Who is your audience?

**Rick Schmidlin** · Jul-29-2008, 1:57pm

Mine is my cat, my wife (who like's me play Sundays morning's, and quiet evenings))Some friends that come over. Sometimes I take my mandolin to play for others's who might like to hear me.And family members when I travel east. I have done a few live shows,Jams but my audience is those mentioned. Who is your audience?

**Pete Martin** · Jul-29-2008, 2:01pm

My walls, ceiling and floor

**Brandon Flynn** · Jul-29-2008, 2:01pm

My dog is my only frequent audience. My family has heard my playing so much that they don't even hear it, and my cats hate the sound, they freak out. I've played in a few classes at school when it was asked of me, I play in church every so often.

**JeffD** · Jul-29-2008, 2:04pm

My weekly jam session folks, friends I get together with to play, and my dog.

**Keith Erickson** · Jul-29-2008, 2:17pm

Our parishoners at the 8:30 am Sunday morning mass are our "audience"...

...but I highly doubt that our picking, playing and singing are the sole reason why they are attending church.

**UnityGain** · Jul-29-2008, 2:28pm

Depends how many people are in the bar trying to get drunk while we happen to be playing...

**billkilpatrick** · Jul-29-2008, 2:39pm

best part of the show is when i ask for requests:

**Rick Schmidlin** · Jul-29-2008, 2:45pm

Originally Posted by (oflynny @ July 29 2008, 15:01)

and my cats hate the sound, they freak out.

And for my cat he is upset if do not play his favorite songs "Ode To Joy","Jimmie Brown The Newsboy" and "Cripple Creek"

**woodwizard** · Jul-29-2008, 3:13pm

My basement music room mostly but 2 or 3 times a month up in Northwest Arkansas. Fayettville & Eureaka Springs areas. A lot of College students, partiers and tourists seem to be the mix.

**lovethemf5s** · Jul-29-2008, 3:26pm

My two cats. They purr when I play #Moonshadow.

**man dough nollij** · Jul-29-2008, 4:49pm

I play for the moon, the stars, the Iridium flares, and the auroras. In three weeks, I can play for the sun! Woo Hoo!

**Brandon Flynn** · Jul-29-2008, 5:01pm

So none of your cats hate the mando, especially a chop chord? I hope my cats are just tough critics.

**Caleb** · Jul-29-2008, 5:42pm

My audience?

Anyone who will listen. I've found that most folks are absolutely fascinated with the mandolin.

**fredfrank** · Jul-29-2008, 5:52pm

With my band, I've played for several hundred, possibly even a thousand festival goers in Darrington, WA, Prescott, AZ, Victorville, CA, etc. We have also played in front of just a barmaid and bartender both of whom were actually watching the t.v. over the bar. I think the toughest audiences for me to play for are the small groups in an intimate, quiet setting. Especially if I know several people in the crowd.

**Clyde Clevenger** · Jul-29-2008, 6:04pm

I've played that bar Fred.

**Randi Gormley** · Jul-29-2008, 7:42pm

I play with my group, at festivals to empty tents, for dancers at those same festivals to packed tents, at libraries, at nursing homes, before al sorts of people on village greens and with my husband in the living room. my old cat used to beg to be let out if we played more than 45 minutes; the current kitten just walks out...my kids flee to all corners of the house and turn up the TV!

**man dough nollij** · Jul-29-2008, 9:16pm

Originally Posted by (fredfrank @ July 30 2008, 10:52)

With my band, I've played for several hundred, possibly even a thousand festival goers in Darrington, WA, Prescott, AZ...

Hey Fred,

I lived in Prescott for fifteen years or so, and caught the BG festival a couple of times. Haven't been back for four years or so, though. Good memories of kickin' back on the courthouse lawn...

**Jack Roberts** · Jul-29-2008, 10:53pm

Mostly recovering drug abusers, alcoholics, and parolees. We have been playing once or twice a month at the local rescue mission for 4 years now. Some times we have 50 or so in the audience, and we always have a great time. After that, it's birthday parties a few times a year and maybe a couple of christmas parties.

**Mikey G** · Jul-30-2008, 12:29am

I have three dachsunds that were all rescue animals, and they tend to like the mandolin playing. I guess they all figure they owe me one, so they don't hike their legs on the furniture when I play. One is almost seventeen, so I'm not sure that he actually hears what's really going down.

**allenhopkins** · Jul-30-2008, 12:50am

[1] #Seniors, about 75 times a year, at nursing homes, senior centers, church groups etc.
[2] #Historical societies, visitors to the Genesee Country Village restoration, museum patrons, and such.
[3] #Festival attenders, especially at New England Folk Festival, GCV Fiddlers' Fair, etc. -- this week, e.g., Wolcott Living History Days, Black Dog Music Fest (Rochester), Park Avenue Arts Festival (Rochester), Phelps Sauerkraut Festival (really!).
[4] #Other sing-around participants, every Tuesday, Golden Link Folk Singing Society
[5] #Kids (Penfield KidsFest concerts, Byron town recreation program, various school programs).
[6] #This week, residents at the Rochester Psychiatric Center.
[7] #Recently, farmers' market shoppers -- doing about a half-dozen of these this summer.
[8] #Library patrons.
[9] #Bar mitzvah guests, last Saturday.

Basically, whoever hires me, whether they listen or not. #I love working with audiences, but I can also accept being "musical wallpaper" at certain events where music is just part of the ambience. #The act of producing music is so pleasant, that I don't mind being my own audience, if it comes down to that.

**Rick Schmidlin** · Jul-30-2008, 1:22am

Originally Posted by (allenhopkins @ July 30 2008, 01:50)

[1] Seniors, about 75 times a year, at nursing homes, senior centers, church groups etc.
[2] Historical societies, visitors to the Genesee Country Village restoration, museum patrons, and such.
[3] Festival attenders, especially at New England Folk Festival, GCV Fiddlers' Fair, etc. -- this week, e.g., Wolcott Living History Days, Black Dog Music Fest (Rochester), Park Avenue Arts Festival (Rochester), Phelps Sauerkraut Festival (really!).
[4] Other sing-around participants, every Tuesday, Golden Link Folk Singing Society
[5] Kids (Penfield KidsFest concerts, Byron town recreation program, various school programs).
[6] This week, residents at the Rochester Psychiatric Center.
[7] Recently, farmers' market shoppers -- doing about a half-dozen of these this summer.
[8] Library patrons.
[9] Bar mitzvah guests, last Saturday.

Basically, whoever hires me, whether they listen or not. I love working with audiences, but I can also accept being "musical wallpaper" at certain events where music is just part of the ambience. The act of producing music is so pleasant, that I don't mind being my own audience, if it comes down to that.

Very Nice

**Rick Cadger** · Jul-30-2008, 3:12am

Pub and club audiences. Usually a couple of hundred people or fewer.

**JeffD** · Jul-30-2008, 9:15am

Originally Posted by (allenhopkins @ July 30 2008, 01:50)

Basically, whoever hires me, whether they listen or not. #I love working with audiences, but I can also accept being "musical wallpaper" at certain events where music is just part of the ambience. #The act of producing music is so pleasant, that I don't mind being my own audience, if it comes down to that.

I was your audience several weeks ago in Waterloo, in that wonderful little theater above the library. Great job!

**terrierguy** · Jul-30-2008, 10:55am

Hmmmm, the occassional dog that wanders in while I am playing, my wife when she is stuck in the room and the once in a while visit from one of my kids or my son and his wife, when I pull out my son's guitar and play it while I am at his house. Oh I forgot my guitar teacher and mandolin teacher, of course I'm paying them to listen!