Disc ID question

[bryant]

Originally Posted by mindonstrike

I'm a "custom scheme(r)". I have a legend at the front of the books for those who want to know what brand a song is. 01-xx thru 99-xx are reserved for VCD for when the time comes they can be imported but they are titled that way on my hard drive now. 100-xx thru 299-xx =PHM, 300-xx thru 499-xx =CB, etc. I use Soundchoices own numbers 2000-xx thru 9908-xx. Most of the number blocks I have memorized so when I do get a question on a song I can usually tell them the brand without looking it up, and most of my singers who are concerned about the brand are looking for SC which is even easier to tell.

I will usually accomodate a song slip that is missing the bookid but I have found that most folks who give me a slip like this often times didn't even look in the book to see if I have the song or they confuse a line from the chorus as being the song title. , they just wrote it up, handed it in and went on their merry way so then I have to hunt them down and let them know I don't have it ask whose rendition etc.

If I were paperless I'd have to deal with 50-60 people, many of whom after making their requests want to stay and chat forcing me to blow them off to get to other requests or collect microphones, call up the next singer, etc.

madjim I am glad the paperless thing works for you, but for me it would be more work than I would care for.

my 2 cents
Sam

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?

[bryant]

Another point, I have had people bring in slips with song name and artist, but w/o the bookID or song number.

So I have to look up the darn thing anyway. I try to tell those ppl that they might as well just come up and give me the song name and I'll put it in for 'em.

Also, I do make a point of memorizing every single new singers first name. An ole thing I learned in the "dale carnegie" course for public speaking a while back. That is the one thing that works wonders.

[mindonstrike]

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?

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

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by bryant

Sam and Jim, is this about how your shows run for the most part as well?

My show runs like yours Bryant except I'm COMPLETLY paperless. The only folks I'll take paper from are out of town singers and if they sing with me more than once, it only happens once.

Another factor that we have to concider here is the size of the club. If you're in a small club that is packed, paper can help. I alows a request to be passed to the front. The clubs I work in are large so there are always 25 to 30 (or more) singers on the list. Also there is plenty of room for them to walk up and speak with me.

Like I said before, I'm not trying to convert anybody, I'm just sharing what works for me.


Jim

[bryant]

I see.