Members dfibraio Posted December 22, 2008 Members Share Posted December 22, 2008 OK, I need to preface this by saying that I am a totally blind keyboardist, so have no clue of what to look for in stage presence. I have typically stood at my keyboard stand, which has two keys on it and work my pedals accordingly. But, with the addition of a roland ax1 remote midi controller and a wireless midi unit, which prior to this was a 25 foot midi cable, I have become more aware of presence on stage. I have nothing to watch to learn technique for moving around, etc. With a portable instrument, what is the best thing to do to not look silly? I play in a progb rock/metal band, so maybe that would help give some ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members A Happy Crowd Posted December 22, 2008 Members Share Posted December 22, 2008 Personally, I would suggest just playing with confidence and, if you're going to move around, do so in a way the music honestly makes you feel. Anything more than that, or any exaggerated moves, the audience might think you're being phony and then you'll end up looking silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted December 22, 2008 Members Share Posted December 22, 2008 OK, I need to preface this by saying that I am a totally blind keyboardist. I just have to ask how you're able to post on forums? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dfibraio Posted December 22, 2008 Author Members Share Posted December 22, 2008 talking computer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roy Brooks Posted December 22, 2008 Members Share Posted December 22, 2008 You need a cape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kl285528 Posted December 22, 2008 Members Share Posted December 22, 2008 You need a cape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ffud Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 brilliant... I'll have to get my keys player a cape to solve his presance problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pink floyd cramer Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 A cape wouldn't help me. Rain Man wearing a cape? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dfibraio Posted December 23, 2008 Author Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 NO, sorry, going to pass on the cape. My name is not Rick Wakeman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pink floyd cramer Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 actually difbraio, I have never seen a blind musician who needed any coaching on stage presence- and I doubt that you do either. I have a theory that the absence of sight makes blind people less inhibited. I apologize if you take that as a a stereotype. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BeakerArk Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 Are you asking about moves to copy? It's fairly simple. Your presence on stage is your stage presence. A very wise man told me something once about being on the stage. . . When you step onto the stage, you automatically become a different person in the eyes of those who are watching you. Even to those who know you the most intimately, you become something new. You can do anything you want, within reason, and get away with it. The act of viewing you on stage, if you are proficient with your instrument, instantly causes the viewer to suspend disbelief and you are anything you present yourself to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orangesix Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 just get a cape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dfibraio Posted December 23, 2008 Author Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 To the person who pasted about being uninhibitted due to blindness, the exact opposite can be true, you get more self conscious because you don't know what you look like up there. I guess it all depends on what others tell you and how much you care. To somebody else, I am not getting a cpe. Why would a cape be cool? And to the last person, sorry, didn't pay attention to names, with the stage advice about just being proficient at your instrument and such, that is a good point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crazy88Fingers Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 Sunglasses and a suit work wonders. Oh, and try to find yourself some piano key suspenders. The ladies love them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WynnD Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 I like the get into the music and let it move you while playing approach. Some people are bothered by blindisms, but I've never seen any that bother me. I'm aware that some blind musicians have been coached to stop the movements, but that seems so unnecessary to me. Go with what feels good and if a bandmate complains, kick his ass. Stevie Wonder used to have a lot of movement while performing. Didn't stop him from having a killer career in the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roy Brooks Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 A cape would be very cool. The other option is the Canada hat. A cape and a trapper bomber hat AKA Canada hat would be especially cool. And there would be no doubt that you have stage presence. The problem with the world today is that not enough keyboard players are wearing capes and/or Canada hats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alex_SF Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 The other option is the Canada hat. A cape and a trapper bomber hat AKA Canada hat would be especially cool. Only if it was the kind of trapper hat that had the actual beaver/skunk/badger/raccoon head coming over the top of it. I need one of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GreenAsJade Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 I'd be staggered to hear of people trying to stop people moving around to the music. I was going to say - move the way the music makes you feel. If you are "into it" that's what will show. Being stiffly there just playing notes, with no apparent enjoyment, would be the first killer of stage presence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HCRobe Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 Another vote for be yourself, dig the music, and if you are enjoying yourself you will reflect that in your stage presence and look fine. or maybe a cape? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dfibraio Posted December 23, 2008 Author Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 Well, we're a progressive metal band, so the cape and hats and suspenders thing wouldn't work. I guess the joke is going over my head. As for the guy who quoted Zappa about keytars, I don't know if a Roland ax1 would be considered a keytar and don't really care what Zappa thinks about them, honestly. I have no idea why people take issue with keyboard players, let alone keyboard players who happen to want to be mobile somtimes, especially when shredding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jack Walker Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 NO, sorry, going to pass on the cape. My name is not Rick Wakeman. This is wild. I've played with two blind keyboard players and they were both tremendous. Danny, the fellow I play with every Wednesday night just flows back in forth with the music. He always has a big smile on his face. He's always happy and quite an inspiration to the rest of us. Just move on that stage as the music moves you. Natural is the key. Some nights I'm very animated, other nights I get in my "focused" zone and don't move at all. As long as the band sounds good I really don't care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skuller Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 keyboard player stigma, man. it exists. just like girl in a metal band stigma, man. when i play you can see my fingers doing their dances on the keys from the audience. i have a brutal fan that blows my hair in all directions and simultaneously tangles it to hell. i scream along the lyrics with the vocalist/guitar player. i stare everybody right in the eye for at least a couple seconds with a maniacal look on my face. i rock the ffff out to our music. that's all you gotta do man, is the latter. rock the ffffing house and kick some ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stagebandit Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 Well, we're a progressive metal band, so the cape and hats and suspenders thing wouldn't work. I guess the joke is going over my head. Yeah, you obviously couldn't see the attached picture of what looks to be a very progressive rock band with a keys player wearing a cape. It's a pretty cool look, actually! With all due respect, how will you be mobile when you're blind? Are you asking about how to move about the stage instead of standing behind a stationary keyboard? I'm not a keyboard player, so please excuse my ignorance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roy Brooks Posted December 23, 2008 Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 If I was a keyboard player in a "progressive" metal band I would have to have a cape, a trapper hat, and suspenders. Those things put the progressive in progressive metal music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dfibraio Posted December 23, 2008 Author Members Share Posted December 23, 2008 Well, I wouldn't be thinking of running all over the stage. I am trying to basically work out some ideas based on a small area of the stage that is next to my keyboards, or something that I can interact with the guitar player, espeically if we are trading solos or doing a dual solo kind of thing, like what Queensryche does a lot. NO, I missed the picture, obviously, but I would assume the keyboard player with the cape is Rick wakeman. To Roy, we're a jeans and t-shirts kind of bgand, trust me, what you're suggesting wouldn't fit the style of the band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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