(1123) MUSIC AND ME (aPRIL 07, 2016) $62.00 TIP ON aPRIL 14, 2016

A CHINESE LADY AND A PALAUAN GIRL POSING AT THE PIANO
    The Palauan girl in the middle is just 'playing' around with Roberto Hernandez, the resident musician of Palau Royal Resort. The Chinese lady took advantage of the chance to have photo with the 'duo'. She gave Roberto $2.00 tip and it's the start of getting $60.00 more tips at the Breeze Bar from a Japanese couple. The polo shirt that Roberto is wearing is a gift from Bruce and Violet Soriano on Christmas day. It's a lucky shirt because every time Roberto is wearing it, he receives tips at least $10.00 in each occasion.
                                              (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)






       $62.00 TIP ON APRIL 14, 2016

  

IT WAS a busy night at Waves Restaurant of Palau Royal Resort on April 14, 2016. While I am playing international songs (Japanese, American, Palauan, Chinese and Filipino music), there’s a Chinese lady who is passing around/behind me while looking at the way I play the piano (complicated chords, using 3 damper pedals and carried away by soft or upbeat tempo).

                Later, a Palauan girl from a family of Palauans started playing the keys of the piano. She plays it softly and it doesn’t bother me at all. Knowing she can ‘play’ along with piano keys, her touch of the keys gets harder and louder until it was ordered by Ma’am Michelle Liao to stop her from playing.

                I’ve got an idea to ‘settle’ her down. I let her sit beside me and ask a staff to take a shot of us. The Chinese lady is around so I ask her to join in the photo session and we have 2 shots taken. Later, the Chinese lady gave me $2.00 tip. I gave her my card and gave the Palauan girl my card, too.

                That’s a positive start of getting tips. I’ve been ‘unlucky’ in the past few days with tips. At 9pm, I proceed to Breeze Bar to play another 2 hours of keyboard music. The keyboard has been defective in more than a week. Six keys are not functioning and more than 3 months ago, the right speaker has a hissing sound that bothers my music students (Yoko Tomita, Shane Tsao Abellera and Norma Neriquita). I decided to open the keyboard and unhooked the right side speaker and there’s no more hissing sound but the volume is lower because only one speaker is working.

                I asked Ramiro Torre of Engineering Department to take a look at it. It takes more than an hour and still he can’t fix the hissing sound. He just put back the speaker in ‘unhooked’ mode.

                We have a Japanese couple at Breeze Bar very close to keyboard while I’m setting it. I knew that they are excited to listen to my music so I gave them my 2 song books (Japanese and American songs).

I started playing Japanese and once in a while, American songs which the couple appreciated whatever music I played, especially Japanese songs.

              They had a good time for almost 2 hours singing and requesting Japanese and American songs. I gave them my card and told them some stories about my experiences in Palau.

             I played for them many songs esp. Japanese like "Kimito Itsumademo, Kampai, Kawa No Nagareno Yo Ni, Koko Ni Sachiari, Wakaretemo Sukinahito, Itoshino Elly, Nada Sou Sou, Hana Wa Saku, Tsugunai, etc.

             Also American songs like Let It Be, Imagine, Tennessee Waltz, etc. 

             Before they leave, the guy gave me $60.00 tip! I was not able to ask for a photo session and as usual, I forgot to ask for their names.




Sources: Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
                   Tia Belau Newspaper
                   March 15, 2012 -- April 2013
                   http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
                   April 2013 -- April 14, 2016


                 Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
                 The Beginning of Chess in Palau
                 By Roberto Hernandez
                 To be published as a book in the future