Author Topic: I finally got the Genos... Impressions  (Read 9409 times)

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dai phan

  • Guest
I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« on: July 08, 2019, 12:05:18 AM »
Hello all,

Has been a while since I post but last week I bought the Genos and at the same time I keep the T5 and PA4X. I have not tested all the sounds and styles but my impression of the over all presentation, image is average. The KB looks very plasticky and when compared to T5 it took a step backward. It has the appearance of an average Casio KB rather than Yamaha flap ship arranger. Not to start any war but the appearance of the Pa4x is way ahead of the Genos. I love Yamaha and that is why I have owned the T4/5. Am I seeing things? I was expecting wow factor when opened the box but it is not to be.  So good to be back her again. Dai

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Offline Toril S

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2019, 12:28:19 AM »
Hello Dai. Good desicion to keep the T5. I also have one, and love it! But T5 is also plastic😀 I think you will like the Genos more when you have played it for a while. It has more features than the Tyros. Good luck. Nice studio setup!
Toril S

Genos, Tyros 5, PSR S975, PSR 2100
and PSR-47.
Former keyboards: PSR-S970.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLVwWdb36Yd3LMBjAnm6pTQ?view_as=subscriber



Toril's PSR Performer Page
 

Offline hans1966

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2019, 02:25:41 AM »
Hello Toril, I think that the design of the tyros 5 is a silver body (titanium finish), which seems chiseled in metal, according to the characteristics in this link

https://es.yamaha.com/es/products/musical_instruments/keyboards/arranger_workstations/tyros5/features.html
"Enjoying my SX600, and moving step by step through the journey of life"
 

dai phan

  • Guest
Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2019, 03:21:16 AM »
The Tyros is plastic but with the silver look, you cannot tell unless you touch it. The G is obviously plastic looking at it. Dai
 

dai phan

  • Guest
Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2019, 03:29:57 AM »
I am sure it is the cost saving measure. The PA4x is looking very sharp despite its age. Dai
 

Online Fred Smith

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #5 on: July 08, 2019, 04:01:27 AM »
I am sure it is the cost saving measure. The PA4x is looking very sharp despite its age. Dai

It’s more likely to save weight. One of the design requirements was that the Genos have 76 keys but be much lighter than the Tyros, so it’s easier to lug around.

Cheers,
Fred
Fred Smith,
Saskatoon, SK
Sun Lakes, AZ
Genos, Bose L1 compacts, Finale 2015
Check out my Registration Lessons
 

Offline panos

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #6 on: July 08, 2019, 04:20:58 AM »
Nice review dai phan!
So after having the Geno's for a week your impression is that it looks plastic.
Does it also  produce any sounds or you haven't noticed anything yet?
I believe too that the colour is important in a music forum.
Have fun with your old and new equipment :)

beykock

  • Guest
Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2019, 06:25:33 AM »
Hi Dai :

Congratulations with your " man cave ".
Very nice !👍Or ... is it maybe the showroom of your music shop ?😀

What a nice collection of keyboards !!! 
WOW. 💥

You must be a rich musician ... one of the few.😺

I hope you will be happy with your Genos in the near future.
If you do not like it and want to get rid of it : I know a poor musician who would love to have this nice present : ME. 😋

BTW ... but ... what made you decide to buy the Genos after reading your " first impressions "  ...

Are you joking ?🐻

Babette
« Last Edit: July 08, 2019, 10:30:43 AM by beykock »
 

Offline EileenL

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2019, 12:12:27 PM »
Most people in the past said they did not like silver keyboards and black was the professional colour.
  You must be one of the first that has complained about the Genos look.

Offline DerekA

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2019, 01:23:09 PM »
I'm not really sure what you're doing dai.

