Quote:
Originally Posted by bryant
Neat, my show is very, very similar to yours and Jim's.
Usually, my first announcement is "Those who know me here can walk up, give me their song title and name, and don't HAVE to write anything down, how simple is that, folks!" Others, the songbooks ae to my left, blah, blah, blah, and you may fill out a slip if need be. That's because some singers have never done it another way and can't imagine it done paperless, then they are impressed when they find out that it CAN be done that way, puts your show a notch above others, and makes them feel special when they finally become a regular who does not have to fill out slips. Some others have envelopes with their names (makes them feel really special) on it and past slips in them. They never have to rewrite.
Now, if Hoster ever gets to a "name search" stage, which might happen in ver 4, paperless goes one more step ahead. Type in name, "what song(s) would you like to sing tonight, sir"?
Sam and Jim, is this about how your shows run for the most part as well?
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Not at all. AT THE VERY LEAST I want a slip with their name and song title.
What it boils down to is I'M LAZY pure and simple. I didn't computerize just to trade digging disks out of a binder for looking up songs for others when it's easier for them to do it.
I also use a wireless tenkey pad ($30 at Office Depot) I can go down the line of slips entering all the bookids in one fell swoop. I can plug in 10 or 20 songs in the same time it takes to find one in the database. When I'm using the SND I'll go back to the top of the playlist, enter the first name, double tab enter the second etc. I generally have the rotation memorized and I know what everybody is singing so this rarely requires referring back to the slips. Then I'll do the keychanges, and then I'll start importing singer disks if need be and moving them into place.
I also have a setup for the singers to save their songslips. All KJ's around here do it so no one feels special, they expect it. It saves me money in printing slips. I ask them to leave the envelope with me or make sure I get it when they leave so I can refile their songs. If they refile the envelope or leave it at their table when they leave I assume they don't want their slips and I'll toss 'em.
When hoster does start having a singers database I won't use it (except for my songs
) The last thing I want is to have people crowding my work area browsing their list of previously sung songs and sticking their dirty fingers on my LCD screen to show me which one they want.
I do go the extra mile in other ways:
I have a laptop with Hoster setup off to the side where singers can come up and browse the database , tryout new songs with headphones. I'll show them how to use the software so they can help themselves or I'll set it up for them.
When the rotation reaches 6 or 7 singers I drop out of the rotation, nobody came out to here me sing. Most of the KJ's around here not only sing every rotation but also their partner/wife/boyfriend etc. will as well.
For a guy who doesn't suffer fools gladly perhaps I'm in the wrong business but it works for me.
2 more cents
Sam