View from behind the Keyboard

It's Still Great to Do This

2012-01-19T21:25:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's still great to be able to do what you love to do and get paid for it. This is probably the greatest racket going. No matter how bad you might feel on any given day, going in and putting on your show always brightens your day and makes you leave feeling so much better. The senior market is not only alive and well, it's growing by leaps and bounds. I've picked up several new clients this year including two worth mentioning. The first is Lorien Mays Chapel. This one is only ten minutes from the house and the enthusiasm there is outstanding. My first date was October the 3rd. Right after that the Activities Director called and said they just had to have me. I gave them December 5th because I had just received a cancelation. December books months ahead of time. And we agreed on the 3rd Monday of every month. So I was there this past Monday and it was awesome. Not only was the room packed, but the outside hallway was packed with staff and family members. This is going to be a great venue. I also just recently picked up Springhouse Assisted Living in Pikesville and it is also going to be a great part of the rotation. I can't believe how much this business keeps getting. It's not only good for me, but these people deserve the best. They have led incredible lives and they should have only the best entertainment in their later years. It is indeed a privilege to be a part of this whole thing. As Jackie Gleeson used to say, How sweet it is!

2011-05-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

Time to Get Serious About My Music

2010-10-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

How many times have I said that over the years? And yes, if I had had any idea that I would be doing this for the rest of my life, I would have gotten a lot more serious. Well, the idea of serious has taken over in the past few weeks. I have fixed up my studio and I am in the process of employing every piece of gear that I have. Not only here, but in church as well. What's the use in having all this stuff if you're not going to use it? Let me tell you, I have been using it. Just ask anyone around here, although I use my headphones late at night. But many a night I've found myself here in the studio at 1:00 AM saying how the hell am I going to get up in the morning?

I always manage to get up, work hard all day, and still find myself back here in the evening. It's such a great place to create music. The view is awesome and my instruments truly inspire me. Needless to say, I'm getting very serious about my music. I've learned more about my keyboards in the past month that in the past 5 years. I'm doing some amazing things on the job. I'm even using the vocal harmonizer on the Tyros and it is a well known fact that Yamaha has the worst VH's in the world! Great boards, but terrible VH's. Still, I've found a couple of patches that work for me. I'm making my mantra a phrase that Tony Robbins coined many years ago, constant and never ending improvement. In short, CANI. It will keep me up for the next couple of hours and get me up early in the morning. How lucky can one guy be? I'm 60 years old and people still want me. I'm busier than all hell. How bad can that be? I'm sounding better today than I have in my whole life! And I'm having more fun than ever before! Wow! God is good and life is good!

New Album Idea

2010-10-11T17:41:00.001-07:00

I think I've come up with a good idea for a new album. I've always wanted to do a good hymn CD first of all because I've been playing and singing hymns all my life and they are part of my fabric. Secondly, I think I already have a good market for sales, and this is important. I've kicked this idea around in the past and always come up empty. It's a great idea because I can record hymns in public domain and not have to pay for the mechanical license. The dilema has always been to play or to sing. Well, how about doing both? How about selecting seven great hymns of the church and playing them and then singing them? I think it's a great idea. The first hymn I've been working with is "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." This is one of the all time great hymns of the church. I'm working on a simple country ballad type of arrangement that I've been doing in my Chapel programs at Augsburg Lutheran. Other hymns that come to mind are "In the Garden," "The Old Rugged Cross," "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," you get the idea. I'm looking forward to completing this project.

I've also been asked to do a piano Christmas CD with arrangements I play around the holidays. This is also a possibilty. If I can get this projects off the ground, I have a great next 10 years ahead of me. I can't help but think of the verse, " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." For many reasons, health included, this is my new mantra.