Genos makes a decent replacement for T5. But I see no reason to have both Genos and T5 for home use. Apart from the small niggles posted on this forum, T5 does not give you anything that the Genos doesn't.
Genos
 

Offline Toril S

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2019, 01:53:23 PM »
Except for the look and the tilt screen. Tyros is striking! Genos is just OK!
Toril S

Genos, Tyros 5, PSR S975, PSR 2100
and PSR-47.
Former keyboards: PSR-S970.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLVwWdb36Yd3LMBjAnm6pTQ?view_as=subscriber



Toril's PSR Performer Page
 

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2019, 02:36:25 PM »
Hello Dai. Good desicion to keep the T5. I also have one, and love it! But T5 is also plastic😀 I think you will like the Genos more when you have played it for a while. It has more features than the Tyros. Good luck. Nice studio setup!

Don't care about the look, I need the sound, Tyros is not a good one now, but Genos is not enough for me, I will buy Korg 5x

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #12 on: July 08, 2019, 02:37:31 PM »
Hello all,

Has been a while since I post but last week I bought the Genos and at the same time I keep the T5 and PA4X. I have not tested all the sounds and styles but my impression of the over all presentation, image is average. The KB looks very plasticky and when compared to T5 it took a step backward. It has the appearance of an average Casio KB rather than Yamaha flap ship arranger. Not to start any war but the appearance of the Pa4x is way ahead of the Genos. I love Yamaha and that is why I have owned the T4/5. Am I seeing things? I was expecting wow factor when opened the box but it is not to be.  So good to be back her again. Dai

Don't care about the look, I need the sound, Tyros is not a good one now, but Genos is not enough for me, I will buy Korg 5x
Modify message

beykock

  • Guest
Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #13 on: July 08, 2019, 05:24:58 PM »
Not easy to buy a PA5X if the arranger is not available yet.

Nobody knows if and when the new arranger will be in the market and how the new spec's will look like.

Or ... do you know more about the new highend
Korg  ?🎺

Babette
« Last Edit: July 08, 2019, 05:27:16 PM by beykock »
 

dai phan

  • Guest
Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #14 on: July 08, 2019, 11:57:26 PM »
Hi Dai :

Congratulations with your " man cave ".
Very nice !👍Or ... is it maybe the showroom of your music shop ?😀

What a nice collection of keyboards !!! 
WOW. 💥

You must be a rich musician ... one of the few.😺

I hope you will be happy with your Genos in the near future.
If you do not like it and want to get rid of it : I know a poor musician who would love to have this nice present : ME. 😋

BTW ... but ... what made you decide to buy the Genos after reading your " first impressions "  ...

Are you joking ?🐻

Babette

I am a huge fan of Yamaha for life so I always want to have the latest flagship. I think the overall look of the G is a step back from the T series. Dai
 

dai phan

  • Guest
Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #15 on: July 09, 2019, 12:00:23 AM »
Nice review dai phan!
So after having the Geno's for a week your impression is that it looks plastic.
Does it also  produce any sounds or you haven't noticed anything yet?
I believe too that the colour is important in a music forum.
Have fun with your old and new equipment :)

I started to investigate into its ability last night. I just wish Yamaha would make the appearance more professional as it is. A person who compares the T and the G agrees with me. I am talking about the outside beauty and it is very subjective. Dai
 

dai phan

  • Guest
Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #16 on: July 09, 2019, 12:03:31 AM »
Hi Dai :

Congratulations with your " man cave ".
Very nice !👍Or ... is it maybe the showroom of your music shop ?😀

What a nice collection of keyboards !!! 
WOW. 💥

You must be a rich musician ... one of the few.😺

I hope you will be happy with your Genos in the near future.
If you do not like it and want to get rid of it : I know a poor musician who would love to have this nice present : ME. 😋

BTW ... but ... what made you decide to buy the Genos after reading your " first impressions "  ...

Are you joking ?🐻

Babette

I am not rich at all. I am a public servant and live pay check to pay check. But I am huge fan of Yamaha so I save and save to get the latest. Dai

Offline Amxf5

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #17 on: July 09, 2019, 02:49:44 PM »
I have the limited edition"Spotlight White" Motif XF, and it looks great in all white. Yamaha should offer that color on the Genos. Make it a limited edition also, probably sell like crazy!
 

