Philadelphia Acoustic Guitarist Hal Aaron

Green Fork and Local Roots Market

7/19/2017

Hal Aaron Cohen performing live at
Green Fork and Local Roots Market
115 S Main St, North Wales, PA 19454
SATURDAY, JULY 22
7 pm -10 pm

Andrew and Tracy, the owners of this terrific spot in North Wales, have been in the food industry for over 30 years. They wanted to put together a menu that had choices for everybody.
As result. they offer plenty of deliciously tempting items such as the Grass-Fed Angus Burger, yet they also cater to vegans, vegetarians, as well as those seeking gluten-free and allergy free options. They always make sure there are many healthy choices and they’re are very interested and involved in the community, so getting ingredients for the menu from local farmers is very important. All dishes are fresh… Made from the heart and crafted with pride!
The Green Fork has a relaxed, unhurried atmosphere, welcoming staff, friendly and knowledgeable service.
Feel free to wander around the restaurant and check out the local vendor’s items and information AND their Art Wall. Each month, the Green Fork features two local artists. All that and of course - LIVE MUSIC.
I’ll be performing from 7 pm till 10 pm. Hope you can join me this Saturday evening!

New Website - Stuff for Baby Boomers

4/15/2016

I haven't written very much in the way of updating the blog here at HalAaron.com. But as a child of the 60's, born in the 50's, and as a bonafide baby boomer, for the last few months, I've been in the process of building a brand new website for and about - you guessed it - baby boomers. Now as you may surmise, boomers are a pretty big niche. So there's an awful lot of ground to cover. And of course, we all experience that particular era in different ways.

Some of us were pot smoking hippies, some were straight,
Some were drafted and sent to Viet nam, Some enlisted.
Some burned their draft cards. Some even moved to Canada
Like today, these were politically charged and turbulent times. There were things that brought us all together, too. The music, movies, television shows, sex, drugs, rock and roll. Be-Ins, Love-Ins, Happenin's, and massive outdoor events. Massive tragedies such as the assasinations of Martin Luther King, John F Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, and massive celebrations such as Monteray and Woodstock.

There is the fact that many of us are getting older. So there is a sectionon Health: Mind, Body and Spirit. A Baby Boomer Bookstore and product reviews for items that aid us in our every day routine like bathroom breaks, sleeping and trying to maintain our youthful appearance.

I hope you'll visit the site. At the time of this writing, it's still in its infancy, but It will grow to be a fantastic source for entertainment and information for baby boomers and fans of the our culture. We introduced a lot of great things into the world, much of it is still very popular and relevant today.

Please visit! Stuff For Baby Boomers

A Few Of My Favorite Things

12/11/2015

My Guitar - The Epiphone Masterbuilt DR500

An unbelievable value!
I first encountered this beauty at a music store, where I originally went to buy an Ovation to use as a spare for my other guitar (you guessed it, an Ovation). But this Epiphone caught my eye, and it was already plugged in because a customer had just finished noodling on it. I happened to overhear him playing, and it sounded so amazing, I had to try, even though it was slightly more than I wanted to spend. I could not put this baby down! And worse, it caused me to leave without a new guitar, which was my sole purpose for going to the store in the first place. I desperately needed a substitute for my Ovation Balladeer because the action had become unbearable, and I couldn't be without a guitar while waiting for it to be repaired. But now, I had real decision to make.

So I went home and obsessed over researching this Epiphone on Google. And I could not find one review that wasn't raving about this $599 guitar that looks and sounds like a $2000+ instrument. But what really made up my mind was this Youtube video demonstration. Turns out there was even more to this beast than meets the eye. Watch the video and, if you can, use a nice headset or decent ear buds. Then... JUST BUY ONE. You won't regret it. And it comes in two flavors: Sunburst or Natural.

If you have a budding guitarist in the family whom you are planning to buy for, don't even hesitate. This is
a great guitar whether you are taking your first lesson or you're a seasoned road warrior.
Click on the an image or button below to buy from my Amazon affiliate link!

SUNBURST

NATURAL

For Beginners

Yamaha FG700S Acoustic Guitar BUNDLE

I'll never forget my very first guitar. My dad took my to Eight Street Music where we purcheased the absolute least expensive guitar in the store; his reasoning like that of so MANY parents then, and now - "I just don't want to spend a LOT of money on something a kid might lose interest in 3 months later".
Never mind that I had already shown an obsession in playing his old Gretcsh. And since I was still growing, the salesman talked hime into a 3/4 sized guitar for kids. It was made by some company called "Domino" adn it cost about 22 bucks. The guy demonstrated it for me and my Dad and made it sound so good, that it wasn't until we got it home and I spent some time with it that I discovered how truly crappy this thing was.

When I began taking lessons, my teacher immediately saw my discomfort and offered to let me play his Epiphone. The difference in feel and sound was mind-blowing. It was as even more of a pleasure to play than my father's guitar, which I still play.