Suggestion from Sylvia

2010-10-10T20:38:00.000-07:00

This past week slowed me down just a little bit and had me thinking back to December when I was in the hospital. My organist, Sylvia came to visit me and she presented me with a great idea. She's aware of my very hectic, and physically demanding schedule and so she suggested that I stop all of that and stay home and just record CD's. She said if I did nothing else but that, I'd be leaving a great legacy behind. I didn't give it much thought at the time, but after this past week, and listening to Lorie Line's new original CD, I'm revisiting this idea. Doing something like this has always captured my interest, I've just not known how to build a proper fan base. It's fairly expensive and time consuming to create CD's so I've always wanted to be sure I had a market. If I can solve that part of the puzzle, I will begin recording right away. As a matter of fact, I already have a few songs ready to go. I will continue to check into this. Ten years ago I didn't have, nor did I think it was possible to have a full calendar of retirement community shows. Well, this was blown out of the water! So I have nothing to conclude but that the CD business plan is a winner. Let's get going. I'm feeling more creative than ever!!

Tough but Great Weekend

2010-10-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

What can I say? It really was a great weekend. We have a Roadtrek camper that we don't use often enough. I suggested that we go to Elk Neck State Park Friday night. Well, I didn't sleep very well. This is not the Roadtrek's fault, I have plenty of room. I'm just not used to doing this sort of thing anymore. And to make matters worse, I insisted on hiking out to the Turkey Point Lighthouse in the early AM on Saturday. I know my body can't do this kind of thing anymore, but I did it anyway. Well, I paid the price. For the next 24 hours I was in pain. I took a nap on Sunday afternoon and finally shook it. BTW, the camping trip was excellent, it was a beautiful couple of days and we had a great camp fire going and I can't wait to do it again.

On Sunday night, I had a Freddie job. Now any Freddie job is usually an adventure unto itself, and this one was no exception. It was supposed to be an easy job, no questions asked. Well, the host had to speak to me on the telephone. He suggested that we meet to discuss the party. I assured him that we could probably solve everything over the phone. This was fine with him and that was that. Then Freddie sent me the directions to the party. Of course, they were wrong, but I had allowed time for that since this is nothing new. I got there in plenty of time and it was a great, and very posh party. I really enjoyed playing for it. So, all in all, it was a very fine weekend. I just have to pace myself.

Living the Life

2010-10-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here in my studio which is located on the third floor of my beautiful home in Phoenix, MD. The house is situated on a two and a half acre wooded lot that is absolutely stunning. It is so peaceful and tranquil here. I have some great equipment. At the heart of everything is a Roland VS 2480 which is a self contained 24 track studio that is completely portable. I can record here in the studio, or pack it up and record anywhere. I have a session on Thursday at CCBC so on the road we'll go. I also have a Roland RD 700 stage piano which has many awesome sounds on it. The newest addition to the studio is a Yamaha PSR S900. This is an incredible unit. It's a lot like my Tyros which is the keyboard I use out on the road. I can record this board through my 2480 or, if I'm song writing, I can record directly onto a thumb drive. This makes it real convenient for jotting down ideas.

This evening, thanks to some inspiration from Lorie Line's new CD of original songs, I wrote two new songs. The first one I'm calling For Cuqui. It's a musical tribute to my dad, Gus Ayala also known as Cuqui. It's a latin piece in the Guajira style featuring a trumpet. He was a great trumpet player. The second song I haven't named yet, but it is a piano piece based on a new age style on the S900. I'm real pleased with the way it turned out.

What's really cool is this studio is across the loft from my bedroom. So I get up in the morning, get a cup of great coffee, and cross the loft and go to work. Now what could be better than that? Later on I get ready and go out to one of my many performances. I am so fortunate. This is a great place to work from. Life is good, especially when you can do what you love and love what you do. How great is that?

