Gary ... Don't kid yourself ... a good number of these people make quite a bit of money doing this ... and it's all cash ! ... there are places in NY where the entertainers vie for the spot, because it is so lucrative ... plus, we don't know what some of these players are doing at other times ... some are playing for shows, in concert orchestras, doing studio work, etc. and use the 'street' to hone their craft ...

http://web.mta.info/mta/aft/muny/

I don't know, Tony. I really don't know any of them personally, so I cannot vouch for how much they make or do not make. I know a lot of players in my area and none are working the streets. Most, just as myself, used to work the clubs and restaurants, but by and large, they are ALL working the NH circuit now for reasons of economics. I there were that much money there, I would think the competition would be very high. As for vying for a specific location, panhandlers here battle over street corners and some have been killed for the right to panhandle in certain areas, but I don't think they make a lot of money. JMO

Gary

"If I bet $100 would I win if I said I was the only Person on this whole forum that listened to every note of the guy at the bottom of the staircase" - Boo


Sorry Boo, but you'd lose (I'll collect later ). I loved the duo "at the bottom of the staircase" and listened to every note. I play those tunes, just not at the skill level of these guys. Furthermore, I don't look down on them because they aren't part of the "1%". I know that here in the good ol' USA, we tend to measure success and accomplishment by how much money someone makes. I think that has a lot to do with how the rest of the world views us.

We throw around that word ENTERTAINER as though it's an excuse for not being musically accomplished. Maybe these subway performers will get 'discovered' and maybe they won't, but at least there is a CHANCE. Getting 'discovered' playing in a nursing home....well I wouldn't bet the farm on it .

Truth is, I believe (and I could be wrong - usually am) that almost anybody with a nice smile, an outgoing personality, can carry a tune (more or less), operate an mp3 player (or an arranger keyboard WITH an mp3 player), could teach himself how to 'entertain' in a nursing home (there are quite a few 'entertainers' playing in nursing homes for FREE). On the other hand, regardless to what you think of their ability to make a living playing music, guys like the two at the bottom of the staircase are one in ten thousand in the population (as opposed to a 'dime a dozen').

All the guys mentioned in one of the posts above (Sinatra, Como, Dean Martin, Ferante and Ticher, etc.) were great singers or great musicians first, before they became legendary entertainers. All great singers and musicians don't go on to become entertainers and are content to just be the best musicians and singers they can be and spend a lifetime perfecting their chosen craft. Sorry, but I admire these people, way, way more than those who only view it as a business.

Let's face it. This board has very little to do with music (in the purest sense of the word). Obviously there are exceptions and the board is clearly split between those who 'play for pay' and those who do not. Naturally, the interests of these two groups are not always in sync, even with equipment (a home player is not overly concerned about a keyboards weight).

But, as Gary said, "sorry to somewhat derail the thread", and some of the performances were certainly worth listening to.

chas

My tastes in music are pretty eclectic. I've enjoyed most of the videos (yeah, Boo, even the jazz) and thank Donny for posting.
Eddie

Chas, they were ALL worth listening to.

Gary

Can't say I agree with that. There are some that think ALL life is precious, even mosquitos and cockroaches, but I can safely say that I, for one, wouldn't miss them. But that's not the point. Donny was going for a totally different vibe for this post and he explains it very well here....

"I think we are veering off course or topic worrying about the actual performances posted, that's Not it,...
let's just discuss the overall trials and tribulations of being a PRO One Man Band musician who makes a full time living playing music in the trenches year after year. I understand that some have not even been in front of or experienced a paying audience to play for or have to worry about where you next gig is coming from, and all that goes on behind the scenes to book jobs, advertise, promote, pay your bills, send kids to school, and survive financially only from a life in Music...sure it's possible that is proven, but there is alot involved and needs to be taken seriously when people depend on you. It's all part of the LIFE of a OMB Player...".

Of course, posting performances almost guaranteed that the post would devolve into a series of critiques of each performance. Still, I think it (the thread) did a good job of providing some insight into 'a day in the life' of a OMB performer.

chas

Never been a big fan of biting, flying, crawling bugs, either, Chas.

One of the main reasons I joined this forum so many years ago was to learn from other OMB performers/entertainers/musicians/singers, which essentially are one in the same. Sure, there are some that DO NOT sing, but during the time I've been involved in this OMB stuff the ones that tended to make a living, pay the bills, put the kids through school, keep a roof over their heads and even stash a little away for eventual retirement were singers as well as musicians. Some, such as myself, were not very accomplished musicians, but none the less, they got the job done, and with enough flair to be able to book the same venues year after year after year.

