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You must be careful when playing a variety of music that you don't go too hard-core in any one direction. There is a fine line between everybody's music and nobody's music.



I can tell this is great advice, but I'm not sure of exactly what you mean by it.

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When playing for a 40+ crowd, you are playing memories as much as you are playing music. Stick mostly to the popular stuff. ---snip--- Also I don't expect every market to be like South Florida. When I toured the country in my younger years I noticed a lot more hard rock in the Midwest and a lot more country in the Southeast. Little pockets of others exist like "Beach Music" of Virginia to Georgia's Atlantic coast.



my thinking is that the oldies are the common denominator... but there are definitely special interest groups in this area... and I thought that the idea of taking the same basic set of boomer songs that pretty much everybody likes, and making a set of remakes that that appeals to each crowd is a good one. That way it won't be "one size fits all.." the bluegrass crowd may still hear some Beatles tunes, but there will be banjo and fiddle in some (not all) of them...

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You also have to remember, although you are friendly and cooperative with other similar acts in your area, you are also in competition. Your job is to do a better job than the competition.



I've been to your site and I see what you mean about being the best. You are clearly at the top of your game. But that goal is out of my reach for now. I just want to overcome the obstacles that are currently keeping me out of the competition altogether.

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I make my own backing tracks, sometimes with BiaB, sometimes from scratch. Here is how I make backing tracks and how I use them on stage. http://www.nortonmusic.com/backing_tracks.html

Feel free to take what you want and ignore what doesn't apply to your personal situation.



Good information.. it gives me a track to run on...

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And always remember, you are not having a monologue, but a dialogue with the audience. You must react to them as much as they react to you. Plus, look like you are enjoying yourself. Fun is contagious. You can't expect the audience to have a good time if you aren't having a good time. One of the first booking agents I ever worked with said this in his gruff voice, "Nobody wants to see a sober-faced musician."




Notes, you're a true pro. I'm not easily impressed by people, but I hold you in high esteem for all that you have accomplished... in more than one field. You're a natural communicator... you do it in words, ideas, music, products and by example. I know very few people who add the kind of value you add to the world around you. Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts on this thread.

Last edited by Pat Marr; 09/01/11 07:00 PM.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ey71h8ep047758h/AAC12jNM0Hz9Q8zsh5iDeqNHa?dl=0