Young Musician in New York
December 14th, 2009 | 
Author: Travis played the piano and like many other young musicians, actors, singers and artists he found his way to New York City and wanted to forge out a career there. He sang and wrote his own songs and ultimately wanted to make his own albums and have a solid solo performance career he wanted to play in some Broadway productions as well as a few of New York’s famous piano bars. He loved the musical theatre and he figures the experience of playing for a few Broadway shows would further his ultimate intentions of following in the iconic footsteps of his hero and main inspiration, Elton John. Travis believed that one day the tourists who visited the city and stayed in one of the New York luxury hotels would one day be there to watch him perform.
Like most of the other young hopefuls Travis arrived into town with very little money and no connections or job prospects. He has a nice baby grand piano back at his home in Massachusetts, but he could only bring his keyboards when he moved as he had no way of moving his piano or anywhere to put it. So, armed with only his keyboard he began to search the want ads looking for calls for pianists in both clubs and shows. As it turned out there was a little Italian restaurant near his small studio apartment that had a piano in it. Travis noticed this as he stopped in to ask for an application to wait tables there. He returned that night to check out the piano player and was told that their latest musician became sick and returned to his home upstate.
Travis wasted no time telling the owner of the place that he could play the piano and offered to perform that night for free as a sort of audition. The little old man who still ran the register and greeted guests agreed to this trial run and it was actually the beginning of a positive relationship. Travis was good and he quickly gained some local following who would frequent the restaurant and order dinner and or appetizers and drinks on the nights Travis played. He in turn received a regular, though small, income and had the perfect opportunity to try out new songs and material. He played there at that restaurant for the first two years he was in the City.
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