I will be poolside at a high end active adult community. How about you?

Mid-size Assisted Living facility, thanking God that we get to live in America!

Our house!!!

Why whats going on the on the 4th of July???

Love that Donny (HIGH END) nothing like a bit of name dropping, dead posh we say in the UK, mind you we don't have posh old folks home in the UK. Donny any chance of a video of you at the High End, you could name the video "ME IN AT THE DEEP END AT THE HIGH END"

Nursing home in the morning and a house/pool party at night. I should do a few patriotic songs. Any recomendations?

God bless America

God bless the USA

Visiting friends in Delaware on my 10th wedding anniversary (2nd time around....). We got married poolside in red, white, and blue bathing suit and bikini on the 4th in the middle of that friend's backyard barbecue- nobody knew. Even the minister was in shorts + Hawaiian shirt!

Donny,

Have you any idea where "God Bless America" comes from, we never say God Bless England, do you think we should, most people here don't give a toss , we are being robbed by the banks, bet your glad your not in the Euro or it would be God Bless America alright. The Ketron Audya brought Italy to it's knees, what an excuse, they only sold 100... 10 in the USA..

Your Ship Mate Tony

BTW if it sinks your going down with me and the ship.

PS Donny watch out for the "High End" diving board in the shallow end pool, caught me out once me old ship mate, that why the call me short stop....

Doing a poolside Marina party on July 1 culminating with a fireworks display. Sailing on Monday the 2nd and watching fireworks displays (weather permitting), big senior center event on July 3rd, and a big July 4th party for a new assisted living center where the residents, staff and relatives will be attending.

Cheers,

Gary

Hell,

Gary the US is full of old folks homes, what the hell they feeding them on, they don't last long here when they go into a home, skid row, the slippery slope. we have a Indian takeaway on every corner , you have old folks homes. Just imagine if all the old folks played arrangers OMG, they already do.


Tony

Faculty Club on the B-3 at noon, Private club at 7;30...on the patio after a golf event, then i move inside to the lounge for 4 hours.


R.

Actually Tony,it appears that there are more Assisted Living Centers and Nursing Homes in the UK than there are here. As for old folks playing arrangers, have you bothered to look in the mirror lately? There's an old fart who plays an arranger looking back at you.

As for longevity of the residents of these facilities here, they tend to live a lot longer, and in many instances better, than you might seem to believe. Maybe things are different in the UK when it comes to assisted living centers, nursing homes, and independent living centers. The way your avatar appears, though, you'll find out soon enough.

What I don't understand is why you, an arranger keyboard player, isn't working every day doing the same things that DNJ, Bill From Dayton, myself and a host of others do, which is to entertain folks by playing your keyboard at these locations, and get paid to do so.

Now, you want to know what these folks fed? Many of the places I perform have better food, more food, more variety in their diets, and eat at better places than either of us could afford. We don't have an Indian Takeaway on every corner, in fact, I don't even know what you're referring to. As for having a nursing home on every corner, it appears there are more in the UK than here in the US. I just did a good search of assisted living facilities in the UK and the list was larger than a Chicago telephone book.

Sound like you have too much time on your hands. Maybe you should get out of the home, haul your keyboard to some nursing homes, and make some people happy.

Good Luck,

Gary

Sunday and Monday doing some R & R in Atlantic City. Tuesday I'm playing a big BBQ at the Masonic Home, and Wednesday I'm doing a party at the Morningside House Assisted Living facility in Parkville, MD, then having the family down to my townhouse on the Baltimore Inner Harbor to view the fireworks from the rooftop. It's always an awesome experience.

Ditto to what Gary just said. I've been doing some assisted living facilities for 10 years or more and some of the same people I started with are still there and doing very well.

Joe

Gary,

You have not read and digested one word of what I said, read it carefully, I said WEEEE have an Indian takeaway on every corner not you,and you appear to have an old folks home on ever corner was a smart ass comparion off the cuff. When you are operting on people down the hospital, I hope you read the instructions before you start cutting. BTW Gary I don't have time to entertain the old folks, I still have a fulltime job, any entertaining I do is for free, I don't charge for the level that I play at, even though it's not too bad, I know my limitations, I can't play by ear like you, I need to read the dots to get it right, I like to play a comprehensive range.

