playing ALONE

[pogo97]

 

Originally Posted by stunningbabe

Sounds to me that you have insecurity issue. You seek other Musician's favor and approval to feel happy that you are 'accepted' by them. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

I think it's reasonably normal to seek and enjoy the acceptance and respect of your peers. You can disagree if you'd prefer--we're all different.

[Piano Whore]

Almost all the gigs I get come about because a musician either hired me or recommended me. It's necessary, for me, to seek the approval of musicians- even if I didn't care for doing that.

[Bob Dey]

Being a better than average guitarist has been a big part of my life and it takes practice. At an average gig I usually get one person that comes up and compliments me on my playing, so it isn't really a big crowd pleaser. The one person that makes the compliment is a musician. Playing well doesn't generate bar gigs IMO.

That said, stunningbabe, what do you think the crowd wants? What pleases them? I think no matter what you do, you can't please everyone.

[stunningbabe]

 

Originally Posted by Bob Dey

Being a better than average guitarist has been a big part of my life and it takes practice. At an average gig I usually get one person that comes up and compliments me on my playing, so it isn't really a big crowd pleaser. The one person that makes the compliment is a musician. Playing well doesn't generate bar gigs IMO.

That said, stunningbabe, what do you think the crowd wants? What pleases them? I think no matter what you do, you can't please everyone.

 

I am not here to please Musicians. If you folks are those who " play for the art...not the money"...then you are either financially stable ( which I doubt a lot of you here are) or you are living in a fantasy.

It doesn't matter who praises me...or not. I dont need any Musician to tell me how good I am. Nope.. not at all! All these 'seeking to please other Musicians and getting their favour' mentality is downright silly to me.

[stunningbabe]

 

Originally Posted by Potts

LOL.. I love the language barrier that makes me feel like I'm talking to a spammer.

 

Your Lame and futile attempt. I knew you dont even know how to explain anything. If you still cant explain anything ....I am not gonna waste my time with your future posts.

[daddymack]

If the music I play is strictly for the audience's benefit, and I get nothing back from it but money, I am a poor businessperson. It would be easier to be a janitor, and the parallels are definitely there. If I only play music in order to make money, then no matter how well I do it, I am essentially pandering to the audience in the hope of getting more work. Which, essentially, reduces my use of my musical training and skill to that of a prostitute.

There are too many easier ways to make money than spending decades learning an instrument, learning the language of music, learning hundreds of songs, investing in equipment, etc., for me to allow myself to do it strictly for the money, so, sorry, stunningbabe, I think you have missed the point. I play music because I choose to play music, and I play music that I enjoy; the audience will enjoy me playing music I enjoy far more than they would music I dislike, as my performance would lack spark. And the time I have spent achieving this lofty goal, my intellectual investment, is not for the audience; it is, in a sense, for other musicians who will recognize the value of that investment and appreciate it. Otherwise, I would just go sing over karaoke tracks and get paid.

[Piano Whore]

I play top 40 country music (as opposed to Steely Dan etc.) at band gigs so it can't really be said that I play to get approval from other musicians. But for solo piano (instrumental only) gigs I generally do material that lies in the overlap of what I like and what a typical restaurant/winery audience enjoys. Thankfully, there's plenty to work with there. I'm not going to sit there and play stuff that bores me to tears, for the sake of the crowd. I might be selfish, but it works out.

[Bob Dey]

 

Originally Posted by stunningbabe

I am not here to please Musicians.

 

I already got that because you've repeated it several times.

 

Originally Posted by stunningbabe

If you folks are those who " play for the art...not the money"...then you are either financially stable ( which I doubt a lot of you here are) or you are living in a fantasy.

 

Where did I say I was playing for the art? I learned 25 years ago that my audiences didn't want Elton John, Billy Joel but wanted Hank Williams and Willie Nelson. So I made some adjustments on order to start gigging.

 

Originally Posted by stunningbabe

It doesn't matter who praises me...or not. I dont need any Musician to tell me how good I am. Nope.. not at all! All these 'seeking to please other Musicians and getting their favour' mentality is downright silly to me.

 

I already got that because you've repeated it several times.

Are you going to stop being defensive and answer my question? I'm not trying to put you on the spot, but only trying to add value to this thread. What do you think the crowd wants? What pleases them?

[Piano Whore]

Not to be chauvinistic, but I wouldn't take stunningbabe too seriously. Language barriers are language barriers, but air-headedness is universal.

[stunningbabe]

I play what the vast majority of the crowd wants. Does that answer your question?

[Bajazz]

 

Originally Posted by Potts

Lame take on the subject. What's lame is being so one-directional that one's ego gets in the way of being diverse enough to play any room and entertain anyone that's there. Some gigs I play 100% acoustic, others I play 50-50, some nights I use the looper and other nights I don't. It depends what kind of venue it is and who's there. I would not be playing nearly 200 a dates a year by being close minded. If you are so afraid of what fellow musicians think then you shouldn't be playing.

 

I can understand that you are mad at me for being honest, and this ego thing I've heard a thousand times. Yes, I have enough ego and PRIDE to care for myself and my audience and give them 100% live and honest show. If all track guys had been honest about where the sound is coming from and told the audience, you could be as proud to. But I ain't seen that yet.

I am not afraid of what fellow musicians think, because those at my level and experience aren't my audience, they're out there gigging!

[Bajazz]

 

Originally Posted by EightString

I also do it to show any haters in the audience that I'm not dependent on my backing to entertain people.

 

If you truly were, you wouldn't be using them.

[Bajazz]

 

Originally Posted by stunningbabe

We are not here to please Musicians...but the crowd. Pls get this in your head, guys.

 

you're there to fool the crowd?

