Thursday, December 12, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Happy 2013
It's a new year, and its been a while since I blogged anything. I started a new entertainment career 12/31/10 at Rosebud Prime, a fine dining restaurant in downtown Chicago. They called me 12/30/10... Less than 24 hours to get myself together to play a new piano for New Years Eve. Thank you American Music World for the referral!
This opened the door at Rosebud for a weekly position, Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. I was told to work up some vocals to break it up a bit. Although this was a bit out of my comfort zone, I was challenged by the request. I started recording some bass & drum tracks for a few of the songs, and played them from my iPhone. By May 2011, I purchased an iPad, and found a software app that allowed me to combine my sheet music (as a PDF file) and audio tracks (as an mp3 file) on one page. This allowed me to leave my music binder at home (although it took a couple of months to feel comfortable about doing so).
After about a year, the manager made some schedule changes, and I wound up only playing once a week (Tuesdays) at Rosebud. This led me to pursue other venues. I now play at many fine dining establishments, in and all around Chicago.
In addition to my working as a jazz pianist/singer, I got a call in the spring (2012) from a well booked cover band to join as their keyboardist. The band is named Midnight. This led to more unfamiliar territory which I eventually embraced. We specialize in danceable music in the R&B, Motown, Classic Rock, Swing, Pop and Jazz Vocal Standards genres. It is composed of six guys, including me. Three of the guys double on horns, so there is a lot of versatility in our sound. I personally enjoy playing the tunes from the band Chicago. All the guys are awesome. Check out the website: http://midnightband.com. We play many festivals and summer events, as well as weddings, private parties, & corporate events... Even as entertainment for the Chicago White Sox!
In the meantime I am pursuing getting my original music placed into television and motion pictures by an organization named Taxi. I have had numerous forwards to movie music supervisors, but as of this writing have made no progress (in a financial sense). I have been primarily writing and recording new songs in the jazz vocal genre, since I can always sing this new material for my entertainment gigs.
As I kept adding new recordings for Taxi, I eventually had a collection of jazz-vocal love songs. I released an album of these recordings called "Night Life" which is now available on iTunes, Google Music, ReverbNation, and most of the other Internet distribution outlets. I'm hoping 2013 will allow me a few media placements with Taxi, which will increase awareness of my product line (songs), and allow an increase of that revenue layer.
That is an update of my new entertainment career over these last two years. It's been a nice creative change from the keyboard manufacturing business. Thanks to my wife, Beth, for supporting my dream, allowing me to pursue a place within the media, while working as a free-lance independent artist!
Btw, I concurrently am still tuning pianos and teaching in my spare time! If you are in the Chicago area, and have need for a piano tuning, please contact me. My home site can be accessed at http://drmidi.com.
This opened the door at Rosebud for a weekly position, Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. I was told to work up some vocals to break it up a bit. Although this was a bit out of my comfort zone, I was challenged by the request. I started recording some bass & drum tracks for a few of the songs, and played them from my iPhone. By May 2011, I purchased an iPad, and found a software app that allowed me to combine my sheet music (as a PDF file) and audio tracks (as an mp3 file) on one page. This allowed me to leave my music binder at home (although it took a couple of months to feel comfortable about doing so).
After about a year, the manager made some schedule changes, and I wound up only playing once a week (Tuesdays) at Rosebud. This led me to pursue other venues. I now play at many fine dining establishments, in and all around Chicago.
In addition to my working as a jazz pianist/singer, I got a call in the spring (2012) from a well booked cover band to join as their keyboardist. The band is named Midnight. This led to more unfamiliar territory which I eventually embraced. We specialize in danceable music in the R&B, Motown, Classic Rock, Swing, Pop and Jazz Vocal Standards genres. It is composed of six guys, including me. Three of the guys double on horns, so there is a lot of versatility in our sound. I personally enjoy playing the tunes from the band Chicago. All the guys are awesome. Check out the website: http://midnightband.com. We play many festivals and summer events, as well as weddings, private parties, & corporate events... Even as entertainment for the Chicago White Sox!
In the meantime I am pursuing getting my original music placed into television and motion pictures by an organization named Taxi. I have had numerous forwards to movie music supervisors, but as of this writing have made no progress (in a financial sense). I have been primarily writing and recording new songs in the jazz vocal genre, since I can always sing this new material for my entertainment gigs.
As I kept adding new recordings for Taxi, I eventually had a collection of jazz-vocal love songs. I released an album of these recordings called "Night Life" which is now available on iTunes, Google Music, ReverbNation, and most of the other Internet distribution outlets. I'm hoping 2013 will allow me a few media placements with Taxi, which will increase awareness of my product line (songs), and allow an increase of that revenue layer.
That is an update of my new entertainment career over these last two years. It's been a nice creative change from the keyboard manufacturing business. Thanks to my wife, Beth, for supporting my dream, allowing me to pursue a place within the media, while working as a free-lance independent artist!