Offline panos

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #18 on: July 09, 2019, 04:20:49 PM »
Hi there Dai,
ok I don't like grey colour compare to black and this is a matter of taste as you said and I agree.
You probably are suggesting that as long as they have decided to make it black it should be another kind of black e.g like "metal black" to look more "fancy" and "pro".

Tyros 5 had a shape and a colour that it is out there from 2002.
Do you think that a Tyros 6 would be more impressive than Genos?
ok it is your opinion and I can respect that.
 
You said that the appearance of one of these two looks like an average Casio KB

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YwAarhuH2I

Once again it is your opinion and I can respect that too.

Next step:
Looking forward for your review about the screen.
If it has nice colours,it is smooth,a handy menu etc.  :)

Offline stephenm52

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #19 on: July 09, 2019, 10:43:08 PM »
Most people in the past said they did not like silver keyboards and black was the professional colour.
  You must be one of the first that has complained about the Genos look.

Personally I like the black and prefer it to the silver color.  I’ll never understand the dis-satisfaction I read about Genos from some.   I’m more interested improving my playing versus playing to adjust sounds on a keyboard.  Don’t get me wrong I’ve spent plenty of time doing that but I’ve got an upcoming 2 month weekly piano solo gig so a lot of my time is brushing up on some tunes I haven’t played in quite a few years.  That aside I still spend plenty of time with the Genos and Pa4x.

Dai Phan looks like you have a keyboard store there and not a studio in your home.  Not even the local Guitar Center where I live have that many TOTL arrangers.
GENOS, SX900, Clavinova CVP 307, Korg Pa4x.........

Steve's Genos Recordings
Steve's Gig Disks
 

dai phan

  • Guest
Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #20 on: July 09, 2019, 11:15:06 PM »
Personally I like the black and prefer it to the silver color.  I’ll never understand the dis-satisfaction I read about Genos from some.   I’m more interested improving my playing versus playing to adjust sounds on a keyboard.  Don’t get me wrong I’ve spent plenty of time doing that but I’ve got an upcoming 2 month weekly piano solo gig so a lot of my time is brushing up on some tunes I haven’t played in quite a few years.  That aside I still spend plenty of time with the Genos and Pa4x.

Dai Phan looks like you have a keyboard store there and not a studio in your home.  Not even the local Guitar Center where I live have that many TOTL arrangers.

That is in my room where I spend time each night to write music. Dai
 

beykock

  • Guest
Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #21 on: July 10, 2019, 08:47:59 AM »
Hi Dai :


One thing is absolutely sure : you have a very nice home studio and a great collection of keyboards.
I am really jealous. ??? I have only one arranger keyboard and a lot of dust and cables in my room.  :D

Enjoy making music !

And ... are you happy with your Genos now ? ;)


Babette
« Last Edit: July 10, 2019, 08:49:29 AM by beykock »
 
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Offline Pianoman

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #22 on: July 10, 2019, 01:36:37 PM »
Hello Dai Phan.

Congratulations on your new instrument and I hope that it will bring you many years of
pleasure.

Best Regards.
Abby.

Offline Pianoman

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #23 on: July 10, 2019, 04:53:31 PM »
I’m more interested improving my playing versus playing to adjust sounds on a keyboard.  Don’t get me wrong I’ve spent plenty of time doing that but I’ve got an upcoming 2 month weekly piano solo gig so a lot of my time is brushing up on some tunes I haven’t played in quite a few years.



 Stephen.
You are very right of course about practising your playing, and it is something that a lot
of us should concentrate on.

An Arranger is the great equaliser, for those who always wanted to play music but
never had the opportunity to learn or maybe never took the time to learn.

Anybody with a basic knowledge of a 3 fingered or 4 fingered (maybe even single fingered) chord
will be able to press that chord with their left hand, push the Intro button, and presto,  sound like
an accomplished musician, but only up to a point.

Once the intro has run it's course, as well as the first few bars of the style, then comes the
moment of truth that separates those who have practised playing from those who have not.

I've been playing since I was a young kid but feel that there's always room for improvement.
It's important to practice, as much as possible, the actual playing of any instrument.

