2024 Market Goals

[noelekal]

Thanks Noel! How’s it going?

I did cut loose from strictly depending on Galla-rini and his sheet music arrangement of "Robert E. Lee." I might not be ready for prime time, but the crumbling memory renders it (mostly) as scored (with the odd flub). Also shook out the wrinkles of the recesses of my memory to find an old "San Antonio Rose" I've not placed in decades. Embellished it a bit with some added harmony on the right hand and played it for the kiddies at the intermediate school week before last. The kids wiggled in time and seemed enthused, but the band instructors were most charmed by the effort on that particular number for some reason.

Today I'm hoping I'm better after catching a bug that caused fever, chills, and achy muscles and joints.

 

[Tom]

I did cut loose from strictly depending on Galla-rini and his sheet music arrangement of "Robert E. Lee." I might not be ready for prime time, but the crumbling memory renders it (mostly) as scored (with the odd flub). Also shook out the wrinkles of the recesses of my memory to find an old "San Antonio Rose" I've not placed in decades. Embellished it a bit with some added harmony on the right hand and played it for the kiddies at the intermediate school week before last. The kids wiggled in time and seemed enthused, but the band instructors were most charmed by the effort on that particular number for some reason.

Today I'm hoping I'm better after catching a bug that caused fever, chills, and achy muscles and joints.

Ugg, good luck, hope you’re feeling great soon! Glad to hear you played. I found San Antonio on the web so haven’t had to arrange it (yet). Haven’t tried it yet.

 

[Tom]

June is likely good, I have a planned trip to Canaan on Mother’s Day weekend in May, I hope that gets me a little video fodder for my YouTube channel. After that if you want to choose a song and date, let me know.

Sounds good, on my calendar. Say hello to Paul for me!

 

[Tom]

Just to just had another comment, I didn’t see it mentioned above maybe it was, for me as a pianist. Most people only listen for about 30 minutes and move on so you actually can have as short as a one hour one and a half hour repertoire and then just repeat it while you’re learning new things,

And yeah, I sometimes get bored playing the same songs every night after night after night when I did it I don’t really do that anymore. I would always try to explore the song in a different different way every night rather than memorize it that kept it exciting for me and exciting. Sometimes I mean frightening ha ha.

I really appreciate the comments above about the left hand. That was a good advice read

Thanks for your insight JCarl. Yeah, I repeated my set last year, but to try to keep myself and the market vendors happy I’m trying not to this year. I try to play 3 or 4 choruses, sometimes getting so out there it’s hard to get back home without sounding like free jazz! Sometimes even throwing in the chorus from one song with the verse from another.

 

[Tom]

Ok, it’s basically the end of March, time to move on to the next phase. I’ve finished my arranging and organizing for now. I count 50 tunes in my sheet music book, either that I have arranged or downloaded. An eclectic mix of Accordion Industrial Complex, Americana, Polka/Old Time, Italian/World, Random. I plan to play mostly from memory, I have not arranged the latest tunes I found decent versions of online.

Now, it’s on to learning and memorizing during April, with the goal of enough to spread over 4 hours by May. Playing through the tunes on zooms with Gary every Monday and Thursday. Working on intros, endings, improvs, Then to wrapping up in May with stabilization of any tunes that need it, final adding or deleting. Making promotional material such as poster, business card, websites, deciding if I will use mic and amp this summer. Wish me luck!

It will be so nice to get this part done so I can get into areas I have sorely neglected such as dealing with backstraps, fundamentals and playing in more keys, organizing accordions I have collected, determining next opportunities and style choices (jazz, French, ??), jamming and open mics, starting another band, doing another tune with Jerry, sight reading, playing my diatonics, visiting fellow accordionists…… (SMTD,SLT).

Anyone else doing farmers markets, outside fairs, etc. or organized busking this summer (or winter, Dingo, Ffingers, etc.)?

 

[Ffingers]

Tom, mate, Fingers has years of learning to go before public performance can be considered.
May be in time for a few dirges at my own funeral?

 

[Tom]

Tom, mate, Fingers has years of learning to go before public performance can be considered.
May be in time for a few dirges at my own funeral?

Remember, dear Ffingers, that most people you know only want to hear one tune played well, difficulty not a factor. Maybe two if they recognized the first (important). Surely you have a fave that you can call up?

 

[Ffingers]

Remember, dear Ffingers, that most people you know only want to hear one tune played well, difficulty not a factor. Maybe two if they recognized the first (important). Surely you have a fave that you can call up?

Sure - but I always want to burst into song with the rude words.

 

[Tom]

Sure - but I always want to burst into song with the rude words.

Th n I guess you have to pick your friends carefully!

 

[Rosie C]

Anyone else doing farmers markets, outside fairs, etc. or organized busking this summer (or winter, Dingo, Ffingers, etc.)?

