Hi, everyone.

I had a fun experience today and I think I might have the opportunity to do things like this more often. I visited a local high school during their Fine Arts Week and gave a demo of the Chapman Stick. This was an event where the kids signed up for things they were interested in and a couple hundred signed up to see me. Wow!

I came, talked about the Stick, showed some videos, and tried to play. "Tried" being the key word there. I know some of you experienced people can just pick up your Stick cold and play something nice for people. How do you do that? If I have some time to warm up and get all psyched up I can usually do something better than awful. But if I have to just pick it up and play something in front of a hundred people right then, with no warm up, my fingers WILL NOT OBEY!

What is the wisdom of the collective on this? Any hints and tips would be great.

Thanks,

-Eric

Hi Eric.

I think the deal is if you've played a little bit earlier in the day, then you'll be alright. Even so, as you say, that doesn't always happen.

Maybe start slowly, noodle around musically as a way to invite people in to Stick world. Even talking to them as you do it might help to get you into a sharing mode, which is more positive and extrovert in a good way. The opposite of this is, "oh shit I can't play right now, this is going to be shit.."

I've been there..recently...

When I did an elementary school last year, I wished I had brought Bob's book with me. Would save a lot of talking. I just brought my Fishman Loudbox 100, both Sticks, and did a lot of improvising and a couple well known songs. I have to admit, hanging out with Bob at the Ann Arbor Art Fairs helped. You showed videos? Was that on a laptop or did you bring projectors? My wife also helped me, but we didn't bring anything like that. The small amp in a school gym was a big help to me, as with the low volume I fit in perfect with everything else going on. Less is more, don't bring too many gadgets to setup. I just brought a small camera with me and left the DSLR home. I did bring my Zoom G3 and the expression pedal, however I probably could have left that home.

Baroque preludes are pretty good - they are simple, and easy to play if you're not warmed up yet.

R

...are you shure?...

...of course prelude means play before the game started.....
...but which prelude exactly you are thinking of...

...by the way, during the high baroque period the preludes became often
the hardest part of a suite to perform...

I don't really think there are any shortcuts here. Learn what you want but as your repertoire grows, don't turn your back on your early tunes. Theoretically the more you play them and as your abilities grow, those early tunes should become so second nature that they become your "go to" tunes when you find yourself in this kind of situation.

.

By doing it A LOT.

I have been performing for a long time and I still 'die a thousand deaths' in many shows where I have to THINK while playing as opposed to it being automatic.
It just has to be as automatic as tying your shoes.