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#Post#: 1028--------------------------------------------------
A funny gig...
By: indigo_dave Date: September 20, 2017, 7:23 pm
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Don't know what to put in the Subject. Anyway I recently
started a second ALF (assisted living facility) gig. But it's a
1) drive there and walk in 2) play a grand piano for 1 hour
(they're never ever kept tuned often enough) 3) walk out and
drive home.
The money's so so, but it's easy. But it's 4-5 PM and puts me
on I-4, which is one of our freeways, at 5PM rush hour. And
there is a bar and residents can get free beer or wine,
apparently during this hour. Then they go in to the dining
hall, which adjoins all of this. The crowd noise builds to a
roar as 5 PM gets closer. There are people at the square shaped
bar yelling across to each other. You get a picture.
So I agreed to play 4 dates (they have a piano 365 days a year
for this hour) and see whether we continue. I'd already soured
on it for the traffic hassle. But a couple weeks back I was
playing. And the crowd noise got loud. I played "Satin Doll"
and was hitting the piano a little hard - trying to hear myself.
Someone wheels over in her wheel chair and says that the music
is nice, but can I tone it down. I said yeah. I was
incredulous. I said to myself - this gig is going bye bye. I
don't want to deal with this nonsense.
So the lady who manages this daily amenity, she books the music.
She calls and asks me about playing another day and I tell her I
have plans. Then I told her I wouldn't be continuing after the
4th and last date. I told her I've been working on music all
my adult life. I told her these skills don't grow on trees. I
would rather play at home for myself than put up with nonsense.
I told her she's very nice - she is. And the place is nice. But
...
So get this. When I go to play this past Monday, she's there.
She'd called me and asked me if I could play some Polkas for
their Octoberfest (dunno why it's in mid-Sept). I told her I'd
try to rattle around in my brain and see what I could recall.
Anyhoo, when I walked up to the piano a woman sitting a few
feet away from it said, play nice, but please keep it toned
down. I told her "I'll be playing today and then next Monday,
then I'll be gone". Jesus fucking Christ right ?
So (this is going on way too long). I played my hour. I
recalled "Alabama Jubilee" from decades ago. I played "Never On
A Sunday" and "Yellowbird". Some stuff like "Smoke Gets In Your
Eyes" and "As Time Goes By". So the lady who books approaches
me after. I told her the traffic situation alone would nix the
gig and that the other indignities were unbelievable bullshit
(but didn't use the word). So she asks me about playing on a
Tuesday night ! In a room with straight back chairs where you
play for an hour - and sing. You perform for them, not
wallpaper. You bring and setup your equipment. It pays 2 1/2
times what the annoying gig pays ! Holy Ghost Batman. So I
call her back the next day with my calendar in front of me. I
booked a Tues in October. And she asked me about playing in the
dining room from 12-2 on Christmas day. It pays 5 times what
the annoying gig pays.
My doG is a generous and mighty doG !
Also, I haven't mentioned that I'm taking DAW at the local
community (now called state colleges in FL) college. They have
a Sound Technology program. The DAW class teaches Pro Tools 12.
They have Apple computers with a midi keyboard and some sort of
interface (Apollo maybe?) - there's a whole classroom full of
these - maybe 20 ? Not sure. Anyway I'm taking DAW this term and
plan to take Sound Recording I in January. Normally these 2
classes are taken in the same term, co-requisites, but I got
the department head to give me an over-ride since I'm an old
retired guy just taking one course at a time.
Anyway, these are my latest goings on. Sorry for the
wordiness. I vaped a bit of inspiration.
#Post#: 1030--------------------------------------------------
Re: A funny gig...
By: Luke17 Date: September 20, 2017, 7:31 pm
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Dave...Dave...Dave, :)
This is a wondrously amusing and informative post.👍
Thank you..
I thoroughly enjoyed it...
#Post#: 1033--------------------------------------------------
Re: A funny gig...
By: AJ Date: September 20, 2017, 9:12 pm
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Truly great and amusing post Dave! thanks for the share and
please keep us apprised about the classes...Sounds really
interesting and I think you'll get a lot out of it!
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