I'll be playing at 14 public performances of our Morris dancing side over the summer. I plan to be playing accordion at all of them, and there's three when I'll be leading the band. Four dates are at larger music festivals, one is at our local town market place, the rest are dancing at local pubs. There's only about 8 tunes, I'd like to get them memorised by the summer, but we'll see...

 

[Tom]

I'll be playing at 14 public performances of our Morris dancing side over the summer. I plan to be playing accordion at all of them, and there's three when I'll be leading the band. Four dates are at larger music festivals, one is at our local town market place, the rest are dancing at local pubs. There's only about 8 tunes, I'd like to get them memorised by the summer, but we'll see...

Excellent, you can do it. One at a time!

 

[Ffingers]

Excellent, you can do it. One at a time!

Your comment brought back to mind the multilinguist who, in reply to the question: "How did you learn so many languages?" answered: "One at a time."
Perhaps there is something in that for all of us 'learners'.
("Any day that passes with out me learning something is a day wasted." Dunno who said that first, but I'm a firm believer in it. )

 

[Dingo40]

Anyone else doing farmers markets, outside fairs, etc. or organized busking this summer (or winter, Dingo....)?

Sorry to say, Tom, but I'm well past playing in public if I ever was!
However, I do enjoy hearing others play!

 

[Siegmund]

Anyone else doing farmers markets, outside fairs, etc. or organized busking this summer (or winter, Dingo, Ffingers, etc.)?

I have plans to give it a try. More likely busking in a park than being an official presenter at an event, just because I have a very small amount of material and don't know what my reaction will be to trying it. It is such a different environment than concert-hall music is. Less stressful in that most of them aren't really paying attention and those who are aren't expecting perfection... but there are so many distractions!

 

[Tom]

Your comment brought back to mind the multilinguist who, in reply to the question: "How did you learn so many languages?" answered: "One at a time."
Perhaps there is something in that for all of us 'learners'.
("Any day that passes with out me learning something is a day wasted." Dunno who said that first, but I'm a firm believer in it. )

Yeah, we had this discussion. I’ve had to be brutally honest with answering the questions, how many songs do you know from memory, and how many songs can you play from sheets. Then adding one at a time to build up to 4 hours (in progress). Easiest for me to work with songs I know in my head (tune and/or lyrics).

 

[murathan]

In a general performance (like in a cocktail) you dont have to play every song once. People want to hear good music (you suit that with your experience). This is the same about busking too. You can change the order and mix the same songs. A listeners time frame is small while talking and drinking wine or in busking, coming, listening and go. A good song can always be repeated a lot of times back to back either (reprise). Repertoire can contain maybe 15-20 best selected songs. That will be enough with audience effective songs. For long periods, you select a speedy song then a slow one, helping yourself to rest.

 

[Rosie C]

In a general performance (like in a cocktail) you dont have to play every song once.

At our Christmas show last year I completely over-estimated how long the set list would take. We reached half way and we'd played everything except the finale pieces. It was Dec 22nd and the audience were in good spirits. I apologised to them, hinted the show was over, then said we were just going to start again at the beginning! Literally - lyrics to all the songs were on a website, so the audience had them on their phones through a QR code, and had to scroll back up to the top.

 

[Tom]

In a general performance (like in a cocktail) you dont have to play every song once. People want to hear good music (you suit that with your experience). This is the same about busking too. You can change the order and mix the same songs. A listeners time frame is small while talking and drinking wine or in busking, coming, listening and go. A good song can always be repeated a lot of times back to back either (reprise). Repertoire can contain maybe 15-20 best selected songs. That will be enough with audience effective songs. For long periods, you select a speedy song then a slow one, helping yourself to rest.

True enough, thanks. I repeated songs last year, and it was fine for the customers. However, there are also the vendors and….me. Yes, there are songs I love to play, and will repeat but as a point of personal development, I have the goal of not repeating, playing from memory as much as possible. The music will be “good,” in my humble opinion. I play simple - intermediate music but add expression and improv, audience interaction and smiles, communication trumps the bumblebee.

 

[Tom]

At our Christmas show last year I completely over-estimated how long the set list would take. We reached half way and we'd played everything except the finale pieces. It was Dec 22nd and the audience were in good spirits. I apologised to them, hinted the show was over, then said we were just going to start again at the beginning! Literally - lyrics to all the songs were on a website, so the audience had them on their phones through a QR code, and had to scroll back up to the top.

Good going Rosie!

 

[Ventura]

At our Christmas show last year I completely over-estimated how long the set list would take. We reached half way and we'd played everything except the finale pieces. It was Dec 22nd and the audience were in good spirits. I apologised to them, hinted the show was over, then said we were just going to start again at the beginning! Literally - lyrics to all the songs were on a website, so the audience had them on their phones through a QR code, and had to scroll back up to the top.

yes, excellent choices.. assuming your audience is intelligent and
could handle and appreciate being kept "in the loop" of your
intentions and flow