A good keyboard in the hands of an unpracticed player will disguise the poor playing
skills a little bit, but in the end the poor playing will show.

This is probably one of the reasons why we are seeing an ever expanding proliferation of
Midi Files.

In other words, mastering your playing skills is essential in any circumstance, but more so
when performing in public.

In the months when gigs are scarce I try to put in at least 4 hours of playing practice every day.
That means just piano practice, on my Kawai MP11.

No arranger, no tweaking of styles and voices, and no particular song either.
Just imagining a scale or chord sequence and playing away.

I'm a very competitive musician and have an insatiable need to play better than
whoever came before me in the venues where I perform.
That can only be achieved by constant practice.

My audiences find it amusing when I sometimes am simultaneously able to chat  with
a person while holding my glass of water in my left hand and furiously playing away on
 the piano with the right hand without missing a beat.

Like so many things, it takes a lot of practice.

I'm performing 6 nights a week now so I unfortunately have little time to practice at
home, even though the gigs themselves are a form of daily practice.

On the one day that I'm free of gigging commitments however, I don't want to come within 10
feet of any instrument. I generally just chill out until my exhausted and aching body
recovers enough to go out and do battle again the next day.

There are different types of gigging though.
There are the gigs where you go twice a month and play a few tunes, then there are
the gigs where you have to go out 180 days in a row, often playing 3 to 4 hours nonstop.

In the case of the latter, there are days you just don't feel like going but you know that
you have to, because of contractual obligations and the need to pay your bills.

I understand that this is off topic but I wanted to respond to Stephen's comments, and also
because somebody, Babette I think, wanted to know what it's like to gig professionally.

Best Regards.
Abby.






« Last Edit: July 10, 2019, 04:56:13 PM by Pianoman »
 

beykock

  • Guest
Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #24 on: July 10, 2019, 08:25:55 PM »
Thank you, Abby, for your very interesting feedback.

IMHO a professional gigger's life is a very hard life ... always working when others are free and/or have fun.

Almost no family life : only one day each week. 😒

No work or being ill = no income and high expenses : instruments, pa, car, insurance etc. etc. and ...
no personnel ...

I have a lot of respect for who you are and what you are doing to earn your daily income and to support your family financially. WOW ! 👋 🎩

Best wishes, Babette

« Last Edit: July 10, 2019, 08:29:29 PM by beykock »
 

Offline mikf

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #25 on: July 11, 2019, 10:25:07 AM »
IMHO a professional gigger's life is a very hard life ...
I don't buy this at all...  living on the sunshine Island of Ibiza, going out at very civilized hours to play piano and entertain, being applauded for what you do every day, doing something that you are really good at and could do in your sleep, surrounded by beautiful women.....  ;D....
Every job can get a bit humdrum, .......but I will tell you what is a hard life. Getting up every day at 4 am, going 2000 ft underground, crawling in 4 ft high ceiling for miles to your place of work, digging coal out by the ton without being able to stand up, having the danger of injury or death in your sights every day, going home aching in every muscle and joint, then getting up next day at 4 am and doing it all over again to keep your family.
I know, I watched my father and many other men doing it every day for 40 years. Playing gigs, are you kidding ....  get real.
Mike
 
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Offline Pianoman

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #26 on: July 11, 2019, 11:12:40 AM »
I don't buy this at all...  living on the sunshine Island of Ibiza, going out at very civilized hours to play piano and entertain, being applauded for what you do every day, doing something that you are really good at and could do in your sleep, surrounded by beautiful women.....  ;D....
Every job can get a bit humdrum, .......but I will tell you what is a hard life. Getting up every day at 4 am, going 2000 ft underground, crawling in 4 ft high ceiling for miles to your place of work, digging coal out by the ton without being able to stand up, having the danger of injury or death in your sights every day, going home aching in every muscle and joint, then getting up next day at 4 am and doing it all over again to keep your family.
I know, I watched my father and many other men doing it every day for 40 years. Playing gigs, are you kidding ....  get real.
Mike

What you say is very true Mike.