Jump to the present day... Over the years, I have become very familiar with many, many different brands and models in every price category. One thing I always look for when advising a beginning guitar player is - What is the BEST bang for the BUCK? In the "Starter Guitar category, one brand stands alone:
YAMAHA
To this day, I still see people playing their first Yamaha at gigs. Why? They're inexpensive (but not cheap). They look good. They sound good. and they're relatively easy to play. Sure, everyone experiences some degree of pain when they first start taking lessons after spending an hour or two practicing. But your fingers don't have to bleed, either! SO as a rule of thumb, I say look for a beginning guitar in the 150 - 200 dollar range. So based on all of my own criteria for picking out a solid beginner acoustic guitar package. My choice is the Yamaha FG700S Acoustic Guitar BUNDLE. Click here to purchase it now!

Buy Yamaha Bundle Now!

Epiphone Masterbilt DR500 Sunburst

Yamaha FG700S BUNDLE

Amazon Customer Review
I bought this guitar to take a class. I wanted a professional grade instrument without breaking the bank. Ideally you should go to a store to try out guitars and hopefully get good advice. I ordered online because I already knew that Yamaha instruments have a great rep, the reviews here on amazon are mainly positive and I once tried a Yamaha guitar in a store years ago. So I took the chance and I'm very happy with my purchase.

Pros
Beautiful to look at
Great quality for the price
Yamaha quick start DVD included

Cons
Can't think of any

Life's Abundance

4/4/2014

People ask me all the time… "So, Hal, what do you do besides play music?" The answer is I wear several hats. I've tended bar for many years and lately I have been involved in sales and marketing. My latest venture, however; includes my other passion besides music. That is my pets. Over the years I have had dogs and cats; currently I have two. One is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Cooper. The other one, Keegan, is a little brown, 20 pound mixed-breed ball of fur. I just call him my little chocolate nugget.

I recently switched dog food and I now feed them Life's Abundance exclusively. It's highly recommended by many trainers and breeders, but most importantly, it's a healthy alternative to a lot of the brands you find in supermarket and pet stores. Here's a video to introduce you to this wonderful brand. Please watch and enjoy.
To purchase Life's Abundance products or if you're interested in becoming a rep yourself, please click here
HEATHER_HAPPIER_PETS

January & February Gigs

1/7/2014

JANUARY

Cavanaugh's Head House Pub & Sports Bar
Thursday, January 16th from 7:30 PM till 11 PM
421 S. 2nd Street, Phila. PA

Callegas Market Snyder Plaza
Saturday, January 18th from 1 pm till 3 pm
Front & Snyder in South Philly
______________________
FEBRUARY

Callegas Market Snyder Plaza
Saturday, February 15th from 1 pm till 3 pm
Front & Snyder in South Philly

Cavanaugh's Head House Pub & Sports Bar
Thursday, February 27th from 7:30 PM till 11 PM
421 S. 2nd Street, Phila. PA

A Holiday Message From Hal...

12/3/2013

Happy holidays, everyone! I want to thank all the people who have hired me over the years to play your parties and events. Thank you and warm holiday wishes to all the venue owners that have booked me and continue to bring me back as the featured musician. Every gig is a new adventure, and I enjoy each and every one of them. I cherish the challenge of learning new songs for you and I always have a blast meeting so many new people in my travels.

Even though some gigs are miles away, I look forward to discovering new places. My favorites are afternoon events that end in the evening, so I get to witness sunsets in lots of different locales. May you all have a safe and warm Holiday Season and A Happy New Year! And try to keep those resolutions this time, will ya!?

How I Determine My Bid

8/4/2013

How I Determine My Bid

Quite often, a potential client seeking ceremony music for their wedding will stress the fact that they only need music for 20 or 30 minutes, the length of the ceremony. From experience, I know that it never is just a 20 or 30 minute event. My meter starts running when I start the job, which includes loading up the car, the time it takes to travel to the gig (occasionally it's close by, but most of the time it's anywhere from 1 to 3 hours away). In many cases, I am requested to learn a new song or two for the event. For the record, I do NOT factor in the time it takes me to practice and learn new material. That said, here are some of the criteria I use when bidding on a party:

1. The minimum I might make if I got hired for another party.
If I were to charge say, $150 because the ceremony is only 30 minutes and you hired me; then the next day another potential client asked if that date was available to play a birthday party for $800 - well, you can see what I'd be giving up. I average it out to the least amount I stand to earn for that day when I have multiple gig requests.

2. Demand for my music is mostly before Labor Day.
During the Spring and Summer is when most people have outdoor events and it's the time I get the most requests to play weddings, grad parties, luaus and backyard BBQ birthday parties.

3. Gig requests taper off in the Fall and Winter
After Labor Day, the demand drops off for outdoor parties. This means I have to survive on what I earned during the summer while trying to find work playing in local venues during the winter time. These types of gigs are usually just enough to tide me over till the warm weather comes around again.