The Early Years

2010-09-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

I was born in Key West, Florida on April 5, 1950. My childhood started our like any ordinary kid's except for a couple of things. First of all, this was Key West. Need I say anything more? Now, granted, the Key West of those days was nothing like the Key West of today, but it was still very different from most US cities and towns. For one thing, we were an island. An island originally populated with Bahamian Conchs and later Cuban cigar makers. My ancestry is from the latter. My grandfather, Perfecto G. Ayala was a cigar maker, and later a cigar picker. He also played trombone and baritone horn. In the 1890's he played in the band "La Libertad." This was the band that played for all of the Cuban political functions of which there many at this time. He played for the first arrival of Jose Marti to Key West on December 25, 1892. Marti was greeted on the dock by my great great grandfather, Jose Francisco Lamadriz. There was a famous quote made here. Upon seeing Marti, Lamadriz said: "I embrace the new revolution" to which Marti replied, "And I embrace the old revolution." Hence, the torch was passed. Lamadriz the the great patriot of the earlier revolution. And, Perfecto Ayala was playing in the band. My roll was cast three generations ago.

Let's fast forward to my dad, Gus J. Ayala. He grew up in a musical household. His dad taught him trumpet and piano. When my dad reached a certain point in his piano studies, he was sent to the convent to concentrate on piano technique. And my dad had a great technique. It took me many years to get to the point where he was. He matured into a wonderful musician and person.

To be continued

View From Behind the Keyboard

2010-09-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I began this blog with the title, "View From Behind the Keyboard." I put it up on my websit and used it primarily as a way to note day to day happenings. There wasn't much interest in it so I stopped posting. It occured to me the other day that most of my life has been lived behind a keyboard somewhere. This has given me a very unique vantage point from which to observe life. And, believe me, lots of life has unfolded in front of me in the past forty five or so years. I thought it would be a good idea to document some of this while I can still remember it. Some of the best times of my life have been spent behind that keyboard.

It's interesting, I don't usually feel comfortable sitting at a table at banquet functions. I feel out of place. My place has always been behind the keyboard. Oh, I've socialized a lot, but I was always in control of when and where that happened. I could always go back to play. I didn't have to hang around people I didn't like. I was always more comfortable providing the atmosphere for a great evening than I was being in the crowd. I guess many entertainers feel that way. Our job is to get it going, to make sure everyone has a great time and a memorable evening. All in all this has been a lot of fun and a great way to go through life.

I will try to keep these posts in some kind of logical order, but I'm sure I'll skip around a lot as I remember things. Even if no one but me reads this, I feel it is still a noble endeavor.

Hello Technology!

2010-09-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

I guess I've been avoiding the obvious for years now. For many years, I have been using music technology strictly on a need to know basis. Whenever I purchased a new piece of gear, I learned what I needed to learn to do the basic job I had to do and that was that. This approach has always served me well. I have a lot of work and my sound is excellent.

In the last couple of years, as newer models of keyboards and sound systems have come out, I have started to take a serious interest in them. The first big leap forward for me was when I switched from Roland to Yamaha as my primary keyboard. I had been a lover of Roland for many years and Roland had always served me well. I was playing the Roland G-1000 keyboard which was their flagship arranger board at the time. I absolutely loved it. The sounds were great, the styles superb, the board was extremely attractive, and we could have stayed together for many years. Then two things happened. I joined Synthzone forums and I started getting a little older. Most of the guys on SZ were playing Yamaha boards and they were a lot lighter that the Roland. The damn Roland weighed in just under fifty pounds. That plus the case was getting to be a lot for this old man to haul around. And, to add insult to injury, the Yamaha Tyros series sounded fantastic! And if that wasn't enough, their operating system was a snap. I caught on without ever looking at the manuel. Even better, the Yamahas are compatible with everything, so there are around 60,000 additional styles that will upload. I was convinced. As the song says, I'm a believer. More to follow. I'm getting tired.

Joey's Back!

