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Have any of you here had the play for us ? with your family at like parities or whereever you go the family is always asking you to play ? my dad used to like us to play for all our family every christmas when we were little and now it is still the same with the in laws oh play for us , it irks me like im a trained seal or something you know how do you all handle that ?
Honorary tenured advisor
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Yea and like you are supposed to know every song anyone has ever heard of, and you have only been playing for 6 months. HA HA 
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Well, it might be a little harsh to think of it like a "trained seal" sort of thing.
Live music is sort of a special treat to many people. Kind of like if you make cookies, they hope they'll get some. Especially near the holiday, if your father used to play, maybe some remember it fondly and are wistful to have you restore the custom. If something passes down a generation, it becomes a tradition. Sounds like it may be your call as to whether it will be or not in your family.
Maybe they don't mean to irk you. Maybe they are proud of you.
How I handle it is simple. I play.
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
When they stop asking is the time you will start saying, remember when I used to play for everyone and it will be just a memory. Be careful of what you ask for.
LOL! Nobody asked me to play yet , except my teacher!
Welcome to the forum, BTW!
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I agree with Daniel and Kevin. I'd take it as a compliment. They're proud of you. They're interested in what you do. What's wrong with that?
If it irks you, nonetheless, I'd handle it with graciousness. Play a few tunes, take a bow (literally or figuratively), then thank them and say you're tired or some other little white lie.
There may come a day when you wish they were around to ask you to play. If you did when you had the chance, you'll feel a lot better. Just sayin'.
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
Regular advisor
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i'm more like an untrained seal.
However, coming from a musical family where everyone knows something makes it even more difficult. Especially when I have multiple instruments lying around. Someone jumps on the piano and says play along. HMMM, when you only know a couple of keys it gets iffy. My stepdad starts playing in something like a B#m and says play along. I try to wing it then figure out that I'm playing off key and I have to tell him to change keys. Play in A, C, D or G.
Then someone else starts singing. Well, It always turns into more of a jam session type of thing.
It is fun though. And when it works, if even for just one song, its all worth it...
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Or is this is more like your situation?
(Yes, I know I posted that in another thread a while back. It still cracks me up.)
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
KindaScratchy,
I never get tired of this either.
Thank you for re-posting.
Regular advisor
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now that I think about it. that may be what actually happens.
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Hey catwoman61 and welcome to the forum.
Your situation is EXACTLY what my brothers and I had to do every time someone visited our house. We hated it with a passion but probably more because we were forced to do it. Why don't you prepare something special for the next occasion just to take them by surprise unless you do like me. Leave your instrument somewhere else by accident. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Fiddlerman said
Hey catwoman61 and welcome to the forum.Your situation is EXACTLY what my brothers and I had to do every time someone visited our house. We hated it with a passion but probably more because we were forced to do it. Why don't you prepare something special for the next occasion just to take them by surprise unless you do like me. Leave your instrument somewhere else by accident.
Pierre, did your brothers also play violin?
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My oldest brother played the clarinet and my younger brother played the violincello. We played a little chamber music with each other but we would fight a lot. LOL
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Honorary tenured advisor
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I honestly wish my family had something like music in common.
I had a friend whose father was one of seven brothers - each with a different instrument. There was a Hammond B3 and a drumset in the living room and a crazy assortment of wind and string instruments in the hall closet. Even suggesting that you dabbled in one instrument or another would bring everyone to the table, so to speak. They so loved to play and actively encouraged anyone who was willing to try. If you couldn't play in a particular key, they would show you the notes to play or how to fake it well enough to play deep into the night.
If you tried the "I left my instrument at home" gambit, chances are they had one for you, anyway. I probably learned more from them than all the years of school band and private lessons, combined.
Man, I miss those guys... 
(need a "pouring liquor on a grave emoticon" here, but I'll toast their memories)
Also, my parents "make" me and Son #1 play for them whenever they are in town. I'm usually more embarrassed by my poor playing than the request, itself.
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HeadCheese said
Also, my parents "make" me and Son #1 play for them whenever they are in town. I'm usually more embarrassed by my poor playing than the request, itself.
It isn't about doing anything perfect, it is just fun. As musicians, it is easy to forget that live music at family get-togethers or friendly gatherings is as cool as.. home-made cookies.
I don't think most people expect it to be as perfect as what they'd hear on an album. No more than they'd expect (or want) chocolate chip cookies still warm from the oven to be exactly like ones in a bag from a store. It isn't what it is about.
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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It's kinda weird, When my family asked me to play, I never wanted to. But when we had company over, I would often pick up a guitar and play softly in the background!
Maybe it's a confidence thing! After playing a few songs, I played a little louder and louder! However, being asked to play something out of nowhere, well, I froze and resented it! LOL
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin
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Nobody knows I play yet... I kinda like it that way...
except my dog, he howls and seems to agree i should practice more.
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
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