[Dixielandjazz] Medical Doctor

[Ron L'Herault]

The doctors I know who play OKOM do so in large part because in their chosen
profession there is a lot of stress on them and pain and suffering.
Sometimes they can help sometimes they can't.  However, when they play, they
see happy faces, they know instantly that they are having positive effects
on their listeners and they are relieved of stress.   My chosen profession
in a dental research lab is rewarding because of the work I do with
students.  It does not pay well at all.  I play music in part for extra
money.  I'd rather play music, which I enjoy immensely than say, bag
groceries which would also get me extra money but which I would not find a
pleasant activity.

Ron

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com]On Behalf Of
TCASHWIGG at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2003 12:32 PM
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Medical Doctor


In a message dated 11/13/03 3:25:26 AM Pacific Standard Time,
luda at arnet.com.ar writes:

> You get your pay as soon you finish your show or before..not so in
> medicine.
> There are musicians millionaires or at least earning a lot of money, more
> than others professions.
> ``not every thing that shine is gold ``  dear friend.
> We do music for enjoyment.

The average working musician in the USA makes about $13,000.00 a year, and
with no medical benefits or insurance for most.  They must pay $250.00 or
more
for a lawyer if they need one and often they do, $85.00 an hour or more for
an
auto mechanic, about $400.00 a month for health insurance if they can get it
for them and their family, and most doctors will not accept patients who do
not
have insurance. They could make more money managing a McDonalds or Burger
King,  their managers earn about $25,000 a year + some benefits.

Yes, many doctors do have to wait to get their money from the insurance
companies in this country, however they like that because they can charge
much more
and not have to worry about getting paid even if the patient can't afford
the
treatment.  Very few Doctors in this country will accept cash payments and
lower the fees for their services.

I know some countries the Doctors do not get paid as well, I saw three
Russian Doctors get arrested in Turkey a few years ago for Prostitution, and
when
they were asked by the judge why they came to Turkey to do that activity
they
replied; because we make more money in one day doing this in Turkey than we
do
in a month practicing medicine in Russia.

We do have a major problem in our country with Doctors, Lawyers and
Insurance
companies, but the three of them created the problems and most of us simply
feel like they deserve each other and the merry go round they ride on often
at
our expense.

NO, I do not hate Doctors, however the reality is simply that we should all
try and stick to our own chosen professions and earn a living doing it by
being
the best we can at that profession, what ever it is.  Unfortunately many
musicians who also spend much more than 8 years studying and a lifetime of
practicing to be professional can't earn enough income from their work to
pay their
living expenses and raise a family like everyone else.

The few who do make it into the upper income brackets, do so with the help
and promotion of other professionals who often make more money than the
musicians do especially the musicians and bands starting out.

To be a successful musician is definitely one of the most difficult
professions in the world to achieve, my comments in Jest of Doctors playing
music on
their days off, was to simply illustrate a point that musicians can flip
burgers
and serve fries on their days off for about $6.00 an hour but they can't go
to the local hospital and look at people with colds and tell them to take
two
aspirins and go home and charge the insurance company $50.00 for the
aspirin,
and twenty dollars for a box of nose tissue, and $100.00 for five minutes of
their time to tell the patient they have a cold or the flu.

I have made most of my money and kept it by avoiding going to Doctors and
Lawyers, learning how to repair my own automobiles, plumbing, home repairs,
landscaping, painting, etc, now if I could just learn how to work on my own
teeth I
could buy a new Mercedes, or Porsche, or Lambroghinini, like the ones my
Dentists drives to work every day.  My family is not proud to say that we
bought
one of them for him, and before he took over the practice, I bought a new
Caddilac for his Father.


In all fairness to Doctors & Lawyers with lots of disposable income from
their often excessive fees and earnings, they do make good investors for
making
CDs and financing small record labels and projects.  Many of them just love
to
have lavish cocktail parties and hire a band that they financed a CD project
for and give all of their friends a copy of the CD with their name on it as
the
"Executive Producer."  This gives them the musical fix they long for and
makes
them almost in Show business.   They also invest heavily into the movie
business for the same reasons.

So my advice is to let the good Doctor sit in with your band, if he is
successful in his profession and can and will invest in your CD project or
promoting
your band with what you need more than talent,  "MONEY."

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins

Musical content   "Were in the Money Now"  "Money makes the World Go Round"



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