2009-06-16T20:25:00.001-07:00

I'm so happy to be able to make this post. For the past couple of years I've had some health issues and I've had to slow down just a bit. In recent months I've been able to get these issues under control and consequently get my life back again. As a result, I've been able to do some really remarkable things. This past May was the busiest month I've seen for a long time. In addition to the usual jobs, I had the lead in the Senior Star Showcase musical, Jubilation Springs. I haven't done a stage role in 30 years. Needless to say it was a challenge for me. And this June I've had 2 very involved 50th anniversary parties and a really large wedding with a very complicated set up. I am happy to report that I came through all of this with flying colors and I can't wait to book some more of the same. I went on youtube.com and watched the Peter Duchin Orchestra play the party for the 2008 Tony Awards in New York and I could have played this job and sounded better. I guess I'm tooting my own horn, but you can go and listen for yourself. Anyway, I'm glad to be back and feel fantistic. Hope to hear from you all real soon.

All the best!

Joe

A New Turn

2009-06-11T20:53:00.000-07:00

Once again my life takes a new turn. If there is one consistant thread in my life, it is change. I have experienced many changes in the 59 years I've been walking this planet. One of the most problematic areas of my life has been my weight. I was a skinny little kid until 4th grade. It was then that I discovered food. From that moment on it's been a constant battle. Six years ago I lost a lot of weight and looked great. For whatever reason, I've put that and a lot more back on in recent years. Over the years it has gotten harder and harder to lose it. Recently, I discovered Nutri-System. From day 1 I started to feel better and I've lost 8 lbs. on the first week. I have my Mo Jo back. The old Joey is back! I'm lovin' my music again and I can't wait 'til the next gig. I know this plan is the answer for me long term. I can stay on this for the rest of my life. I don't have to think and I get results. So all of my competitors had better get out of the way because Joey's back! And he's back to kick butt! I love what I do so much that I am redoing my whole act to include a lot of new material. I'll retire when I'm 80!

New Live CD Out!

2009-03-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

I have a new live CD out. It was recorded on a very special evening this past January 28th at Augsburg Lutheran Village. We had a great audience and I was in great voice and form. The CD is 1 hour and 17 minutes long and includes the jokes and stories I told that evening. It's a great buy. I carry it with me at all shows. You can also email me at mailto:joe@joeayala.com for a copy.

Also, if you go to http://www.cdbaby.com/joeayala you can purchase individual tracks from my piano album, Sunset Sonata for 99 cents. This is a really good deal and the tracks are really awesome.

Good listening!

A Day in the Life of Joe Ayala

2009-03-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

You're probably wondering why I picked such a topic. It's always been interesting to me what people think an entertainer's life is like. For years people would ask me, "What else do you do?" After awhile I would answer with silly things like "I'm a brain surgeon" or "I really work for the CIA and this music stuff is just a cover." The reality of the situation is, if you are a self employed musician/entertainer enjoying any degree of success, you're working all the time. Not only are you doing the entertaining, but you are the booking agent, collection agency, equipment manager, tour director, marketing manager, wardrobe consultant, artistic director........................you get the idea. There are a lot of things that go into this "job."

My week looks something like this.

Monday: Monday is usually a day off which means I might not have a show booked. So I usually sleep in a little and spend the morning in my office on the phone handling bookings, contracts, and collections. I not only have to book my own jobs, but many times I often have to chase people down for the money. On Mondays I lay out my schedule for the week and any extra stuff I might have to do such as learn new songs, schedule appointments, ect. What time I have left I can enjoy myself.

Tuesday: When Senior Star Showcase is in session my day begins early. After spending the morning with them I usually have an afternoon show. Sometimes I also have an evening show. I try not to schedule myself into a triple, but sometimes it's unavoidable because the client really needs that date. And this is a people pleasing business.

Wednesday: Wednesday usually begins early with a church staff meeting and then an afternoon job. Once in awhile also an evening job.

Thursday: I can usually sleep in a little on Thursday, but I have to be up in time to plan my evening orchestra and choir rehearsals at church. Depending on the time of year, this can be a busy morning. Then an afternoon job, and two intense evening rehearsals.