[Bajazz]

 

Originally Posted by stunningbabe

I dont care what Musicians think of me. Really. Not at all. however...i do care about the crowd....and that's the point I am driving to you people.

Please....go please the crowd...instead of seeking other Musicians' approval. The crowd are the ones who pay you the money. Not other Musicians.

Now...did I drive home this point to you people clearly?

 

And it all depends on where you have your pride. Some would mime over a CD if they could make money. I have so much pride, I want to PLAY the music!

[stunningbabe]

 

Originally Posted by Bajazz

you're there to fool the crowd?

 

nope. I leave that to you.

[Bajazz]

 

Originally Posted by daddymack

If the music I play is strictly for the audience's benefit, and I get nothing back from it but money, I am a poor businessperson. It would be easier to be a janitor, and the parallels are definitely there. If I only play music in order to make money, then no matter how well I do it, I am essentially pandering to the audience in the hope of getting more work. Which, essentially, reduces my use of my musical training and skill to that of a prostitute.

There are too many easier ways to make money than spending decades learning an instrument, learning the language of music, learning hundreds of songs, investing in equipment, etc., for me to allow myself to do it strictly for the money, so, sorry, stunningbabe, I think you have missed the point. I play music because I choose to play music, and I play music that I enjoy; the audience will enjoy me playing music I enjoy far more than they would music I dislike, as my performance would lack spark. And the time I have spent achieving this lofty goal, my intellectual investment, is not for the audience; it is, in a sense, for other musicians who will recognize the value of that investment and appreciate it. Otherwise, I would just go sing over karaoke tracks and get paid.

 

+10000

The question is: Where is your balance of being a musician and being a business man/woman?

[Bajazz]

And HEY, while I seem big-headed: There is lot's of people I put way above myself, my ego and pride!

After all, I am only a soloact do covers (fortunately doing well). Original artists, jazz players and singer song-writers I truly respect to be harder working people than me. 100% honest! :-)

[stunningbabe]

When an egoistic and self righteous person tried too hard to justify himself...this is what happens. Sigh....I am not gonna bother with these people anymore. Better to let them be. :-)

[leftyjay]

i step away for a few days and this place went to hell in a hand basket.

i knew this forum wouldnt go well. when you get a bunch of people together that no longer play in a band and do their own thing, its impossible for them to get along. thats usually the reason why they do a solo/duo act. that way, they dont have to deal with other people telling them how to do things.

now that this forum is contaminated with egos telling people what to play and how to play it, i dont see any reason to contribute to this insanity. i wish all you guys/and gals a lot of luck.

if you're ever in sw florida and are curious on how i do my act, contact me thru email. other than that, you all can have this forum!!!

[Potts]

Originally Posted by Bajazz

I can understand that you are mad at me for being honest, and this ego thing I've heard a thousand times. Yes, I have enough ego and PRIDE to care for myself and my audience and give them 100% live and honest show. If all track guys had been honest about where the sound is coming from and told the audience, you could be as proud to. But I ain't seen that yet.
I am not afraid of what fellow musicians think, because those at my level and experience aren't my audience, they're out there gigging!

I tell them every time. "Listen I have a secret- I don't have a band with me, I'm using tracks." They laugh and that's all the honesty they need.

And you can't throw out "at your level and experience" comments around here without posting video or audio tracks or we'll think you suck anyway. Feel free to click away on my website for demos.

[Potts]

 

Originally Posted by Bajazz

After all, I am only a solo act do covers (fortunately doing well).

 

Again... you're just an internet hack talking trash. Post audio or video-- we all do.

[stunningbabe]

 

Originally Posted by Potts

I tell them every time. "Listen I have a secret- I don't have a band with me, I'm using tracks." They laugh and that's all the honesty they need.

And you can't throw out "at your level and experience" comments around here without posting video or audio tracks or we'll think you suck anyway. Feel free to click away on my website for demos.

 

Thumbs up! It's good to see some down to earth individual making sense here.

[stunningbabe]

 

Originally Posted by Potts

Again... you're just an internet hack talking trash. Post audio or video-- we all do.

 

Hehehe... no reward for saying the obvious!

[cephus]

 

Originally Posted by stunningbabe

I play what the vast majority of the crowd wants. Does that answer your question?

 

But the crowd is different everywhere. I guarantee that if someone did the lowest common denominator schlock in the bohemian end of town, they'd get boo'd out of the place. And it's not to say that those clubs don't pay. They do pay because suburbanites want to feel like they're still relevant like to come out and drink boutique beers.

I get that a person has to maintain their investment in him or herself. You have to keep that commitment to what you're doing. that's cool. If you have to express your conceit in your user name to do that, it's understandable. But you can't think that running down another guy's motivation is going to go unchallenged.

I agree that you have to know your audience, with the emphasis on YOUR. If you play casinos or cruise ships or whatever and wear sequins, then you are going to be playing to a different crowd than a guy who plays bebop in the village. Each crowd will likely hate the other act. But, I think that the act really wouldn't like the other crowd anyway.

[Piano Whore]

 

Originally Posted by leftyjay

i step away for a few days and this place went to hell in a hand basket.

i knew this forum wouldnt go well. when you get a bunch of people together that no longer play in a band and do their own thing, its impossible for them to get along. thats usually the reason why they do a solo/duo act. that way, they dont have to deal with other people telling them how to do things.

now that this forum is contaminated with egos telling people what to play and how to play it, i dont see any reason to contribute to this insanity. i wish all you guys/and gals a lot of luck.

if you're ever in sw florida and are curious on how i do my act, contact me thru email. other than that, you all can have this forum!!!

 

Understood LJ, but it's a shame IMO. This forum was obviously intended to attract performers such as yourself, NOT the ego-trippers and self-righteous trash-talkers.