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#430071 - 03/24/17 01:11 PM
Re: what were your music goals back then?
[Re: Mark79100]
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Senior Member
Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 7285
Loc: Lexington, Ky, USA
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Music was always a great way for an 11 year old to make money. I played 5 evenings at an Officer's Club in Fairbanks....Ladd AFB.
As I got older, playing was FUN and a chance to met (and score) with the ladies.
I had no ambition, but after business school and graduate school in communications, everything fit together...the music (commercials, sound scores, etc.), photography, film production, research...it's all a group of activities, with music being one critical element.
No planning on my part at all. No ambitions, other than to meet the girls, learn neat tunes and do great work.
R.
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#430073 - 03/24/17 01:38 PM
Re: what were your music goals back then?
[Re: Mark79100]
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Senior Member
Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 15563
Loc: Forest Hill, MD USA
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When I was a 12 year old kid, I knew that I wanted to be on a stage as a country/western singer and guitar player, which I later was able to do when I was in the US Navy, playing in the nite clubs and bars in many foreign countries at age 17. Hey, I was self taught, and back then if you knew 4 or 5 chords, you could perform 99 percent of the more popular country songs. Then I got into 50s and 60s rock and roll, which I added to the country/western song list and was fairly successful. When I got out of the Navy I managed to land some weekend jobs, playing and singing in smoke-filled bars, American Legions, VFWs and animal clubs. Then I met my wife, got married and had to get a real job that would support a family. What I didn't know at the time was that music would end up being my real job a lot later in life. It was when my mother began going to senior centers, something she did shortly after my father died, that I would be picking up my guitar and singing to those folks on a monthly basis. This was initiated by my mother, who was talking with the center's AD one day about entertainers and said "My son is a great singer and guitar player. I'll see if he would like to put on a show for the center." Well, from that point on, the rest is history. I quickly went from 1 job a month to 10 jobs a week, sometimes more. The phone rang off the hook and I rapidly got to the point where the schedule was exhausting, and I loved every minute of it. The audiences were wonderful, no drunks or cigarette smoke to contend with, but the pay was mediocre at best, about $35 for a one hour performance. When I purchased my first arranger keyboard, I decided to raise the rates to $100 per hour and was told that would quickly be the end of my musical career. The reverse was true. Because I charged more than any of the competition, the ADs must have thought I was better, so I was hired even more than in prior years. It was about a decade ago when I raised the rate to $125 per hour, and if the older members of this forum will recall, I was told that I would lose lots of jobs - again, the reverse turned out to be true. What would I change? Absolutely nothing! This life of music has been a magical ride through what some would consider a fantasy world. I made and saved lots of money, managed to raise a couple wonderful children, now have a grandson who plays trombone, created a modest retirement program for myself, and purchased a sailing yacht. I feel very fortunate in that I live in a part of the world where I was able to pursue a dream and turn that dream into reality. There are not many places in the world where people get this kind of opportunity, let alone be able to capitalize on it. In many ways I wish I were physically able to return to work. I REALLY do miss being a musical entertainer and performing for all those wonderful people I got to know over the years of being on stage. Unfortunately, I am quite aware that my time on planet Earth is quite limited, therefore, I intend to make the very best of every minute I have remaining, sail to those ports over the distant horizon, where, with any kind of luck, I will get to meet up with many more members of this wonderful forum. All the best, Gary
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PSR-S950, TC Helicon Harmony-M, Digitech VR, Samson Q7, Sennheiser E855, Custom Console, and lots of other silly stuff!
K+E=W (Knowledge Plus Experience = Wisdom.)
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