Although I consider myself very finiky and detailed in my approach to performing, today, I had an experience that can only be summed up as comical. I hope you can just relax and picture this...it was pretty much a "I'll never do that again" moment. Was asked to sing last minute for the friend of a friend at a huge Catholic Basilica 30 miles from here. 3 weeks to prepare. Bride wanted the wedding song (ho hum), the greatest gift and Ave Maria. I show up last week to rehearse and the organist basically says, let me see the songs,,,hmmmm OK, they're fine. see you next week. I asked to try the sound system and mix the psr 2000 sequenced backing tracks with the mic...he said not necessary, he had 4 mics (in this huge choir loft) and I could mike the board speakers, and sing with one of the other mics. should have waved the BS flag right there, but hey, sounded reasonable enough (well, not really). I also played 30 minutes of music on a 7 ft Howard Grand piano at the front of the church (We just tuned it...sounds great....ssssssurrrrree it does). He says I'll be there 10 min early the day of.. we'll work out the details. (OK, my common sense angel on one shoulder is shuddering saying...bring your own equipment, come 1 hr prior, set the sound levels and do it yourself....this is doomed ....the devil on the other side is laughing...hey, piece of cake...the easiest 75 bucks you'll ever make...this guy has been in the Basilica 20 years...he knows what's what...just let him lead you by the big ring in your nose... chalk one up for the Angel.
He rushes me out the door and we go home. Not one song sung..not one psr tone heard in the great cathedral...but hey, how tough can this be...i'll wing it...

Today, show up 1 hr early, no equipment save 1 PSR 2000, 3 pieces of music and a stupid look on my face. Priest is a visiting priest. Organist never met him, soon becomes evident, they are on 2 different planets regarding the order of service. They don't coordinate a thing. I start to play the piano....oh man...that piano can't really be that much out of tune can it???? Man...someone please give me a razor blade, I want to slit my wrist!!! I get through the 20 minutes of... ummmm... music...go to the loft where the organist (who's playing this gargantuon beautiful pipe organ) is trying to speak to me over the music (we're in front of the pipes)..."none of the mics work, except this one boom mike here on the organ. Don't worry" (who me, why this has been splendid so far, why would I worry)You can mike the board and your voice with this one mike. (The angel starts to polk me in the ribs and chant...I told you so) He has me set up the candle lighting song on the PSR. Then (gee, suprise, suprise, ) he yells frantically at me, he's doing the offering..play the wedding song..now!!! now!!!. I cooly select the wedding song on the PSR, I'm sweating like a pig now...and the first few lines roll out...damn...I forgot to transpose up 3 when I recorded. To late now...mr tenor becomes bass man...of course it's one of those where half of it I can do OK low, but the chorus needs to be done an octave higher...oh yeah...the PSR is on his organ bench, the boom mike is bent over at the speakers, 10 inches away, I'm bending over to sing into the bent over boom..looks like I'm throwing up...off my normal key...and now this guy starts talking to me!!!! sounds good buddy...a little less background that's it...hey ...the priest is almost done...you better get ready to cut it off...now....ok..now...cut it off..he's staring at you!!! (Of course I can't tell, I'm bent over singing into a mike pointed downward into my PSR speaker, sweating, trying not to puke, trying to breath...and still make it sound kinda descent...I mean hey....she did pay 75 bucks for this crap!!!!) Oh yeah..forgot, during the frantic start from the drill instructor, I still had the words for the greatest gift in my hand at the beginning. As I was having all this go through my mind at the beginning, I look up and see, THE WRONG SONG IN MY HANDS) now, I know the song, but to make yourself not sing the words in front of you is almost too much for me to bear...major brain spasm.. made it though....phew....I then sang AVE MARIA, had to use his boom mike...he took my book for the sheet music, music too far away to read all the words...made up only a couple...might try to get it changed...I liked it my way...Packed my bag, ran out the back door..(phew, finally..a familiar place for me..sped away as fast as my little neon would carry me...my wife asks..howd it go...ah..you know same ole stuff... One day I'll never forget...why do we do what we know is doomed to fail..painful lesson re-learned hope this lightened your day guys Cheers Brian

Brian,
That is a great story. One of my sayings for life is: "You either have a great time or a great story!" Thank you for sharing it.

Sorry it wasn't as smooth as you wanted it to be. We once had a meeting for my professional magicians group and shared similar stories. Obviously at the time it was far from funny, but looking back at them we were on the floor laughing. One person was performing outdoors near the water and almost had his entire act blown into the lake due to gusty winds. I can see if I am playing for an outdoor wedding and having the music blowing all over the place. I'm glad my PSR2000 has the midi capability cuz if they can't see me I would just have it play while I sang or pretended to play making it easier on myself.

Again, thanks for sharing. Hopefully you will never have a repeat performance of that type again.

- Brian