Even though your reply is directed at what Babette wrote in response to my post just before hers,
the emphasis of my comments was on reinforcing Stephen's views on the importance of
practising to improve the playing of an instrument, versus just playing to adjust sounds.

I totally agree that it is nice to be surrounded by beautiful women.
The Missus keeps me on a tight leash though.

Best Regards,
Abby.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2019, 07:45:39 PM by Pianoman »
 

Offline stephenm52

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #27 on: July 11, 2019, 12:10:16 PM »
Stephen.
You are very right of course about practising your playing, and it is something that a lot
of us should concentrate on.

I've been playing since I was a young kid but feel that there's always room for improvement.
It's important to practice, as much as possible, the actual playing of any instrument.
In other words, mastering your playing skills is essential in any circumstance, but more so
when performing in public.

In the months when gigs are scarce I try to put in at least 4 hours of playing practice every day.
That means just piano practice, on my Kawai MP11.




My audiences find it amusing when I sometimes am simultaneously able to chat  with
a person while holding my glass of water in my left hand and furiously playing away on
 the piano with the right hand without missing a beat.

Like so many things, it takes a lot of practice.

There are different types of gigging though.
There are the gigs where you go twice a month and play a few tunes, then there are
the gigs where you have to go out 180 days in a row, often playing 3 to 4 hours nonstop.

In the case of the latter, there are days you just don't feel like going but you know that
you have to, because of contractual obligations and the need to pay your bills.

I understand that this is off topic but I wanted to respond to Stephen's comments, and also
because somebody, Babette I think, wanted to know what it's like to gig professionally.

Best Regards.
Abby.


Abby,

Thanks for your comments. As much as I enjoy arrangers and the doors they have opened to allow me to play more gigs, I have found them to hurt my piano playing.  I've spent so much time thru the years tweaking and setting up my arrangers that I've thought what would have the outcome been had I spent that time practicing piano.   It's water over the ****, I don't depend on playing gigs to earn a living, I made it other ways and am now retired from my full time work.  Now my gigs just give me a little play money.

I agree there's always room for improvement.  Congratulations to you for spending 4 hours per day on the Kawai piano in your slow season.

Love your comment about being able to chat with a customer while holding the glass in your left hand and playing without missing a beat in the right hand. 
GENOS, SX900, Clavinova CVP 307, Korg Pa4x.........

Steve's Genos Recordings
Steve's Gig Disks
 

Offline mikf

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #28 on: July 11, 2019, 12:17:34 PM »
A world renowned professor of music once famously said "Amateurs practice until they can get it right; pros practice until they can't get it wrong"
Mike

Offline travlin-easy

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #29 on: July 11, 2019, 09:38:13 PM »
MIke, although I have retired for being a full-time, gigging, musician/entertainer/singer, can assure you that there is a lot more to it than just standing on stage and entertaining the masses.

I worked 7 days a week, every holiday, every one of my birthdays, my children's and wife's birthdays, etc... - well, you get the idea. Most years I performed just one job a day, but as I got closer to retirement, there lots of doubles and a few triples every week. Not only did I work days at the senior circuit, but also nights at the restaurants and nite clubs. Add to this the private parties, putting up with drunks and crazies, and driving more than 40,000 miles a year, and now you have a hectic job. Then, of course, there were places where I performed that were downright dangerous - locations where some folks knew you were paid in cash, thus I had to pack a gun and get a CCP, which was revoked a few weeks after my retirement. So, yes, being an on stage entertainer can be a somewhat dangerous job as well, especially when there are lots of inebriated, young ladies in the crowd. Sure, I loved the attention they paid to me, but then there was always the drunken boyfriend who thought, in his drunken stupor that you were trying to steal his girlfriend or wife and wanted to fight.

Then, after having all that fun on stage, you still need to do all the ancillary jobs, bookkeeper, tax accountant, purchasing agent, PR/advertising agent, costume manager, disbursing agent, and much, much more. Yep, we wear a lot of hats to be on stage entertaining the ladies, sometimes even a marriage councilor.

