out there, from: providing dance hall entertainment, restaurant background music, karaoke club informal bar-lounge entertainment, to: more formal intimate lounge club music & stage concerts where people actually come 'specifically' to hear you play & sing live. Some of these venues require very little traditional keyboard playing skills while others expect it.

Though all audiences expect to be entertained, differing venues attract different audiences, of who have differing artist performance expectations. Considering myself foremost: a vocalist-musician & interpreter of song, I most appreciate the intimate concert venues, where I'm able to 'express my heart' thru my music with the audience returning their attention & appreciation. For this reason, I find the intimate concert venues most personally gratifying, especially for my kind of one man entertainment, and the type of venue where the audience may be more apt to be interested in seeing you play the keys.

On another note: I remember it being brought up adamantly by Uncle Dave (and a few others here as well) that they felt utilizing a MusicPad Pro onstage, a terrible audience distraction. After viewing the impressive pics of Donny's laptop setup onstage:



I find it no less (and more likely more) of an audience distraction than the MusicPad Pro is. The laptop looks like what it is: a computer, of which is stereo-typically expected (by the public) to be 'stared' into. On the other hand, my experience with the MusicPad Pro is that the audience rarely notices it, because it looks like merely a flat device, no different than the tilt up screen on my Tyros. As a followup to my MusicPad Pro+ purchase a few months back, I still feel it was the best music equipment investment I've made in a LONG time, worth every penny, and suitable for all performance venues. A laptop's 'music viewing' features & capabilities simply don't approach the abilities of the MusicPad Pro+. If you're a professional musician currently using music, leadsheets, or lyrics onstage, consider the MusicPad Pro. It's worth the investment.

Scott

[This message has been edited by Scottyee (edited 05-18-2005).]

Perhaps there are some people who would want to see your fingers on the keys, but even if they do what does it prove ... I know a sax player who is a OMB act... he has a kb set in front of him and sometimes when he is not playing the sax, 'appears' to be playing the keys, when in reality the kb might not even be turned on !!! ...
t.

The SD1 can display text files on the display.
I imagine some of the other arrangers can do this. You just load the text file to the hard drive. If it has the same name as the style you're using, it is called up automatically. You can scroll it with food switch or button.
DonM

Then again, maybe we should try to look MORE like a d.j.

Heck, they make more than musicians. It ain't right, I tell ya.

DJs ding weddings in this part of the world knock down $800 to $1,200 for a 4-hour wedding reception, and even more when the do both the wedding and reception. Often, however, the actual pay to the DJ is far less, and the lion's share of the proceeds goes to the catering company or wedding planner that put the package together. Sometimes there's an $800 charge for the DJ, and the DJ gets to keep $150 for 4 hours work.

Scott, are you trying to tell us that no one has ever walked up to you while you were singing and playing, and started talking to you? This happens to every OMB entertainer I know on the planet, and that's regardless of wheter you use a laptop or just sing from memory. I've even had people come up and ask questions while I was playing a 12-string guitar and singing, and that's while I was on stage with three other guys. I don't believe the computer has a thing to do with this problem. At the end of the night, even before I played a keyboard and worked with several country bands, at the end of the night you would get a check where the item line said DJ Music.

Cheers,

Gary

I just brought it up because many of you take great pains to 'look professional' and I thought the more you look and act like a musician (and it would be more evident if they see you playing), maybe that's a good thing.

As for people talking to musicians while they are SINGING, that has always blown my mind. Like, are you that STOOPID? It's like they think you have two heads or something.

The mere fact that the audience hears more then ONE instument coming from a keyboard eg: drums, bass, rythym secions etc etc ....is in their head not computing to the laymans ear no matter how good a player you are.....with that in mind they obviously know something is different and somthing is being done by the person on stage other then playing just ONE instrument.....either they think, its a computer, DJ, tapes, CD's, mini discs, mp3's doesnt matter at that point unless there is ONLY A PIANO to look at. Explaining all this technology to them is futile, you must realize what we do is Entertaining in whatever form it takes and whatver you the musician want to believe in your own mind....the bottom line is to make the client happy, make the audience happy, get paid for your services, and get repeat business to make a living. A purist musicaianal attutude in todays high tech world
is a thing of the past....go with the flow and enjoy the fact that your doing something enjoyable in whatever way YOU do it .....there is no rules or right or wrong....the music speaks for it self and always will!!.

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-18-2005).]

Hi, I just wanted to comment on the DJ/and or musician pay issue mentioned above. I charge $500 for the first 4 hours ($100 hourly overtime) and I'm at or below most of my competitors. I'm usually booked every Sat during the wedding season. Nightclub bookings pay $125 to $150. Most of my wedding/private party bookings come from the Yellow pages. I stongly urge everyone who is either underbooked or underpaid to look into this avenue if you aren't already there. Also, consider getting an 800 number that is routed to the phone number you are most frequently at. That way, if you move, your older ads and business cards aren't obsolete. I get my 800 service from Costco (a U.S. based warehouse discounter chain) and its something like 5 1/2 cents per minute with no monthly fee. (866) 24-PARTY rings at my house. If you letter your van or trailer, you may have more success with a vanity number like mine that is easy to remember at a 55 miles per hour glance! I'm in a small town so yellow pages ads are affordable. If you are in a big city, it might be prohibitively expensive to get an ad big enough to stand out.
Yellow page callers are very price selective and often the first person to answer the phone, answer the questions correctly, and quickly send a professional package with a nice cover letter, references, contract, and a wedding event questionnaire gets the gig. If you are also the cheapest or not too much higher than the other guys!
If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to post my wedding questionnaire.
I have often considered lettering my 14 foot trailer but I have always worried that it would be an advertisement to thieves. Does anyone have experience on how lettering your van or trailer has boosted your inquiry calls?