From my perspective, paying audiences want to be entertained. So, in that light, those of us who stand upon the stage in front of those audiences are entertainers first and foremost. And, that's even if we never sang a single word. If the audiences were not being entertained, they would not bother to attend the venue and shell out their hard earned cash.

I looked carefully at the subway player. He was incredibly talented to say the least. His fingers flew across the keyboard with uncanny accuracy, never seemed to had a bad note. (Wish I could do that!) However, he apparently did not sing. Consequently, most of the folks in the subway just walked past as if he did not exist. He failed to make any eye contact with the audience, too. Herein the term entertainer comes into play. UD once said that he did his damnedest to reach out and capture his audiences from the very first note he played and sang, then did his best to hold them until the very last second of his performance. I learned a lot from Dave back then. Dave, like many OMB entertainers, provided his audiences with the entire package, great vocals, great song selection, excellent keyboard playing.

Then there are the monetary aspects of being an OMB entertainer. The vast majority of us have, at one time or another, been involved with full bands. We had a lot of fun, enjoyed the camaraderie, and like most bands, played weekends because we had a full time job in some other profession so we could support our families. We would have all rather played music as a full time profession, but at our level this was not remotely possible for the vast majority of us. I tend to think we were pretty damned good at what we did, but none of us were Nashville bound back then, at least with few exceptions. The kid that lived across the street from me went to Nashville, put out a single album, then got into the drug scene, which eventually killed him. So, I guess from a success standpoint, money IS the measure of success. If an OMB entertainer can make a good living, then he or she is successful. When I played with a 5 piece band, I never made enough to cover expenses, but damned we sure had a lot of fun back then. As an OMB entertainer, I can make a living, and I have a wide variety of venues to select from, which is something I didn't anticipate when I first got into the business.

I began my OMB entertainer career sitting on a bar-stool with a six string, pawn shop guitar, a cheap pawn shop amp and mic and 3-ring loose-leaf binders filled with the lyrics of popular country songs. The pay back then was $50 for a four hour performance and you had to put up with dense cigarette smoke and drunks. About once a month, if you were lucky, you managed to pick up a private party that paid about twice the going rate. One night, a local band came into the bar after finishing a wedding, and I was asked if I would be interested in playing in their group, which I was. Back then, when we played a wedding, the band got $250 for the reception, which translated into $50 per man for 4 hours work. Now, these guys were all much better musicians than myself, but I could sing better than anyone in the group, so they kept me for 5 years. I performed with a few other groups after that, but they never really booked many jobs, so it was back to being an OMB at the smoke filled bars.

During that entire time, I visited the jobs where many of my fellow entertainers performed regularly. I tried to learn as much as possible from them, took note on what they did right, and tried to remember what I thought they were doing wrong. (No OMB does everything right all the time.) One night, while my wife and I were at a supper club, I saw a duo, a guy with a pair of stacked keyboards and his vocalist wife. They were superb entertainers, had a lot of stage presence, interacted well with the audience and put on a great show. We later became great friends and shared our expertise. That was about the time I ditched the guitar and took up the keyboard. Life as an OMB entertainer became a lot easier, more exciting and fulfilling, and the bookings skyrocketed. Ironically, my first NH job came from someone who saw me performing at an American Legion Bar. They had a parent in an assisted living facility nearby and booked me to play for her 90th birthday. The party took place in the facility's dining room, all the other residents were in attendance as well, and I pretty much did my usual routine. After the party the AD came to me, asked if I had my calendar, and booked me for every month for the remainder of the year. The pay was $100 for a one hour performance - I LOVED IT! Word got out to some of the other ADs about me, and pretty soon, it was goodbye smoked filled bars and drunks and hello NH circuit.

Now, all of the above OMB entertainers seem to be extremely accomplished musicians. As I stated earlier, they are far superior to me in that respect. And, by carefully watching their performances I managed to learn a few new things, which I why I came to this forum so many years ago. Thanks to a great number of individuals I've met on the Synthzone, I've been able to pursue my career as an OMB entertainer, make a good living, pay the bills, and buy boy toys . For that I am eternally grateful. I especially wish to thank Donny Pesce for this thread, which somewhat portrays the lives of OMB entertainers in other regions. We learn a lot from watching each and every one of these guys perform.

All the best,

Gary

Now that's the way to get (the thread) back on track. Great post, Gary. I can relate to a lot of your early experiences and agree with all of your points EXCEPT the part about money being the measure of success. BUT, we can agree to disagree on that. I'm sure that in time your moral standards will come up to mine (PLEASE note the smilies). Again, great post. Donny should be pleased .

chas

our own SZ member Larry...Beakybird

6 years ago at the Shreveport LA jam me , Joe Ayala, Don Mason,
Joe Lee....we ha a ball playing together all weekend.
Seems like yesterday....must do it again!