Originally Posted By: Notes Norton
There is more than one way to do this. What's right for one isn't necessarily right for the other.

Unlike Eddie, I actually enjoy playing Mustang Sally and the others.

To me, simple songs are like potato chips or Cheetos, junk food for the ears. Not a lot of nutritional value, but a lot of fun to play.

I enjoy nutritious 'art songs' too, and play some of those as well.

I enjoy playing WITH the audience. It's a dialog, it's give and take, and they enjoy what I do, even when I add something for myself. I'm rewarded with love from the audience and enough money to meet my needs.

I don't consider entertaining a sell-out. Other's do. To me, the ultimate sell-out is to take a day job, so I can play 'art music' one day a week for drinks and tips or very low wages. Other's disagree, but that makes us both right.

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Insights and incites by Notes ♫


Unlike you I was a weekend warrior for years playing in wedding bands. Other guitarists called me a sell-out but I just laughed all the way to the bank.

Like you we interacted with the audience and played what they wanted to hear and not necessarily what we liked to play. The plus side of this is that we had more gigs then we wanted and had to turn down many gigs because we were already booked.

During the down times, all in the winter months, we played at VFWs, American Legions, etc. Again we were booked year after year.

The bottom line is that you have to decide what you want to play and not criticize people who take a different path.

YMMV

I want my last spoken words to be "I hid a million dollars under the........................"

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