Posted by: Mark79100
Why it’s been difficult for me to resume gigging - 08/08/15 10:39 PM
So there I am at my favorite Senior residence in my 17th year there. The changes have been dramatic these last few years reference the lack of respect for musicians, their music, and the listening audience.
In the morning I play the grand piano in the lobby and the people gather around me and listen to their favorite songs and reminisce. In no time the staff starts talking loud over the music. I play louder, they talk louder. I give up the competition and think only about my paycheck.
After that trauma, in the afternoon, I’m playing the accordion in another area. The room is about 20x30 feet with everyone gathered no more than 3 feet in front of me relaxing in their easy chairs and couches. It’s very intimate. I play directly to them and talk to them in-between. I’m on a first name basis.
Suddenly, a young lady, early twenties walks in to visit a relative there. She’s carrying a small child. She’s talking to the relative, and the child is running around the room making noise. After the morning session (with staff making the noise), I’m ready to explode. But I politely said to her “can you hold the child in your arms until I’m done playing for the residents.”
No sooner did I get the words out of my mouth, then she lets out with a gasp and proceeds to admonish me.
“What did you say to me?…….you have a lot of nerve telling me what to do with my child……I’m going to report you…….who do I talk to?”
She stormed out of the room with the child and her friends. I, in the meantime, saw my whole life flash before me. 17 years there and I lose the account over an incident like that.
Sure enough, the AD that I work for, came in and said “I need to talk to you when you’re done.” Well, I wrote out my will and was ready to take a cyanide capsule.
I went to the AD afterwards. Would you believe….she said they told HER off for interfering with the performance. The advice for me was, that if it happens again, I’m to tell the AD immediately and not say anything to a visitor. Whew…...a reprieve. But I had 30 minutes before I spoke to the AD. In those 30 minutes, I was thinking about what it’s like trying to play music in today’s world which is drowning in narcissism, self-indulgence, and self-importance.
I’m sure it’s not like this in other parts, but I don’t live in “other parts.” I live here in the midst of mostly rude people.
I’m starting to get uneasy about getting back to work. It’s been 3-4 years I’ve taken off now, and it seems to be getting worse and worse out there in the field.
Bill is moving to South Carolina and he got me thinking about the same thing. In this neck of the woods, good music and professional musicians (as compared to the recent spate of carnival acts) is now an endangered species. At least in South Carolina they wear socks to a wedding and don‘t show up like they just finished working in their garden!
MARK
In the morning I play the grand piano in the lobby and the people gather around me and listen to their favorite songs and reminisce. In no time the staff starts talking loud over the music. I play louder, they talk louder. I give up the competition and think only about my paycheck.
After that trauma, in the afternoon, I’m playing the accordion in another area. The room is about 20x30 feet with everyone gathered no more than 3 feet in front of me relaxing in their easy chairs and couches. It’s very intimate. I play directly to them and talk to them in-between. I’m on a first name basis.
Suddenly, a young lady, early twenties walks in to visit a relative there. She’s carrying a small child. She’s talking to the relative, and the child is running around the room making noise. After the morning session (with staff making the noise), I’m ready to explode. But I politely said to her “can you hold the child in your arms until I’m done playing for the residents.”
No sooner did I get the words out of my mouth, then she lets out with a gasp and proceeds to admonish me.
“What did you say to me?…….you have a lot of nerve telling me what to do with my child……I’m going to report you…….who do I talk to?”
She stormed out of the room with the child and her friends. I, in the meantime, saw my whole life flash before me. 17 years there and I lose the account over an incident like that.
Sure enough, the AD that I work for, came in and said “I need to talk to you when you’re done.” Well, I wrote out my will and was ready to take a cyanide capsule.
I went to the AD afterwards. Would you believe….she said they told HER off for interfering with the performance. The advice for me was, that if it happens again, I’m to tell the AD immediately and not say anything to a visitor. Whew…...a reprieve. But I had 30 minutes before I spoke to the AD. In those 30 minutes, I was thinking about what it’s like trying to play music in today’s world which is drowning in narcissism, self-indulgence, and self-importance.
I’m sure it’s not like this in other parts, but I don’t live in “other parts.” I live here in the midst of mostly rude people.
I’m starting to get uneasy about getting back to work. It’s been 3-4 years I’ve taken off now, and it seems to be getting worse and worse out there in the field.
Bill is moving to South Carolina and he got me thinking about the same thing. In this neck of the woods, good music and professional musicians (as compared to the recent spate of carnival acts) is now an endangered species. At least in South Carolina they wear socks to a wedding and don‘t show up like they just finished working in their garden!
MARK