My student doing a gig and he invited me to play with him..

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jg7238

Posts: 2869
Joined: May 11 2009

My student doing a gig and he invite...

So as the topic reads, my student has been doing a gig and he invited me to join him at his last performance. I originally told him we needed to work things out a bit better before playing together. But he said it wouldn’t be a problem so I went with it. I played one solo then tried to follow him throughout the evening. My student received an email from the manager of the restaurant and told him that he wanted a more professional type of music because it sounded more like a loose jam. The manager wanted “Spanish guitar and some flamenco”. Anyway, my student will continue playing there. There was never a problem until I tried to lend a hand?WTF? It’s only playing for tips by the way. Also it is not my first time playing out in public. Obviously it could’ve been better as far as playing together but I’m dazed and confused about it. It’s a light setting. Maybe the staff or the manager didn’t take a great liking to me? Just wondering.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 4:30:34

henrym3483

Posts: 1584
Joined: Nov. 13 2005
From: Limerick,Ireland

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

jg7238,

There's no accounting for restaurant managers and their tastes, most are musical troglodites. The manager thinks flamenco is probably benise or something else. I'd ignore it, you're an accomplished player.

I do not play in public anymore unless it is for a set fee/charge or as a favour (charity, benefit gig, family).

Regards playing for tip's that's a joke, i'd tell your student to move onto bigger and better things and find a paying gig.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 8:54:49

Ricardo

Posts: 14799
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

“Only playing for tips”.... and “manager wants more professional type of music” are exactly the problem here.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 12:46:35

SephardRick

Posts: 358
Joined: Apr. 11 2014

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

I'm with Ricardo on this. Those are just excuses used for not paying you. Don't let it shake your public playing confidence. Unless the student fires you as an instructor.

_____________________________

Rick

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 14:36:04

henrym3483

Posts: 1584
Joined: Nov. 13 2005
From: Limerick,Ireland

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to SephardRick)

Juan,

Which city is the restaurant in? Just curious..

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 14:57:21

jg7238

Posts: 2869
Joined: May 11 2009

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to henrym3483)

Yonkers, NY

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 16:03:23

Mark2

Posts: 1871
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

Hilarious. Your playing is at a pretty damn high level, which is obvious to the members here. Your student is ok with this guy, but when you show up, it's not pro? What a joke. If the guy had ears, when he heard your solo he would have realized how lucky he was that you showed up, and done whatever he could to have you there on a regular basis.

It's not you, it's the clueless "manager"

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 17:23:58

rombsix

Posts: 7807
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

Sounds like the manager has no idea what he's talking about / listening to.

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 18:29:39

BarkellWH

Posts: 3458
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

Your solo should have been convincing enough of your ability to play. Since your student was the one who initiated the idea of joining him in his performance, it seems to me that he should have mounted a defense of your playing. The manager's ignorance is part of the problem, but it appears to me that your student is part of the problem as well for not having come to your defense.

Bill

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And the end of the fight is a tombstone white,
With the name of the late deceased,
And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here,
Who tried to hustle the East."

--Rudyard Kipling

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 19:36:14

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

Really dumb, sorry you had to deal with that.
Out of curiosity, what were you guys playing when you had to play together?

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\m/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 21:20:37

El Burdo

Posts: 632
Joined: Sep. 8 2011

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

Playing for tips huh? Well, keep at it, because someday you'll be asked to play (for an agency, or some sort of media company etc) at a VERY IMPORTANT EVENT though, sadly, there'll be no money (they're afraid) BUT there'll be some very important people there (you know, movers and shakers) who'll blah blah blah...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 22:59:17

jg7238

Posts: 2869
Joined: May 11 2009

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to Leñador)

@Ricardo: I kind of agree there but he insisted so I went with it.

@Mark2: Well, the manager was not completely wrong in saying that it sounded like a loose jam. As far as the duets go, it did sound a bit disjointed but some people still liked it anyway.

@Ramzi: I don't want to knock the manager because he was partially correct in saying "it sounded too much like a loose jam". I just don't get the "more professional " type music part.