Friday: Up early for Senior Star Showcase and an afternoon show. Many times I also have an evening show as well.

Saturday: Definitely a sleep in day. Saturday is a day for the longer and more demanding private parties.

Sunday: Up at the crack of dawn for two demanding church services. Although my body usually crashes in the afternoon, I very often have jobs. This past Sunday I had a large sold out concert at Temple Beth El.

This varies from week to week, but one way or the other, it's usually always busy. What keeps me going is the fact that I'm doing the work of my choosing and every part of it gives me great pleasure and personal satisfaction. As I've said many times. I'm very lucky.

Who Would Have Thought?

2007-09-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that I'd be doing what I love for 40 years? Most guys get to work at it for a couple of years and then move on to a "real job." Well, except for the 4 years I spent in hotel and restaurant management, and those were awesome years in themselves, I've been playing music and entertaining people for 40 years. And I've got to tell you that it feels as great today as the first time I took the stage at Mallory Square in Key West, Florida in 1967. I can honestly say that if I had my pick of anything in the world to be doing today, it would be just exactly what I'm doing. In fact, I think I'm enjoying it more now than ever before. At this age I realize how special it is to still have the gifts, skills, and the interest and enthusiasm of the audiences.

I just finished a double today, and I'm sitting in top of the world. I hope and pray I can last another 10 or 20 years. I've got to say, life is good.

Happy New Year to All!

2007-01-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! 2006 was an amazing year and 2007 looks to be even better. I performed more last year than I have in many years and I don't ever remember enjoying it more. I've finally found an audience that really appreciates my music and I couldn't be happier. I'm looking forward to making improvements this year that include a more extended repertoire, and stage lighting for larger productions. Constant and never ending improvement are my new year's resolutions. I look forward to seeing you all in the coming year.

Awesome Homecoming

2006-09-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

I had an incredible experience yesterday afternoon. The view from behind the keyboard was amazing. I went back to a facility yesterday that I hadn't played in for over 2 years. It had changed ownership and staff and I hadn't been able to connect with them. Well that's all over now and they have their good activities director back and yesterday was my first time back. There was an amazing turnout including 2 volunteers from the past who no longer go there as they are well into their 80's but they came out for me. I was really moved. What made it so special is the fact that it was at this facility 10 or 11 years ago that I began putting this show together and the whole concept of doing these kind of shows. Now I'm doing close to 300 per year but this is where it all began. So this whole journey has come full circle. Needless to say, I'll be back there on a regular basis. This work that I'm doing is so rewarding in so many ways. I am indeed a very lucky person.

Busiest Month Ever

2006-05-30T05:19:00.000-07:00

I'm coming into the last days of what has been my busiest month ever. There have been a couple of cancelations and additions making the total somewhere around 34 jobs. And the good news is I'm feeling great. My knees are acting up now and then, but I feel really great and I have really enjoyed doing the shows. Even the triples on Wednesdays have gone by in stride. I never thought I'd be doing this much music at this age. This is a testament to the idea that you can do whatever you want. You don't have to settle for less in your life. If you really enjoy doing something, you can turn it into a job or a business. I must say I've never been happier than I am right now. I'm doing what I love to do and I still have plenty of free time to enjoy life.

June looks almost as busy as May. Now that the weather is warm I'll be getting out on the bike more. I may also get back into boating. There is a sailing club downtown that I am looking into. This looks to be a really great year. Here's to finishing the month.

I Just Played the Outer Banks

2006-05-01T06:08:00.000-07:00

That's right, I just played the Outer Banks, North Carolina. It was an awesome trip. I went down to play the wedding of a very dear friend, Wayne Tympanick. Wayne has played drums with me for the past 18 years and so this was a very special occasion. We drove down on Friday and had a great time. We stopped in Norfolk and had lunch at the Freemason Abbey which is an old church that has been converted into a restaurant. We had eaten there several years ago before we bought the church in Danville. This is just one example of what could happen to our church in a few years.

