This might not be the best category--Showcase--for this Stickless discussion, methinks. But I don't mind chiming in, and maybe Manny can slide it over to another category.
AnDroiD wrote:
I get an avalanche of musical ideas when I'm at work...usually prepping about 100 lbs. of raw chicken. Kinda hard to put the phone in "record" mode
13 years of my life in the restaurant industry (and more than that now since I've been out of the industry!). Solidarity, brother!
And I somehow became immunized to salmonella by wading in it by the 100's of pounds and hacking and slicing away raw poultry like Samurai Jack working his way through armies of bug robots. Although I've lost most of my knife-and-spatula-handling callouses, I still have most of my fingertip callouses (from stringed instruments, and from grabbing hot skillets with my bare hands!) and can still pick up hot plates out of the microwave with my fingers. And can still juggle spatulas, to the great delight of my kids when working the backyard grill, and anyone at the work picnic who wants to see a Pubs Supervisor flip spatulas and grill burgers.
I learned almost everything I know about rock music from the restaurant industry, from having classic rock and metal piped into the kitchen at all times, to working with a bunch of other musicians and rocking it out with them and their friends and their friends. All connected by restaurant jobs.
And often, school.
Oh, I used to open up new Applebee's Restaurants for Applebee's International based out of Kansas City, by the way. Go in to a new Applebee's in Pow-Dunk Kansas, spent the first week training the back of the house crew, from grill, to flattop, to fryers, to prep, to "expediting" or coordinating back-of-the-house orders with front-of-the-house wait-staff and runners. Then spent the next week helping for the Grand Opening, when literally the entire county comes out to check out the new Applebee's. Busiest time usually in the history of the store is the 1st week, when the kitchen and wait staff are their greenest. So Applebee's International steps in and sends a crew to train and get them through the first week. Good times.
Oh, what a tangent--sorry! To being Stickless, I used to travel all the time for my job, but now that I'm a Supervisor, I get to send out everyone else and stay home (usually). So I've not had to endure too many Stickless nights. I can also travel with just one Stick and an IRIG, although I've not actually had to do that yet. Best of luck!