I give the guy credit for getting a cruise gig and supposedly for playing commercially in his area. The website is a good start, BUT his choice od demo music leaves much to be desired. It might be better if he recorded his piano bar stuff straight from the mixer. His keyboard sounds leave me wanting; the patches are not great; here is a situation where maybe a better keyboard might help.

I think when you put yourself out there for the public to hear, you have to live or die by what you make available. I know my site suffers from a lack of good pictures. I think this site suffers from a lack of more polished recordings.

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Cass
Lovin' my G70 and XK-1

Thanx for sharing I can see why they are playing on cruise ships for sure.

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 12-19-2008).]

Having a live musician is so much more entertaining then a DJ.

"then" a DJ? Wow, wonder how much he paid the English teacher to proof his website?

Also, on the ceremony demos, would someone here please tell me which of the demos showcased his flute? HE claims there's flute on there.

I call this KARAOKE, and the two Elvis clips downloaded and lend a ear to did not make me
wanna dance or go for a cruice ....
GJ

True that when you go public, you open yourself up to critique, both good and bad. What kind of bothers me in the initial posts is instead of constructive criticism , it was "this guy and gal stink!"

This forum is for people to share information on product use, tips, etc. and suggestions on how to improve what you do. Wouldn't it be nicer to maybe e-mail the guy with some useful suggestions such as those mentioned by Bill and Cass rather than blasting him. BTW, I find it interesting that the real constructive criticism came from the only two members that have actually have websites and offer demos of there material.

OK, I'm jumping off my high horse now. Don't mean to offend anyone. Maybe it's the stress of the economy, lack of gigs, and lack of sleep getting to me.

Best Regards and Merry Christmas!

Dave

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Wm. David McMahan
LearnMyKeyboard
JazzItUp Band

I sincerely believe the only thing wrong is the samples he provided. Essentially, it's live recordings from a piano bar, which are marginal at best. The guy is probably very talented, a mediocre player, but a good entertainer. I seriously doubt that he books many jobs from his website, which was my experience as well. Hey, he has a job as an entertainer on a cruise ship, which for some zoners has been one of their fantasies. He's probably making a good living, having lots of fun entertaining cruise ship, piano-bar patrons, and doing what he wants to do. He obviously interacts with his audience and they too seem to be having fun.

As for the song Piano Man he performed, most comments are correct, it's not even close. On the flip side, I get requests for Piano Man all the time, mostly from younger audience members and I just will not do the song. It's boring as hell, long, and did I mention it was boring as hell? Oh well, he kept the piano bar drunks happy and entertained, and that's what he is paid to do.

Gary

Me at the mic
Me at the piano (.wmv format)
Me at the piano (quick time format)

Critique away.

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Wm. David McMahan
LearnMyKeyboard
JazzItUp Band

i've heard many people like this do the gigs i would kill for. they must have the personality to sell it despite their lack of musical talent. when you play in public ,you're gonna be judged. i would focus on trying to be the best i could. this sounds like a bad american idol audition. as always, there's two
types of music ... good and bad. one person's "bad "music is another's "good" music. that's what makes this business of music so great to be a part of. i wonder if they have references? or is this a web designer's joke.

Yeah, the only way to get through the whole tune is to be half plastered. And I don't really drink like that so I avoid the song. Something to consider regarding his rendition; maybe he is doing the 'oom pa pa' piano part to keep the drunks singing along in time. Maybe this guy is smarter than he is given credit for. hmm!?!

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Wm. David McMahan
LearnMyKeyboard
JazzItUp Band

If I had your talent I'd quit my day job