@Bill:I agree. My solo was not a problem although I didn't get the feeling that the audience understood Bulerias. It 's my student's gig so I'm not really disappointed in him for not supporting me after the manager's feedback. It's just a bit strange that my student insisted so much even after I told him we needed more time to do this and then not back me up.

@Lenny: Well he has this set list he goes by. His program is quite mixed. He sings as well. (Tango en skai by R. Dyens. Tarantas. Farruca .. Cavatina by S. Myers. then he sings "Volare" by Gypsy Kings." Bamboleo". Some Bossa Nova. "Asturias" by Albeniz. We did a butchered version of "Moorea." I honestly didn't know the piece so I faked it a bit.

We also did some easy rumba chord sequences then I soloed a bit. Milongas too. The duet stuff was clearly not prepared. It was more of a spontaneous thing happening. He goes all over the place so it's not easy following him. His rumba strumming can still improve but anyway that's that.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 23:27:46

rombsix

Posts: 7807
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

quote:

I just don't get the "more professional " type music part.

I see - perhaps this means "better prepared and rehearsed" rather than improvised on the spot?

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 15 2018 23:32:37

jg7238

Posts: 2869
Joined: May 11 2009

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to rombsix)

Yeah but my student pretty much improvises on the spot in my opinion. It’s all over the place Ramzi. No structure even on the solo pieces. He’s quite something but he just loves playing despite all the flaws.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 16 2018 0:06:58

rombsix

Posts: 7807
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

quote:

Yeah but my student pretty much improvises on the spot in my opinion. It’s all over the place Ramzi. No structure even on the solo pieces. He’s quite something but he just loves playing despite all the flaws.

Do you have a recording of your student?

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 16 2018 0:44:03

jg7238

Posts: 2869
Joined: May 11 2009

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to rombsix)

quote:

Do you have a recording of your student?

I'll have to ask him. Not sure if he records his stuff. I'm assuming he does though. But I think I agree with you regarding the manager as being clueless man. I think I'll go my own way because to me that was an insult frankly. It's playing for tips only so I must not be good enough to play for tips. Oh well. What a strange world.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 16 2018 1:53:46

rombsix

Posts: 7807
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

quote:

I'll have to ask him. Not sure if he records his stuff. I'm assuming he does though. But I think I agree with you regarding the manager as being clueless man. I think I'll go my own way because to me that was an insult frankly. It's playing for tips only so I must not be good enough to play for tips. Oh well. What a strange world.

Yeah man, regardless of how good you are / helpful you try to be, there will always be folks around you that are dissatisfied. That's just how it is, unfortunately. LOL - gotta try to associate more with folks who appreciate you rather than bring you down.

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 16 2018 3:44:04

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

Oh man you were screwed from the get go. To the untrained ear one mediocre person just going at it making it up as he goes along might pass. Add an actual musician trying to follow and clean up the mess behind him and it's gunna start sounding like a jam session. It's definitely not your fault. If you had a player of your level to play off of it would've been a different story.
You're a monster, end of story.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 16 2018 5:05:13

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

I wouldn’t be too hard on myself or the restaurant either, for that matter. It’s highly likely they would have really enjoyed hearing you play more solo pieces. You’re a great player; it’s just that what happened with the duet didn’t work out in that setting.

In his defence, the manager is just trying to control the ambience of his restaurant, it’s his job. The onus lies more on your student to learn to read rooms properly, IMO. He shouldn’t have pressured you into doing a duet when he knew you had misgivings, in that sense he wasn’t being very professional and the manager called him out for it.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 16 2018 12:17:10

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to jg7238)

It sucks to be caught in the crossfire, though. Here you are trying to do someone a favour and you end up feeling slammed for it...

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 16 2018 17:41:45

jg7238

Posts: 2869
Joined: May 11 2009

RE: My student doing a gig and he in... (in reply to rombsix)

quote:

gotta try to associate more with folks who appreciate you rather than bring you down.

You said it my friend.

Lenny, I think you are right. Sometimes another part of me says I should have put on the brakes and prepared it better like I initially told him. Oh well. Rob: I agree with you.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Aug. 16 2018 19:08:41