Since I don't do any "original" material, coffeehouse gigs and house concerts are generally not venues I can perform at; further, it is getting harder and harder to book a solo artist into Celtic festivals what with the number of folks living in America and Canada who come from "the auld country" readily available to perform. I'm not complaining here, it's just a statement of fact.

In that light, I earn a substantial portion of my income from playing retirement centers including independent, assisted and memory units. I also book into nursing and rehab centers; and yes, I do pubs and corporate gigs as well.

To be brief, every one of the facilities I perform at is different from the one before or after. Also, you are not doing the residents a favor by not charging the facility - the corporation has funds earmarked for entertainment how ever small or large the budget may be and I can assure you that the corporations run the gamet from cheap to generous. Finally, sadly, in many cases I have found the residents to be a reflection of the management and the staff. I usually have no problem getting folks to sing along if the staff is happy and joins in with the festivities too. Cheers,........mwh