I’m 74 now. Just moved to southern MO. Been out of gigging since 2019.

My gigs we’re nursing homes, assisted living and small parties

I got a good deal on an SX900 and Bose Pro 16… thought I would get back in the game but don’t want to go it alone anymore.

There is business here but I can’t seem to get myself motivated to make the contacts.

Thoughts?

I know the feeling. I added a strumming guitar player in his early 60s who sang 50’s and R and R. The room started with eight people; when we left, we were playing in the auditorium for 125 people. I played one job after the guitar left --- then I stopped playing out – I was 83 when I stopped playing out.
Hope this helps, John C.

Motivation is the key word. What instruments are you using.
I know the feeling. I added a strumming guitar player in his early 60s who sang 50’s and R and R. The room started with eight people; when we left, we were playing in the auditorium for 125 people. I played one job after the guitar left --- then I stopped playing out – I was 83 when I stopped playing out.

Hope this helps, John C.

Motivation is the key word. What instruments are you using?

In the UK where I live it pretty much dried up since the pandemic, would be great to get back into it though

It just started opening up again here a few months ago, and the regular players are pretty much back to work, but not as often as they were prior to the pandemic. A few, though, will perform about 300 jobs this year in Maryland.

The secret to success is to beat the pavement and meet those ADs in person, provide them with a sample CD, a business card, and ask for some open dates, special occasions, national holidays, etc... I even provide them with a wall calendar and a pen, and in my case, I was able to book a year or more in advance, ever month, and in some instances every week at the same location and got top dollar as a single entertainer. If I were physically able, I would give up my retirement and go back to work - Yes, I miss it that much!

If you wish, I can mail you a sample package of what I provided to my ADs, which you can duplicate for under $5. If you book a single job from each package, you are well ahead. Just email me your address and I'll be more than happy to send it via snail mail to you in the next few days.

Good luck,

Gary

Thx all

Gary, I know you did well.

The business is here. I have all the equipment I need and had a good business going in Minnesota.

I can’t seem to get myself out to make the connections. Lazy? Unmotivated? Retired? 😊

There is not a minute in the day that I cannot live without doing something - even if it is wrong! Though I am physically shot to Hell, I still take on projects, such as woodworking, gardening, and going on the music forums to help those in need of some technical assistance. I even recorded a song a few days ago, but I'm not happy with the way it came out. I ran out of lung toward the end, even though I had 3 liters of O2 in my nose tube and inhaled a bronchdialator just prior to singing.

Johnny B Goode

Hang in there, old friend,

Gary

That market is alive and well. Like anything, it won't come to you, as these facilities have plenty of musicians? calling them daily. So you have to get in line. I have a lot of repeat, but never take it for granted. There's always someone new, better and younger.......But with a lot of effort, no reason to not have 20 gigs a month.

Thx all

Appreciate the responses

This is advice from a smart man, John C.

John,

Try google searching retirement communties, nusring homes, assisted living, alzheimers, and every other name the places go by, them put together a data base of locations.

The next step is to call each of the locations, determine the number of beds, and ask for the activity directors name. Put this into the data base as well.

Then, send out a package to every one of them that looks good to you. Try to be somewhat selective and send full packages to perspective or poptential clients with 100 or more beds--they tend to have lots of entertainers.

After sending the packages, call each of them on the phone, ask for the activities director by name, ask if he or she got the package, and try to set up a meeting.

The rest is up to you. You essentially need to be a salesman and sell your product--high quality entertainment.

Good Luck,

Gary

Mailing packages nowadays is not so well received. Most people want a digital package, half of them don’t have anything to play a CD or DVD on! CD’s are the new 8-tracks!

Most pros nowadays tend to get a website built with all the relevant information and demos on it (or build it yourself if you have decent website skills), contact information, booking calendar etc..

Then all an AD needs is a laptop or tablet to get your info. Plus, the same package will work for restaurants, bars and weddings etc.

Diki, I disagree with your assessment of packages. Mine were very effective, and I booked multiple jobs with nearly everyone that I mailed a package to. In contrast, I had I website during the same time period, it was very well constructed, appealing, and it was also listed on my package that I mailed out. The customer could book jobs directly on the website and check my booking calendar for available time slots. During the entire 25 years that web site was in place, I did not book a single job directly from the site, and not a single customer of the more than 50 locations I performed each month contacted me via that site. Your mileage may vary, but that was my experience.

Now, as outlined in my statement, the package mailings must be followed up with phone calls and in person visits. This, with the addition of a personalized wall calendar and personalized pen, proved extremely effective. Additionally, because I had my booking calendar with me at the time of the personal visit, I usually booked out the entire year, and in some instances, the next year as well.