Tony

Gary,

In the UK anyone going into an old folks home playing a KB or arranger would be doing it for free, no one in the UK makes a living out of playing for old folks, that goes for a private nursing home or NHS.

It's like a culture thing here, a bit of respect for people who are not going to come out of there, sort of not making money on them, we look at it in a different way, I play at christmas for old folks for ROTARY and kids schools, all for free.

Suppose I should say GOD BLESS Tony, but I will let others do that if they want.

Since no one answered my question I have found one slant on it?

http://sammonsays.com/general-humor/why-god-bless-america/

Nursing home in the morning, nursing home in the afternoon, then at night I'm the human cannon ball. I get paid $100 + mileage.

Beaky,

Do the canon ball first and if they can't find you, you can have the rest of the day off you can be posted "missing in action" or get them to aim the canon through the window of the first gigg!!! What an entrance

One of the farthest human cannonball flights is 185 ft 10 in (56.54 m), by David "Cannonball" Smith Sr. This feat occurred on May 29, 1998, at Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, USA.

It is estimated David was traveling at over 70 mph (112 km/h) during the flight.

Your human cannonball act will be a tough one to follow, Beaky, and if you can't make it back again next year, I hope they'll be lucky enough to find someone of the same caliber.

Ian

Ian,

I hope Breaky can hit on a few birds on the way... singing THE ONLY WAYS IS UP...

I'm available right now for the 4th. My job was cancelled.
Have gear, will travel.
DonM

Hey Joe! Stop in to the Crab Trap in Somers Point before you go! I play 6-10! We're 20 minutes from Atlantic City!
Call me 215-284-1328!
Dave

Then take R and R again during August and September...and see the good looking guy at the Crab Trap...Maybe you will also see Bill Lewis..he visits sometimes..

See the BK 5 in action

A little sober note for those involved with Nursing Homes. Last year, according to information from the Federal Government, patient physical abuse was found in 28% of the population.

That's better than one out of 4 residents.

Gary must luck out where he works, because the stats on nutrition and food quality at "For Profits" are equally dismal. People starve to death in the worst ones.

If interested, email me and I'll forward you the info as an attachment I just got from Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform.

What this means is that, while I admire those of us here who sincerely provide excellent entertainment at Nursing homes, Assisted Living centers and such, I can't stand to even be in the same room with staff and management of most of these hell holes.


Russ

I'll be selling fireworks, raising money for the Shriner's

Duane

Hi Uncle Dave and Fran. I just got back and read your posts. I will contact both of you the next time I go to AC. I'd love to see you. I had a real good time and now it's a balls to the wall week.

Happy 4th,

Joe

WHAT??? I thought you quit that band? What happened to the cute little chippie you just started working with?

Tony you should get your facts right before posting. I have been playing at senior venues for about 8 years now - almost daily and get paid very well to do so. In Texas we have several classes of these venues - Retirement Communities where people decide to live rather than at a private residence. The cost of most of these places here in the Dallas area runs anywhere from $6000.00k - $12,000.00 a month!
There are also Independent Living facilities where people go to live who might have mobility problems such as needing a wheel chair or a walker but otherwise are in pretty good health. They are paying up to $7000.00 a month! Next are the Assisted Living Facilities where you find people who have problems doing everyday tasks such as dressing or just getting around - prices vary here from $3000.00 - $8000.00 a month depending on the level of care required. Last are the Memory Care units which house those with memory problems. Many of these people have lost all recollection of events and people in their lives and require 24-7 care. The cost is enormous and on-going.

So, for someone to post they are performing at a "high end" senior venue is not name dropping or "Posh" like as you indicated . One of my "High End " places costs residents $750,000.00 upfront to buy in and then the monthly cost ranges from $9000.00 - $12,000.00 a month depending on the living arrangements they have chosen. Their every need and want is catered to including private limousines for shopping or town trips. They dine in facilities better than most high end restaurants or first class cruise ships with wait staff assigned to each table.

Then there are the government sponsored facilities for people who have little to no funds to pay for their needs. Like Russ said - some of these places I Won't play for the very reasons Russ stated. Fortunately, here in my area they are few and far between.

