I Couldn't Resist This.....

Who or What?

The other day on a musicians forum on LinkedIn, someone asked the question, 'Which is more important: who you know, or what you know?' My response:

Who you know-- agents, talent buyers, people who can refer you -- is important. But maybe more important is 'what' you know, and not necessarily in terms of musical skill levels. Knowing how to get along with people is the most important skill to have. With that, you can meet whoever you want to know and convince them to hire you and pay you what you're worth. When it comes to picking sideplayers or bandmates, I'll choose the merely competent easy-to-get-along-with player over the egotistical or high-maintenance phenom every time.

On a slightly different tack, what you know in terms of what you do makes a big difference. For example, instead of trying to play the same stuff everyone else does, I get most of my performance opportunities by playing and marketing niche music, including Cajun and zydeco, reggae and ska, bluegrass and old-timey, Irish, and Christmas--all of them a bit harder to find than regular pop, classic rock, blues or jazz. Then I do my best to make sure Who I Know knows What I Know.

Mtn Brew's current schedule:

Mar 16
St Pat's Day Party
Bonita Springs, FL
private

Mar 17, 12:30-2:30pm
St Pat's Day Party
Auburndale, FL private

Mar 17, 7-9pm
St Pat's Day Party
Mt Dora, FL private

Call us: 407-877-3010

About Mountain Brew....

Andy and Sara Burr play an eclectic blend of music distilled from the finest American and Celtic ingredients. Flavors include folk, rock, bluegrass, old-time, Cajun, Irish, pop standards, and country music.

Usual instrumentation is mandolin, guitar, and harmonica with midi bass and drums. The group can also be an all-acoustic duo or trio, or electrified with real bass and drums accompaniment. Additional instruments are available, including banjo, fiddle, and accordion.

We’re in the Orlando, Florida area (Winter Garden, to be precise), but we’ll travel to wherever the gigs are. Among the places we’ve had repeat performances are Cypress Gardens and Silver Springs.

Our current schedule:

Apr 3, May 1, Saturday, 6:30-10:30pm
Dicey Reilly's
918 New York Ave, St Cloud, FL
(407) 892-7709
Great Irish food & full bar; room to dance

Apr 9, Friday, 6:30-10:30pm
Genuine Bistro & Lounge
2 S. Charles Richard Beall Blvd, DeBary, FL
(386) 320-0217
Great food, full bar, patio or indoor seating

Apr 23, 8pm-Midnite
County Line Pub
9152 Overland Road
Apopka (Lockhart) FL
407-412-5451
Free; friendly neighborhood bar; beer/wine, pool tables

Apr 24, Saturday, 6-9pm
Mulligan's Tavern & Grill at
Victoria Hills Golf Club
300 Spalding Way, Deland, FL
386.738.6000
Food, full bar, a beautiful spot! Free;
Reservations recommended

April 30, Friday, 7:30-11:30pm

Nolan's Irish Pub

5675 North Atlantic Avenue
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
321-783-8499

Casual Irish pub atmosphere, friendly folks!

May 14, Friday, 7-9pm

Centennial Gazebo
Plant St., downtown Winter Garden, FL
Free; next to the fountain

May 22, Saturday, 7-9pm

Highlands Hammock State Park

with guest fiddler Renee Riddle
5931 Hammock Road, Sebring, FL

$5; kids 12 & under free. Info: (863) 386-6094 or
www.FloridaStateParks.org/highlandshammock