Most of these locations were upscale retirement communities, assisted living centers, and nursing homes within 25 miles of my home. Many were under 10 miles from home, which made for an easy drive, no traffic jams to contend with and the jobs were usually in the middle of the day, after lunchtime. A few were at night, during suppertime.

I stopped performing the nite club/restaurant circuit, mainly because the pay was lousy, the hours were lousy, and the times usually involved being caught in some nasty traffic jams, which are constant in and around the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. Additionally, many of the nite clubs and restaurants that had live entertainment were located in Baltimore City, which is not a safe place to be, day or night. We have a claim to fame in Baltimore - the highest murder rate per capita in the nation.

Now, I only know a few OMB entertainers in Florida, most of which have since retired from performing the senior circuit. The vast majority of them used the same, or similar technique to book jobs that I utilized. They had all the work they could handle, or wanted. Like I said, your mileage may vary, but I must respectfully disagree with your assessment of packages. And, as for the CDs, most cars have a CD player in them, and that's where the vast majority of my ADs said they listened to the CD that I mailed to them.

Good luck,

Gary

I’m wondering how long ago you did this, Gary? I’ve really noticed the shift away from hard media to website promotion in only that last few years. There isn’t a restaurant or club (or nursing home, from what little of that I’ve done) that will take the time to read a printed promo and find something to play a CD or DVD on.

Every last conversation I have with management asks for a website, or ‘Where can I view what you do online?’. I agree, it didn’t used to be like this, but the shift has come quite suddenly.

I still have contact with many of them, as we have become good friends. They pretty much believe that if they are going to hire someone, that person will have to come to meet them in person, have some reference letters, and as for websites, seems like they are somewhat like Aholes - everyone seems to have one.

Good luck,

Gary

Uh, maybe that's because everyone needs one. You both have good points but let's face it, we are now deeply immersed in the digital age and Gary, maybe you never got a gig through a website, but these days, even if they don't directly produce a gig, you won't get a gig without one. The times they are a changing.

chas

You're right, Chas, times are changing. I guess I'm fortunate in that I no longer have to worry about the digital age, mainly because I'm an old codger.

Just got home from the VA Hospital this afternoon, an appointment with the neurologist. The digital age hasn't created a cure for distal neuropathy, and no treatment other than drugs and booze, the combination of which takes the edge off the horrendous pain associated with it. This disorder was the same when John Paul Jones joined the US Navy and remains the same today,

It ain't fun gettin' old,

Gary

FWIW, guys, I need a new vehicle. CD players aren’t even in them anymore. Special order in some I am told. I own over 1000 cds, gotta have a player!

Changed Post

Rip them to flac or mp3 files (flac gives you identical sound to the disc) and stick them on a USB stick, then you can plug it into modern cars, and use the cars inbuilt media system to play them. (It also means the discs don't get damaged if you leave them in the car)

If you have a smart phone and your new car has Apple car play or Android auto (Most do these days), just store the files on your phone and control the phone from the media system in the car. (It also means you can legally (At least in the UK) use your phone hands free by usually just touching the button on the steering wheel (Or yoke if get a Tesla Model S Plaid to leave every ICE car in the dust at traffic lights) ) or most likely voice control.

Bill

Forget FLAC. MP3’s got a bad rap back when they first started because people ripped CD’s at relatively low bitrates (129kbps or less) because storage was very expensive. The idea that you’d have a phone in your pocket with 256GB of storage aboard was science fiction! Now 8TB sized drives are less than what a 512MB stick used to cost!

Rip a CD at 256-320 kbps, I defy anyone over the age of forty to hear the difference. Play it in a car, even more so.

And I’m going to buy a lottery ticket today… if I can get Chas to agree with anything I say, it’s my lucky day! 😂🎹💵💵💵

(EDIT: If I win, I’ll split it with ya, Chas!!! 🎹😱🥳)

I think you might be better off saving that $2.00.

chas

The fact that storage is so plentiful and cheap these days is why mp3 is pointless, as FLAC is not much larger than the mp3 bit rate you mention.
Now when it comes to streaming, than that is a different kettle of fish as some providers and plans have data caps, so mp3 can still be relevant at a lower bit rate.

Bill

Your main problem with FLAC is that it isn’t supported across all devices. I can’t think of a keyboard that plays them…

I prefer high bitrate MP3 as just about everything plays them. They also can have synced lyrics metadata embedded in the file itself. Something .Wav and FLAC don’t support. Ideally, I can take any music in my library, transfer it to a phone to a tablet, to a computer, or to a keyboard and I don’t have to convert it.

Yes, nowadays, storage is so cheap, to be perfectly honest, why use any compression at all, even if it’s lossless..? But if you want to not have to be constantly changing formats for different devices, good ol’ mp3 is still the gold standard…