Now, while the audiences are in front of you, dancing, eating lavishly, sipping the finest booze available, and often at no charge, if you are lucky, you get to eat what the waitstaff eats, which more often than not is akin to a McDonalds Happy Meal. A few entertainers, such as Don Mason, gets to dine on what the customers at Earnest's Restaurant consume. :) Don says this stuff will really put the pounds on you, though. Also, you cannot or should not consume any alcoholic beverages while on the job - that will have to wait till you get home, that is if you still have the energy to relax and take a few sips before falling asleep from sheer exhaustion. 

Now, I have worked some fairly dangerous jobs when I was relatively young, one as a Maryland State Trooper, which can get you killed by dozens of different ways. At the Maryland State Police Headquarters in Pikesville, MD, there are several hundred bronze plaques on the wall saying in memory of: listing the troopers that were killed in the line of duty. Believe me, it was a lot less hectic than being on stage in front of a couple hundred to more than 1,000 people.

Yes, it was fun, and I tell everyone that "It was the best job I ever had in my life" no doubt about. I guess I'm a big ham, and loved being on stage and ogled by the ladies. I made enough money to support my family and buy a sailing yacht, but until I retired, I had no time for either the family or the yacht. Now that health issues have forced my retirement, I no longer have the physical ability to sail in marginal weather conditions. Kinda a Catch 22 situation.

So, you may not agree, Mike, but there's a lot more to being a full-time, gigging musician/entertainer than meets the eye.

All the best,

Gary 8)
Love Those Yammies...
 

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #30 on: July 11, 2019, 10:06:54 PM »
Good post as usual Gary :)! Thanks for sharing your history. Like the old saying goes (if I have this right), "Never judge a man until you've walked a thousand miles in his shoes." Of course, the same goes if we're talking about a woman - although, I've never worn women's shoes (LOL) ;D.

Bedsides all those things you mentioned, there's also the burden of upgrading your repertoire. Not only do you need to write the charts but you must find the time to practice the new tunes. I'm not nearly as busy as some of the people on this forum who play every day - like yourself and Abby. My busiest years consisted of doing 140 shows with about six different bands. That's a very lax schedule compared to you guys. I found that I needed to keep up to date on each bands' charts and music. There were also a fair number of practices. I also ran a business during those years but I sold it 14 years ago.

As I wind down my musical career, my hope is to just become the best player I can. I'm 66 years old and hope to keep going for another while yet. Fortunately, I have hitched my wagon to four bands that do nothing but corporate work. No bar work. No longer need to put up with the drunken idiots, late nights, crappy pay, and morons who huddle in doorways having a cancer stick without the brains to get the **** out of your way when you're carrying out your gear at some ungodly hour. Nope, I don't miss that one bit.

As for the Genos, I have received more compliments about it than the combined compliments from all my previous PSR and Tyros keyboards. She's a keeper :)!
"Learn" your music correctly, then "practice" it. Don't practice mistakes because you'll learn them.
 

Offline Toril S

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #31 on: July 11, 2019, 11:15:03 PM »
Interesting posts! Guns, fair ladies and angry boyfriends/husbands! I understand that being a professional entertainer is A LOT of work. Being an amateur I have just a few gigs, and my audience is very docile! But i take every job seriously, do much practice in advance and plan the gig, prepare the keyboard with styles and so on. They have asked Toril to play for them, and I don't want to disappoint them. As for danger, the only danger I have encountered was a lady that spilled some wine on the panel of my PSR 2100. The particular button is a little tricky to push after that :)
I really value to hear your stories, you all made my day!
Toril S

Genos, Tyros 5, PSR S975, PSR 2100
and PSR-47.
Former keyboards: PSR-S970.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLVwWdb36Yd3LMBjAnm6pTQ?view_as=subscriber



Toril's PSR Performer Page
 

beykock

  • Guest
Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #32 on: July 12, 2019, 04:21:31 AM »

Hi :

As I said before the real gigger's life is not an easy life.

There is no business like show business.