Btw, I concurrently am still tuning pianos and teaching in my spare time! If you are in the Chicago area, and have need for a piano tuning, please contact me. My home site can be accessed at http://drmidi.com.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
New original Christmas Song: Christmas Time of the Year
Howdy!
Check out the new Christmas song I wrote & recorded in two days, Christmas Time of the Year! It's part of the upcoming Christmas album "'Tis the Season" sceduled for release in November, 2011. I'll be adding vocal harmony backing vocals in a re-release in the next week, but since it is so close to Christmas, I wanted you to at least hear it before the season passes!
Merry Christmas. You can hear my two newest Christmas songs at http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/3088972
Bruce
Check out the new Christmas song I wrote & recorded in two days, Christmas Time of the Year! It's part of the upcoming Christmas album "'Tis the Season" sceduled for release in November, 2011. I'll be adding vocal harmony backing vocals in a re-release in the next week, but since it is so close to Christmas, I wanted you to at least hear it before the season passes!
Merry Christmas. You can hear my two newest Christmas songs at http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/3088972
Bruce
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Should I rent or purchase a piano for my child?
Each dealership that sells pianos has their own policy about renting an instrument. Most charge the same amount of rent than it takes to make payments PLUS a cartage fee (usually $200 each way) In reality, they want to sell whatever they have in inventory. If you add up the cartage fees and a few month's rent, there will be at least $600+ spent on a temporary instrument that is rented. Sometimes you can receive credit for the first six months towards the purchase of a new piano (or the one in your possession). Once the rental period is over, you have nothing, and they have your money.
My suggestion would be to purchase a digital keyboard (with 88 full sized, velocity sensitive, weighted keys). Many companies are producing nice digital pianos that you could purchase for around $550. I've seen a few at Sam's Club and Best Buy a few Christmas' ago that would do the trick. Listen to the sound, and feel the action when you go to buy one. Make sure you like it and would be able to enjoy it for many years. If it is not a good quality sound, your child will soon get bored and lose interest. I was impressed with the Casio Privia. Here is a link: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Casio+-+Privia+Full-Size+Keyboard+with+88+Hammer-Weighted+Keys+-+Black/9619225.p?id=1218140195132&skuId=9619225
The last item is: True Interest. Practicing a musical instrument is not always fun. It is sometimes work. Before you make a purchase for any young person, be sure they are overwhelmingly biting at the bit to commit to it. Have them promise to give it at least a year. If they will not commit, they are not truly interested in working at it. Once they are past a year, they are more apt to want to continue on their own. If they have given it a good year, you'll feel that at least they tried, and your investment was at least helpful during that time period.
I hope this was helpful. Save my email address to contact me, in case you have any additional questions.
Blessings,
Bruce Bergh
bruce@drmidi.com
My suggestion would be to purchase a digital keyboard (with 88 full sized, velocity sensitive, weighted keys). Many companies are producing nice digital pianos that you could purchase for around $550. I've seen a few at Sam's Club and Best Buy a few Christmas' ago that would do the trick. Listen to the sound, and feel the action when you go to buy one. Make sure you like it and would be able to enjoy it for many years. If it is not a good quality sound, your child will soon get bored and lose interest. I was impressed with the Casio Privia. Here is a link: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Casio+-+Privia+Full-Size+Keyboard+with+88+Hammer-Weighted+Keys+-+Black/9619225.p?id=1218140195132&skuId=9619225
The last item is: True Interest. Practicing a musical instrument is not always fun. It is sometimes work. Before you make a purchase for any young person, be sure they are overwhelmingly biting at the bit to commit to it. Have them promise to give it at least a year. If they will not commit, they are not truly interested in working at it. Once they are past a year, they are more apt to want to continue on their own. If they have given it a good year, you'll feel that at least they tried, and your investment was at least helpful during that time period.
I hope this was helpful. Save my email address to contact me, in case you have any additional questions.
Blessings,
Bruce Bergh
bruce@drmidi.com
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Dad's Salvation Army Tour
Took dad on a tour of Chicago's 509 Salvation Army facility to see how it changed since he worked there 60 years ago! Major Mark Anderson gave the family a wonderful tour which lasted about an hour, and dad was in his glory. We took video and will come out with a DVD once we get all the pictures and video edited. We then went to the SA training college and saw a picture of his mom Vera Bergh who graduated in 1924 in the "Old Time Religion" class. The mansion was a donation from a Chicago businessman who used the home for entertainment when in the city. He later moved to California and gave the mansion to the Salvation Army in the early 1900s. We ate at Pete's Pizza, and then went by mom & dad's former homes in Chicago and Elmwood Park. It was a fun day for all.
Monday, January 4, 2010
2010 Begins
2010 started out with a bang today, being the first day of business of the new year. I got a hold of Bruce McNeil and talked to him about the open territory in the SE. This could mean a move to Florida! In addition, Jim Martinez called with his Delta FF points, and we booked a trip to check out the opportunities in Sacramento 1/26-2/5. They have a good amount of music openings, and the fifth graders are required to take lessons in music.
I also got a call from Willow Creek to play a memorial service Wednesday evening.
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