As far as people coming up to you when u are playing or singing.....
I was playing harmonica and singing Piano Man (which I have played for 21 years and am quite sick of but the audience LOVES it---and it's not my living room so I play what they want not what I do) and this drunk guy came up to me with a request. He kept asking me over and over while I was trying to play and sing. Finally I stopped the music altogether and said into the mic very nicely , "I'm sorry but can you come back in three minutes, I'm singing this song for somebody right now." Then I resumed the song.
A bit tacky but it sure did work! He apologized and came back and I was very nice to him and did his request. A firm word with a smile on your face usually disarms a drunk every time. If you have a smile, it is very difficult for them to elevate the level of rudeness or hostility.
Also, if you have a persistent person who has a request and you have 15 others ahead of him then I suggest showing him the list and saying "I can't wait to play your song--it's a really good one, but I have all these people who requested stuff ahead of you and I can't cheat." That usually disarms them. Nobody wants to be a "cheater." Again, say it nicely with a smile on your face. But be firm.
I've learned a thing or two about avoiding confrontations since I'm 5'6 and 155 lbs!

Yep, I see sequences used more and more. However, there are SOME singers who sing to tracks only; they do not PLAY anything. Thus, that type of difference (if they see your hands playing keys) is kind of what I was wondering about.

BTW, I know a girl who (supposedly) made good money in NASHVILLE, of all places. And all she did was sing to tracks. She had a regular weekly gig. She's also gorgeous, so, that's a bit of an edge on us.

That would definitely be a competitive edge! I find that I look best with lots of clothes on in a dimly lit room, lol.

I went to the Concert for America in Washington D.C. and probably a third of the national acts sang to tracks. Puff Daddy and Billy Gilman come to mind. Gilman, the nice little kid who sang Oklahoma and One Voice, sang to a CD music track. Unfortunately it skipped (in front of 50,000 people.) The kid never lost his cool and told the engineer over the mic to stop the CD and that he would finish it accapella. He brought down the house. It was awesome. Totally in key, moving, and he hit notes in the stratosphere.
Sadly I heard his label dumped him when his voice changed.

Gar, not at all. This happens to me on occasion as well. It's not only restricted to OMB arranger keyboard gigs, but even when singing & playing 'acoustic piano' on piano bar gigs as well. Depending onthe situation as well as my mood, I'll either ignore them, or engage them in conversation right in the middle of the song, right over the PA system. I might respond with a saracasticly humorous reply in song maintaining the original melody, or perhaps direct the mic under the intruder's face, having his/her voice broadcast over the PA system, of which typically embarrasses them. The best way to deal with unintentionally rude patrons is to respond in kind with humor. If they're stoned drunk, that's another matter, and that's the job of house management to boot them out, and they do. This is the firm agreement I make with all house management before I sign on to a gig. This leaves me free to do what I'm PAID to do: Sing & play.

Scott

Just remember Drax in "Moonraker".

I play with a live band with no laptop so people never think my keyboard playing is automated. While they can't see what I am playing they always know I am actually playing.

I am SO with Scott on this issue. If there is a fight or any type of drama I let the management or bouncers handle it. Our job as entertainers is to be liked by everyone so I don't get involved. I'm everyone's "buddy" at a show. The minute you get involved in any way in an altercation or any type of drama you alienate one side and you potentially eliminate future audiences at your shows.

My favourite was when I was playing using Moogs (yes this was a few years back) suddenly a little head appeared above my rig and a small voice asked "What happens if you twiddle these knobs, mister?", whilst busily twiddling the knobs to see for himself. Luckily our singer was a teacher who quickly removed the offender from the stage by his ear (I guess you wouldn't be able to do that these days). She didn't break stride, still singing her heart out at the top of her voice!

Andrew, you must really be good......backing a singer with a Moog..

Ah, well this was in the heady days ofd the early eighties. I used a polymoog for chords, multimoog for lead and a micromoog for bass. I didn't mention there was a drummer and guitarist going full throttle too, making the shock even greater when I looked up to see a small face staring at me.

I later traded the polymoog in for a DX7 - what was I thinking!? Still have the other moogs though.

StPatrick, my youngest son and I have a 1956 22' Airstream trailor, with "Airstream Audio"
graphics on all four sides.

He uses it as a portable DJ booth for car shows, mainly, and I use it as a mobile sound system for outdoor events.

We get lots of jobs from people who see the unit, but we never leave equipment in it, and am concerned about the theft/break-in factor.


Russ

I don't use sequences, have no laptop on the stand, but do use a Ketron arranger.

At least once a week, a patron will ask,"do you have (a certain song), instead of "do you know....).

The public is getting more and more used to tracks, sequences and the like.

This town has 6 or 7 horn players playing tracks, but only one other person doing a OMB act with keyboard.

Go figure..


Russ