I herewith would like to thank Gary for sharing his experiences.👋

Babette
 

Offline mikf

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #33 on: July 12, 2019, 10:26:44 AM »
I played a lot of gigs in my hey day, and on and off for years, a similar schedule to Lee, so I know a bit about what it takes to be a gigging musician. I think you could argue that holding down a day job and having 4 young kids at the same time might actually be harder than being full time and playing more gigs. I had a cousin who was full time and I know I worked a lot harder than he did.
I started out accompanying singers on piano in pubs when I was hardly 16, and playing in Scottish country dance bands. Moved on to rock  bands for a while after I taught my self to play guitar and bass, then back to electronic keyboards in cover bands for functions. I even had a spell in a vocal harmony trio doing cabaret in local clubs.
Like all jobs, there were the odd bad moments, the occasional unpleasant people, mundane times like loading up the gear at 2 am with work at my day job the next day. But I never stopped playing because I got tired of gigging or found it hard. I had a pretty good band going at the end, and you never tire of people applauding or telling you they had a great night. I stopped when I was about 40 for three reasons - 1. my wife kept asking when I would stop: 2. the money was not that great compared to my day job :  3. I changed day jobs and my new employer frowned on me doing this kind of thing.
So, yes Gary, I understand the behind the scenes work that goes into gigging, and agree there is more than people see. I have the utmost respect for musicians and entertainers, it takes talent and dedication to become good at what they do, but if you are good enough, it’s certainly not a miserable way to make money.
I believe that aspiring players think it must be hard and stressful to play for an audience, because it would be for them. They are terrified of making mistakes, or being badly received.  But, if you are good at what you do, and experienced, the playing part is not stressful at all. You don’t think about mistakes, the music just pours out. Just like Abby describes, it becomes almost auto pilot.
Keep sailing Gary ;)
Mike
 

beykock

  • Guest
Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #34 on: July 12, 2019, 01:35:51 PM »
Hi Mike :

You stopped gigging when you were still young. Only 40.

If my information is correct :
Abby is now in his early 60's and Gary was even much than 10 years older when he left the show business.

I think that is a big difference ...🐻

Babette
« Last Edit: July 12, 2019, 01:37:00 PM by beykock »
 

Offline mikf

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #35 on: July 12, 2019, 04:39:20 PM »
Better to be playing keyboard than digging coal at that age. 
 

Offline travlin-easy

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #36 on: July 12, 2019, 05:52:09 PM »
Better than digging coal at ANY age, Mike - no doubt about it!

My point is that being a full-time, gigging musician is no different that running any small business. Unfortunately, most of the musicians I know never did this - they shoved the money in their pockets (mostly cash), then just ****** it away. They rarely reported any of the income, I only knew of 2 that set up retirement programs, most went to a tax preparer that claimed to be a retired IRS agent (HA), and nearly all had some other form of income while he or she was a gigging musician.

When I had my band, a 5 piece country band, I think I was the only person in the band that reported the income. However, I was the guy that showed in the full-size van with all the gear, amps, cables, lights, stands, etc. The other guys just showed up with their instruments in hand. I did the setups and tear downs, they left within minutes of playing the last song of the night. That was the main reason I opted to strike out on my own and become an OMB entertainer. That, and they took an equal share of the income but shelled out nothing for new gear or booking the jobs.

Could I have made more money working for a large corporation or going back to the field of medicine? Probably, but I enjoyed doing what I was doing as an OMB entertainer, my wife said I was a happier person than when I was almost always coming home depressed while working in cardio/pulmonary medicine. In fact I just looked up the average coal miners salary, and at $70,000 a year, I would have made more money in that endeavor - just would not had as much fun. ;)

All the best,

Gary 8)
Love Those Yammies...
 

Offline mikf

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #37 on: July 12, 2019, 09:03:34 PM »
Gary - You got to do what you enjoyed for a very long time, you were good at it, and gave a lot of people a lot of pleasure. You can look back with much satisfaction.
Mike
 

Offline travlin-easy

Re: I finally got the Genos... Impressions
« Reply #38 on: July 12, 2019, 11:35:43 PM »
Thanks Mike. The past 30 years or so has been an incredible ride for this old codger.

All the best,

Gary 8)
Love Those Yammies...