My music life is performance-intensive and varied. Different gigs have different demands. It should go without saying that without organization and forethought, there are myriad problems that can arise at a gig. Simple problems can be a major pain if you’re not prepared.

Five or six weeks ago, I had an eye-opening experience while playing a job. John and I were playing PizzaPapalis. While setting up, we realized that between the two of us, we had only ONE functional mic cable. Then, I managed to tear a fingernail (index finger, right hand) and I didn’t have clippers or a file with me. And this is an acoustic gig where I’m playing freestyle. So there we were, our first night at PizzaPapalis, really hoping to impress the manager and get more jobs, and I’m stuck with a hangnail and can’t sing backups because three of our four mic cables don’t work. Real professional, man!

So at the next Rayz practice, I mentioned to the guys that I wanted to get more organized and be prepared when problems arise at a gig. Gary offered me a toolbox he wanted to get rid of. I had been shoving stuff into an old backpack and my guitar cases, so the toolbox seemed like a promising alternative. Gary brought the toolbox to next week’s practice, and it was just what I needed! It’s a lot easier to keep track of things when they’re in one place, instead of spread out between various instruments and a backpack. I’ve been adding stuff every week, and now have two vocal mics, plenty of spare mic and instrument cables, mic clips,batteries, packs of strings, etc. And, needless to say, I’m fully prepared to deal with a damaged fingernail.

And, it’s always a good thing when you can solve multiple problems with a single gear upgrade. Playing acoustic gigs, I’m always sitting on bar stools or high chairs. So, I couldn’t really reach my effects pedal and tuner while playing, which is kind of a pain. I had been thinking about finding (or building) something to elevate my pedals. But, as it turns out, this toolbox is a good height, and works really well as a stand for my pedals. Definitely a good acquisition!

To move my various music projects forward, I’ve really started to spend time thinking about stage setup. In particular, stage gear can affect multiple aspects of the performance experience. Great example: for playing in classical guitar ensemble (or solo classical), a music stand is a must. When I started playing gigs with Ben and Carol, I alternated between a standard size Manhassett stand, and a small folding stand. Having done six or seven coffee house gigs with our ensemble, I noted several issues affecting my ability to perform. First, we’ve been working on pieces longer than three pages, often without a good opportunity for a page turn. Second, the lighting in smaller coffee shops and restaurants is often suboptimal for reading music. Third, Ben plays a much nicer guitar than I do. Since we’re going unamplified, I’ve had a rough time competing with Ben as far as projecting sound.

Recently, I picked up a new music stand that addresses each of these problems! The stand has “side-out” extenders to display more pages of music than my old stand. An orchestral-style lamp solves the lighting issue. And, this stand is half the height of my old Manhassett stand, so now I’m playing over the music, and projecting more sound outward. I’ve already heard some positive comments about the balance of sound since I made the switch.

No doubt, always keep an open mind about stage gear. In this case, changing music stands directly addressed multiple factors affecting my comfort level while performing, and the sound heard by the audience.