4. A wedding is a milestone event.
The reason musicians charge more to play a wedding than they would charge a restaurant or bar owner is because it is a one-time event. A restaurant or bar owner might only pay $100 - $200 a night but it's usually for more than one time, for instance, every Friday during happy hour for 3 months. This means exposure, tips and it all adds up to enough to make a living. A wedding on the other hand is a very special occasion. You want the best you can get and someone with not only talent, but experience to be sure you and your guests have a day you will remember fondly for the rest of your life!

5. Distance.
Let's suppose you're in Maryland. I am yours for the entire day. I can't accept another gig, unless by some crazy coincidence, I got hired to play another wedding taking place an hour later and they're only 15 minutes away. Truth is, it's one heck of a drive from NE Philly to Rose Haven or Rehoboth Beach, Maryland, and I will probably rent a car to be sure I am driving a dependable vehicle for the trip. Add in the price of gas and it's almost $200 more for me to be able to accept a job there.

These are some of the major factors in determining what factors I must consider when I quote a fee. Nevertheless, I'm always willing to negotiate, and I try to stay within a client's budget whenever possible!

GIMME SHELTER

2/15/2013

This is not my guitar. I found this photo online. Apparently, I'm not the only one who had this miserable experience. However, my guitar got just as soaked!

I recently played a posh Country Club for their annual wine night. It was a hot and muggy night, with a very high probability of thunderstorms. When I booked the gig, I made sure they had a "plan B" - to take the party indoors in case of intimate weather. However, when I arrived, I was informed by the woman who booked me that the party had been moved inside. I was pretty relieved to hear that, as anyone who plays music for a living can tell you; setting up and performing in the heat and humidity with an impending storm, for 3 - 4 hours can be pretty challenging.

As it turned out, "moving inside" meant moving the party onto a large outdoor patio, adjacent to the dining room - so technically, I wasn't "inside" at all. The patio was partially covered by an overhang above the guest's tables so they would remain dry if it started to rain. However, the area they set aside for me was completely exposed to the elements because the overhang ended just short of where they had me set up to perform. Fortunately, though it threatened to rain, it didn’t actually start to come down until I was almost packed up after the show.

I wasn’t so fortunate a few years earlier when I played a gig in a huge backyard for a client who tented the entire yard where her guests were seated, but had me set up next to a tool shed with absolutely no shelter whatsoever. No sooner had I gotten everything set up, when I, along with all of my equipment were drenched when the sky burst open in an intense downpour that lasted about 40 minutes. I did my best to cover the electronics and my speakers, and get my guitars out of there, but I couldn’t do much, because if I got soaked, I wouldn’t be able to plug in at all when and if the rain stopped.

I eventually play for the remainder of the afternoon after the storm passed, but the damage had already been done. And for the sake of getting a good review on the internet, I smiled the entire time, and told the client "not to worry, the show must go on"... or something like that. The truth was, I wanted to kick myself for not making her sign a contract with a contingency plan for bad weather.

SOOO... the lesson I want to convey here is this: If you’re planning to hire live entertainment for your party, please make provisions for covering the stage area in case of rain. That also goes for late afternoons on hot summer days when the sun is directly on the performer to provide shade. And if you’re an entertainer - be sure to include somewhere in your contract (and you should ALWAYS draw up a contract), a provision that your client doesn’t leave you outside in the rain or blazing hot sun. Let them know, in no uncertain terms…
“GIMME SHELTER”!

Check Out My Youtube Channel

10/30/2012

In concert at Rob and Cindy's in Elkins Park

I have posted some video footage from a recent house concert at Rob and Cindy's event in Elkins Park this past October. Please feel free to forward the links to my videos to your friends if you like them and of course all comments are welcome - that is... all positive comments are welcome :-)
Hopefully, everyone who tunes in to my Youtube channel will be thoroughly entertained. That's why I do it!

http://www.youtube.com/halaaron

BTW, I'd also like to thank Terry Rivel for opening with a very well received set of originals.

Terry Rivel performing at Rob and Cindy's in Elkins Park, PA

Rob and Cindy Presents Desert and A Song

9/29/2012

On Saturday, October 6th, I will be performing my original songs in an intimate living room setting in Elkins Park, PA. The hosts for the evening are Robert Naseef, Ph.D and Cindy Ariel, Ph.D. They own Alternative Choices a family practice together in Philadelphia specializing in counseling for families of special needs children.

Rob and Cindy are also music lovers and they have graciously opened their home to host live acoustic music in their living room. This is a first for them as well as me,so please RSVP and make this a special night.

Opening the evening will be a set by Terry Rivel. Please check out Terry's profile and sample some of his music on his profile page.

Desserts, snacks and beverages will be served at 7:30 and the music will begin at about 8 PM. Please RSVP and make this evening a special night for everyone! When you RSVP, you will be given the address and we'll be happy to answer any questions you may have/ Thanks... and U hope to see you there!! - Hal

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