Tony, I know NOTHING about such places in the UK even though my wife and I travel to the UK twice yearly to visit friends. Seems like it would be rather foolish of me to comment on UK senior venues.

Deane

Deane,

These are just the kind a old folks homes in the UK that I would play in for free, they don't have any money they are run by the NHS and I wouldn't take any off them if they had, Deane it's not just me that will play for free, lots of organ and KB players will, most of the UK homes will have an organ donated by someone who passed on, that someone will come in and play, I am not trying to be smart about this, there is a World of difference between Texas and Manchester UK, I love it like it is. Next time you come across ask someone to take you in a HNS home, take your dots and play for them, that would be nice, if you ask for any money for playing they will look at you like you got two heads

Regards

Tony

Funny how things happen. Being new down here in Cape May NJ I'm still working on making contacts. I had nothing for the 4th but my wife had to work that night in a little shop on the Mall. She felt bad about working oon the holiday so I took her to lunch at a place the just opened. Two Mile Inn in Wildwood Crest. As usual I got into a conversation with the bartender and then the manager and he said he was stuck for entertainment that day!!! Had lunch , went home, loaded up and came back to do 5-8 on the deck. I'll be there again next Thursday. Working outside with a keyboard setup is making me jealous of these acoustic guitar guys with one little amp.

Fran and Dave please post your schedules at the Trap, I'll be there to see you in action

Hi Bill - I'm at the Trap every Monday and Tuesday all summer.(6-10) I think Fran goes in, in September.His band will work Wed-Fri-Sat 8-12
See you there!

Obviously you did a great job that they hired you back ...
I'm gigging tonight outdoors at an upscale Italian restaurant I posted about last week ... only problem is at a certain time for a few minutes during sunset the sun is DIRECTLY in my eyes ... that's break time

One of the major problems I've encountered with the vast majority of outdoor jobs is sunlight. Most of the jobs are late afternoon and on into the evening, and in many instances the sun is shining right in your face. I made a special hood to cover the keyboard display so I can see what I'm doing, but the LED lights above the various buttons become invisible in direct sunlight.

The other problem is heat. Today, the temperature is 101, thus working outdoors is brutal. I have two fans blowing on my at all times, and a half-dozen bottles of water in a cooler chest next to the keyboard - they're essential tools this time of year.

Fortunately, I can pick and choose most of the jobs and rarely do outdoor work these days. I'm just too damned old to subject myself to that much heat and humidity. Tomorrow's job is indoors, and the air conditioner will be running full blast. Weatherman says tomorrow's high temperature could hit 103 with a heat index of 110. The job was originally scheduled for outdoors, but they changed it to indoors because of the oppressive heat.

Another thing that must be considered is the effects of heat on your equipment. Some PA systems have thermal cut-offs, Mackie and Barbetta being two that immediately come to mind. Both now have small, cooling fans inside the cabinets, but when the PA is sitting in direct sunlight and temperatures are in the upper 90s, they can still shut down when you least expect.

Some keyboards also have thermal cut-offs. Those with external power supplies, such as the Yamaha PSR series, can shut down when the power supply temperature exceeds a certain temperature. Today, about 12-noon, when the thermometer soared to 101, I had to put on gloves to open the lock on my boat. That brass lock was too hot to touch without burning yourself. You can only imagine what the temperature must be inside a black keyboard.

Good Luck,

Gary

My new rule last two years is no keyboard playing outside ......I will only Dj these gigs and sing........all kb so.g have been recorded as backing tracks also besides mp3 songs ......they love it and so do I....

Whatever works and as long as the people are happy. I'm getting a real dose of this singing with tracks thing down here. Seems like everyones doing it. Some play a little with them and some just sing. I would feel lost without my keyboard in front of me so I'll stay in the dark ages for now Maybe after some lessons from Fran I'll move up to the present.

Dave
Thanks My wife and I will be there to see you soon. Funny coincidence is I'm rehearsing with a classic rock band a few miles away so I'm up there every Wed. Why are they holding Fran back until Sept., they love his group there??
See you soon

Bill

Bill , we are there for Aug and Sept....Wed, Fri and Sat nights...