Playing standing up?

[JerryPH]

I did my gig last night and brought my own stool which was the perfect height. It was a mixed group, with some sitting and some standing, so I fit in fine.
I think at the end of the day using my stool is better for me than focusing on standing. Should I need to stand, I'll use one of my lighter accordions and make my life easier.

Wise words. In the end I think that the only thing we can do is listen to our bodies, however, learning from the experience of others has great value in terms of preventing injuries.

One big thing one can do that would be a big help, is be sure that one is in as good a physical shape as needed. Stronger legs, back and shoulders can come with a good gym routine too. if one cannot prevent the damage, one can at least try to minimize it.

 

[Giovanni]

also, to command your Audience, sometimes it is just necessary to have that
combination of mobility and vision point that can only be had when on your feet..
even from a raised stage

That was the advice given to me by a top cabaret Accordion artist .............
That's another reason why I changed to a lighter instrument ..............I certainly would not use the current crop of digital accordions ...they are great but too heavy .....not knocking any brand, to each his own .
Enjoy what you do and play in a way that suits you ...............the important thing is to play !!!

 

[Tom]

.....the important thing is to play !!!

Right on Giovanni!

Fortunately, smaller accordions in good enough shape for strolling or standing are pretty available. Doesn't have to be "the one" like your main squeeze, so a good way to save your back.

 

[Ffingers]

Wise words. In the end I think that the only thing we can do is listen to our bodies, however, learning from the experience of others has great value in terms of preventing injuries.

One big thing one can do that would be a big help, is be sure that one is in as good a physical shape as needed. Stronger legs, back and shoulders can come with a good gym routine too. if one cannot prevent the damage, one can at least try to minimize it.

Gymnasium?
Try working a decent sized vegetable patch - that'll get your body into good shape!

 

[Tom]

Gymnasium?
Try working a decent sized vegetable patch - that'll get your body into good shape!

True! Wish I could have one. Accordion music is well known for inspiring big tomato plants. Unfortunately I suffer from a lack of sun and heat, converting the vegetable patch to berries only (see "who's going to cut the trees down" in my last post).

 

[Ventura]

as a young boy, in my neighborhood the competition for
Tomato plants was intense.. the gardening Italians had of course
converted all available space to growing EVERYTHING imaginable
in their tiny Pittsburgh backyards, but Tomatoes were the pinnacle
of desire and every year they would save the seeds from their biggest plants
fo the next year and show off slices literally door to door on Dinner Sized plates
around the neighborhood to gain bragging rights

even though i was an exalted child musician and exempt from
many tasks my friends could not escape, i nevertheless was
often required to dig deep holes in the earth for my Great Uncles
in the Sprintime

let's see, this was the "Masterphonic" brand period of my youth.. LM
my first Gig was an Irish tea party for my Aunt Jean
(Aunt by way of neighbor son George and my Dad becoming blood brothers as kids)

she gave me a green music book with a shamrock on the cover of Irish songs
and gave me 2 weeks to learn them

$15

 

[Tom]

as a young boy, in my neighborhood the competition for
Tomato plants was intense.. the gardening Italians had of course
converted all available space to growing EVERYTHING imaginable
in their tiny Pittsburgh backyards, but Tomatoes were the pinnacle
of desire and every year they would save the seeds from their biggest plants
fo the next year and show off slices literally door to door on Dinner Sized plates
around the neighborhood to gain bragging rights

even though i was an exalted child musician and exempt from
many tasks my friends could not escape, i nevertheless was
often required to dig deep holes in the earth for my Great Uncles
in the Sprintime

let's see, this was the "Masterphonic" brand period of my youth.. LM
my first Gig was an Irish tea party for my Aunt Jean
(Aunt by way of neighbor son George and my Dad becoming blood brothers as kids)

she gave me a green music book with a shamrock on the cover of Irish songs
and gave me 2 weeks to learn them

$15

Cool story! Of course I was one of those Italian kids "forced" to work in the garden. My grandfather had the greenhouse, big garden, wine press and parodis. He never bothered to learn English either. We kids would sell the boxes of tomatoes for $.50 by the road. Imagine my wife's surprise when I started the first garden at our first house: "I'm putting in 80 tomato plants and 200 strawberry plants." We had no money and ate tomato soup with an egg in it all winter. I knew nothing of accordions which came about 20 years later. Now I have a lot of berries and more accordions than tomato plants.

 

[hummingbird]

Well, Silly Wizard was from Scotland, not Ireland. That might explain it. However, in my book, it is all Celtic traditional music, which freely flows across borders and around the world. Some of Silly Wizard's music was of Irish origin. They also played some musical styles that you don't find in Irish trad, such as the strathspey. As for accordions, my observation is that the PA is more popular in Scotland than Ireland. If a Celtic band from the British Isles has a piano accordionist, it is more likely Scottish, and if they have a button accordionist, it is more likely Irish.

Well that explains why I never heard of them. The Irish really tend to stick to Irish musicians. I never heard much crossover music from Scotland.
I always figured the Irish went for button accordions because they were mostly poor for a thousand years or so. Piano accordions have always been expensive.

 

[hummingbird]

very glad to hear this worked out for you, and you now have another good tool
in your performance arsenal

the future standing up stuff really should just be based on need.. it totally
depends where your Music directions lead you

for some of us old timers in the big cities, Strolling was just a normal and
even necessary part of a large percentage of Gig's.. and you have to stand to stroll

also, to command your Audience, sometimes it is just necessary to have that
combination of mobility and vision point that can only be had when on your feet..
even from a raised stage..

partly, i had early training from Italian Uncles about how to lift, protect my back,
and handle carrying weight.. add to that having a big heavy steel Schwinn bycycle that
i must have circled the globe with several times in miles.. built up my Leg muscles
to last most of my life..

if your future leads you into strolling, you still use the stool for the minutes you
land back at your "stage" spot between strolls, and leaning back on the stool
gives you a break really while keeping your visual presence up there

keep up the good work !

ciao

I don't know if I'll ever command my audience--I'm too short for that!

 

[Ventura]

I don't know if I'll ever command my audience--I'm too short for that!

another California girl, Joan Jett, wasn't very tall either !

if you need inspration for bravery onstage, just U-Toob
"I Love Rock and Roll" or
"I Hate Myself for Loving You" <<< my fave
as examples/how to guides

good luck, brave Hummingbird !