Your First Time on Stage

smitty_p

smitty_p

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Do you remember your first time on stage, playing...whatever?

I'll go first.

I don't.

That was easy!

I've been on stage many times...playing flute, singing, and playing guitar. Mostly, playing guitar...a lot.

Even public speaking.

But, I literally have absolutely no recollection of the first time I played on stage.

That could be a good thing or a bad thing!
 
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First time on stage was at the age of six in 1979. I was in first grade and sang in front of the whole school. One of the music teachers played piano and I sang a couple of local songs from my hometown. I didn't like it that much, I mostly did it because my teacher wanted me to. But I didn't really mind either.

First time with a band was December 18th, 1988. We played with three other bands, in a local bomb shelter. I still have a tape of it, recorded on a Sony Walkman by a friend of one of the other guitar players in the band. Naturally we were horrible, but we though we sounded badass.
 
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Gahr said:
First time on stage was at the age of six in 1979. I was in first grade and sang in front of the whole school. One of the music teachers played piano and I sang a couple of local songs from my hometown. I didn't like it that much, I mostly did it because my teacher wanted me to. But I didn't really mind either.

First time with a band was December 18th, 1988. We played with three other bands, in a local bomb shelter. I still have a tape of it, recorded in a Sony Walkman by a friend of one of the other guitar players in the band. Naturally we were horrible, but we though we sounded badass.
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So, Gahr, you remember your first time on stage...or public performance if there was no actual stage.

So, you're ahead of us all!
 
I guess I had played so much in the studio that I wasn't scared of my first "real" performance. I had played school assemblies and backyard parties, but my first major performance was at the California State Fair in 1980. I was 15 at the time and filled in on guitar for a local band from my neighborhood. They were all older than me, but they used to let me play with them. When their guitar player got his neck broken in a BMX race, they gave "the kid" the job.

It created a love of performing from that day forward....
 
First time. Probably a kids choir in church. First time I was actually doing something would be Jr High band. First time on stage with lines..... all 6 of them. South Pacific when I was a Senior in HS. That was fun.

First time playing guitar with a group AND on stage. About 10 years ago when I joined up with the worship band at church. That was also fun.
 
Might sound strange to some, but I started out at a Nursing home, there was about 40 people there, I was some nervous, not about singing so much because I had started doing Karaoke a couple of years before I started playing guitar. I made a few mistakes, but like my Instructor told me don't stop just keep on playing . So that's what I did and I made it through the hour. Whew I have to tell you as much as I like to play I was happy I was finished. Now that I am more confident I don't make mistakes as often, but nobody's perfect even the Pros make mistakes, they just know better how to hide it. I am always nervous before I play and I believe that's a good thing it helps me to be a better player. I guess I wasn't to bad they have asked me back on several occasions.
 
A place that once was called the Decade had up coming bands and singers. The early 1970's I was there for 10 cent beers. The word traveled over the crowd that they needed a guitar player and the pay was good. My friend said " Kev can play a little " a bouncer got me and said Debbie wants see you. I met Debbie Harry and played first guitar for her. I did not know her music but like I do even today, make it up as I go along.
 
Session 5 said:
Might sound strange to some, but I started out at a Nursing home, there was about 40 people there, I was some nervous, not about singing so much because I had started doing Karaoke a couple of years before I started playing guitar. I made a few mistakes, but like my Instructor told me don't stop just keep on playing . So that's what I did and I made it through the hour. Whew I have to tell you as much as I like to play I was happy I was finished. Now that I am more confident I don't make mistakes as often, but nobody's perfect even the Pros make mistakes, they just know better how to hide it. I am always nervous before I play and I believe that's a good thing it helps me to be a better player. I guess I wasn't to bad they have asked me back on several occasions.
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Cool!!!!
 
kevinpaul said:
A place that once was called the Decade had up coming bands and singers. The early 1970's I was there for 10 cent beers. The word traveled over the crowd that they needed a guitar player and the pay was good. My friend said " Kev can play a little " a bouncer got me and said Debbie wants see you. I met Debbie Harry and played first guitar for her. I did not know her music but like I do even today, make it up as I go along.
Click to expand...

Awesome!

I had a similar experience with Juice Newton at Tulare County Fair in 1982. It was a fantastic, other worldly experience.
 
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