We arrived on the Outer Banks in the early evening and had a wonderful dinner at a place called The Grouper Grill in Corolla. The house Wayne put us up in was beautiful. It's in a development called The Currituck Club. Greg and Pam stayed in the house as well and it was great seeing them again. Greg played in the Glen Mar band and Pam, Homer, and Wayne had taught together many years ago at Chesapeake High School. Needless to say there was lots to talk about.

The wedding and reception were held at another house in the development. Actually it was a very large house that is frequently the site of events. The house had an elevator and the living room comfortably seated 70 for dinner. They had originally planned to have the wedding and reception outside, but it was too windy and cool. The ceremony was held outside with the reception inside. It was one of those great evenings that I'll remember for a long time to come. Wayne and Andrea looked fantastic and they make a great couple. After dinner, Wayne sat in on drums and his best man Tom played trumpet. It was one great party. The food was outstanding and the setting incredible. We watched one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen. A tall statement from the Key West kid here.

The drive back yesterday was fun. We stopped at Chesapeake Beach and had dinner at a great restaurant right on the Bay. It was absolutely beaufiful. A perfect end to a perfect weekend.

Getting Out From Behind the Keyboard

2006-03-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

These days I'm stepping out. I've been doing a little comedy for some time now during my shows and I usually take the wireless mike and walk around the room. It gives me a chance to chit chat with the people, and it's a nice break from the music. Now I'm getting a little more mobile with some of the music as well. I recently acquired a new piece of equipment, a Ketron Midjay. It's an incredible little box that weighs a whopping 7 & 1/2 pounds. It's the guts of a full arranger keyboard as well as a MIDI file, MP3, and WAV file player. It has a 20 gig hard drive so it can hold a whole lot of stuff. I'm loading it with some really great back up tracks so I can go out into the audience while singing. This adds a whole new dimension to my already fun filled shows. I've been getting some great feedback as a result of this. I'm always looking for ways to improve, and this new toy has really added a lot.

A Normal Life

2006-03-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

I'm writing this at 7:30 on a Saturday evening after having returned from the movies with one of my sons. This is an amazing thing for a professional musician/entertainer to do. During most of the past 40 years I never would have been able to do this. I'd be scrambling around running from one job to the next. The difference lies in what I'm doing now. The majority of my performing schedule is in retirement communities and most of their events are during the week in the middle of the day. As a result, very often I have some free time on the weekends. It's a new way of life for me. For so many years I worked a very late Saturday night only to get up at 6:30 on Sunday morning for a busy day at church usually followed by at least one private party. While I do have a job tomorrow afternoon, it's a one hour show that will leave me exhilarated rather than exhausted.

This has brought a balance to my life that I've never known before. I'm doing more dates than ever, but they are for shorter lengths of time and they are scheduled more evenly throughout the week. The crunch day now seems to be Wednesdays. I usually have a triple. But I can sleep in a little on Thursday so it evens out. I'm going to settle in for the evening, read a good book, and then get a good night's sleep. And to think I'm a musician.

Awesome Valentine's Week

2006-02-17T06:20:00.000-08:00

It definitely was an awesome Valentine's week. I did thirteen jobs from Wednesday, February 8th through Wednesday, February 15th, and most of them were Valentine's parties. There were some years I didn't do that many Christmas parties. I guess love is in the air. My hat is off to all of the Activities Directors in the various communities where I performed. Their decorations and food were outstanding. They all created a very special day for their residents. It was such a pleasure to walk into these very romantic settings. Several facilities had a "tunnel of love" which consisted of couples photos of many of their residents. This really added a nice touch.

Even though they were celebrating Valentine's Day, a party atmosphere still prevailed. They tolerated a few love songs, but most were anxious for the usual fare of party music I provide. We soon had them dancing around, tapping their feet and clapping their hands. I always stress involvement and my goal is to engage everyone there. Needless to say, a good time was had by all.

