The chair on my left was made without using a single nail. Ric Ambatali from Austrlaalia was interested to buy or ask somebody to make another one. That chair sometimes helps me to add a classical ambience to my repertoire and somehow helps in getting me tips from customers. (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)
TESTING MY REPERTOIRE
ON JANUARY 29, 2009, I was about to play piano at Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort when the cashier told me that a Japanese guy is looking for me yesterday (Jan. 28 Wednesday). She told the Japanese guest that it’s my day off on Wednesday.
After playing piano for 3 hours, I proceed at Breeze Bar for another 2-hour performance using a 76-key Yamaha Portable Grand DGX-220 keyboard. I already played for an hour when that Japanese guy came and sat at the bar. I felt that he is the guy looking for me yesterday.
When it rains, I move back for about 3 feet and move closer to him and now facing him because no more other guests. His first request is unclear to me so I have to go to him to understand what he is saying. He said something like “To Rob Again” and then I realized that there is a classical song/music “To Love Again”or “Nocturne” in classical term, which I can play better on a piano.
After playing it on the keyboard, he appreciated my playing by clapping. He followed it up with a variety of international songs which I was able to play and sing without looking at the notes or song books.
The one that I cannot forget is his request of “Rock Around The Clock” which I sang also but not 100% sure of the lyrics. It is also one of the favorite songs of Yuriko Irikedamoto of Dragon Tei.
He requested also songs of The Beatles, Spanish song Besame Mucho, Italian song Volare, Carpenters’ songs and many more that really shows that he is testing how wide are my repertoire.
His last request is the encore of To Love Again, which means I have to play it again. After playing it again, he gave me $20.00 tip. He’s not into conversation and pays more attention listening to my music. I didn’t have a chance either to ask for his name or give him my Xeroxed business card.
The next day, Friday, I’m in the middle of my performance at Waves Restaurant when he came and gave me a tissue paper with the song “To Love Again” written on it as his request song and gave me $10.00.
Before having his dinner, he sat on a wooden chair beside the piano. That chair was made without using a single nail. He requested me to play “To Love Again” again and some Beatles’ songs and gave me an additional of $50.00 tip.
While he’s having dinner, I played more than 15 Beatles’ songs this time using my red notebook where on the last 20 or more pages I’ve handwritten all Beatles’ songs that I know.
My roommate at PRR Dormitory Jaime Guevarra noticed that the guy really enjoys my music. When he left, I still resumed playing till 9:00 pm and got another $10.00 tip from 4 young Japanese ladies.
When I proceed to Breeze Bar for 2 more hours of performance, there are lots of Japanese guests again and some Filipinos. I played mostly old Japanese songs. There is an old Japanese guy from a long table and gave me $10.00. He said“chipu”, which means “tip”. A Filipina saw it and said, “Can I have some?”
To complete my lucky night, there is another lone Japanese guy who requested me to play international songs and gave me another $10.00 tip.
That night is my personal best of getting $90.00 tips from 4 different persons (all Japanese). Maybe it’s because of luck? Is it because of my wide repertoire? Whatever it is, I enjoy my job by entertaining guests and by playing the songs the guests want me to play.
WHEN I’M LEARNING TO PLAY A SONG, I’M LEARNING IT TO SATISFY THE LISTENERS AND NOT MYSELF!
Source: Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
Pages 22 & 25
Volume 21
Issue 78
November 01, 2012
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