I finally got a day in the office to play catch up. It's amazing how much work piles up when you're a one man operation. That's all for now.

In The Zone is on the Air!

2006-02-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

In the Zone is finally up and running. The playlist has a long way to go before it meets all the specs of live365.com and it won't be listed in the directory until it does. But it is on the air. I will put a link on the website. It really is an incredible feeling to be up and running on a major internet station. It reminds me of the good old days of MP3.com. During the peak of that time I was being heard in an average of 40 countries per week. The web truly is world wide.

I am in the process of uploading many more songs and artists. They have very strict guidlines as to how a playlist is to be set up. While at first this is very frustrating, it's much better in the long run as it insures that any station you listen to will have variety and not just a single artist. Once I have a large enough playlist in place, I can put more of my own selections in.

This station has huge potential. The trick is finding just the right nitch. After the initial hump, I'm now really enjoying the process. Stay tuned for more.

Frustration

2006-02-06T07:10:00.000-08:00

The view for this post is from behind a slightly different keyboard, the computer. As an independent musician/artist, the job of promotion falls to myself. This is pretty much a one man operation. So over the weekend, I spent many frustrating hours trying to put up an internet radio station. In the long run this will be an awesome way to get piano music in front of a large listening audience. One such station has 20,000 listeners daily and was just picked up by iTunes and is poised to be picked up by either XM or Sirius.

I know I can be successful in this area, there's just a huge learning curve involved. The first thing that happened was a dumb mistake on my part. To post music to the internet radio site, it has to be in the MP3 format, not a WAV file like CD's are. Problem is there are about 20 different ways to convert to an MP3 file. The way I've always used was not compatible with Live365.com. To complicate the problem, I didn't discover this until I had upload 20 songs and 5 announcement spots. And it takes about 15 minutes per song to upload. So I had to dump what I had already done and start over.

Once I got everything uploaded, I found out that there were playlist rules about how many times an individual artist could be played. I'm now in the process of navigating around this. It's actually on the air, but not listed in the directory. It won't be listed until I satisfy all the requirements. That's alright. I know in the long run it will be a great station.

Well, back to the keyboard. Computer, that is.

New Grand Piano

2006-02-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

The View from behind the Keyboard just got a whole lot better at church. We just received an absolutely beautiful Yamaha C 3 Conservatory Grand Piano. It is awesome, even better than it was in the store. It has such a rich tone and in the space of the church it sounds magnificent. It is a memorial gift from a choir member in memory of his mother who passed away in March of last year. I'm still in a state of shock and awe. I went over and played it for more than an hour yesterday afternoon. It's hard to describe the feeling all alone in the sanctuary surrounded by stained glass. Truly a special moment.

I can hardly wait to play it for tomorrow's services. Most people don't know about it yet so I'm real anxious to hear the reactions. It sounds so much better than what we had before. And what we had before wasn't bad at all. We had a Yamaha studio upright that sounded real nice. We will now use that piano in the fellowship hall and choir room.

We will be planning a special concert to dedicate the piano and I will be playing music from my CD as well as music from my next CD which is still on the drawing board. I thought it would be great to record a CD of really nice hymn arrangements on the new piano. I guess I know what I'll be doing in the next few weeks. That's all for now! Thanks for stopping by.

Welcome!

2006-01-31T17:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog! Even us old guys can keep up with what's going on. I've been wanting to do this for a long time. This will be a place where I can share my thoughts and some of the amusing stories that happen in the music business.

Let me start out by saying that I am probably happier than I've ever been with the things I'm doing right now. I have a great church position at Epworth United Methodist Church, I'm playing grand piano at the Hyatt Regency at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, and I'm doing around 250 shows per year at retirement communities. And I'm especially enjoying those retirement community shows. They have been a real blessing in my life.

I will try and keep the blog updated and interesting. Thanks for stopping in!