[Dixielandjazz] Medical Doctor

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 11/13/03 10:44:55 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
lherault at bu.edu writes:

> 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.

I suppose then that we are to interpret this that Musicians do not have 
Stress, Pain and Suffering trying to find gainful employment as professionals.  :(

.  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.   When a Musician needs stress reliefe they have to go to a Shrink, or a 
Bartender who charges less for his services. :)

Aha!  now I understand,  We professional Musicians are indeed Doctors who 
relieve Stress and make smiling happy faces appear on our patients.  Then we 
should be able to have our services billed to medical Insurance companies 
afterall. :)   Even if they sent us a check for a percentage of what we billed them it 
would be more than most musicians make, as attested with your own post.  :)

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. 

Well it was a chosen profession, and you do have the option to move on up the 
ladder to become a Dentist or Brain surgeon if you wish right?

What does a musician have to work upwards to?

 Teaching music and how to make a living in music to students who do not know 
the teacher can't make a reasonable living from playing music.   My question 
then is WHY bother to keep turning out millions of musicians with no place to 
go and no career to pursue.

If most musicians spent as much time promoting themselves and their services 
to the marketplace in a professional manner rather than just sitting back and 
waiting for something to happen and a gig to come along, they might actually 
be able to create their own marketplace and become and stay gainfully employed. 
  If they did this they would not need to work at Burger King, or any other 
less rewarding job just to supplement thier musical income.

Music and the pursuit of a real career in it must be the priority of the 
musician, but it does indeed require a lot of WORK which most musicians 
unfortunately do not relate to, but rather relate to the funn and happy smiling faces 
part which is often the result of the treatment.  Sort of like getting "The Old 
Cart before the Horse"

Folks I do not comment on this subject to pick on Doctors nor do I have a 
serious grudge against them playing music.  I am merely trying to stimulate 
thinking amongst many so-called Professional Musicians to take a serious look at 
our industry and try and understand what decades of (doing it the way it's done) 
has been for the most part detrimental to our profession inthe areas of 
earning a living and respect.   The value of services rendered has been erroded so 
far that it is very difficult for professional musicians to earn a living in 
our present society.

I have been one of the fortunate ones, but it is the result of thirty plus 
years of hard but reasonably smart WORK in this profession that has allowed me 
the blessing of becoming reasonably successful from my efforts.

I could not begin to tell you how many good musical engagements I have lost 
over the past thrity years by being undercut by a Doctor/Lawyer or some other 
higher paid profession  Band leader making a little extra cash on their 
evenings off.   Yet I dare say there has Never been a situation where the policy was 
reveresed.

Just some things to think about, even though this list of professionals and 
semi professionals will never agree on this matter.   Because the ones who play 
the music for the fun only, will always try to justify it as stress relief, 
or relaxation, or what ever so they don't have to charge professional musicians 
wages.   NO, they do not because they have a full time five or six day a week 
income producing profession, while musicians are now lucky to have a two day 
a week gig that usually pays the whole band less than what most Doctors or 
Lawyers make in one or two hours a week.

On the other hand some Doctors and Lawyers Bands charge far more thant he 
average prices of other bands because they know that everyone expects them to get 
paid more because they are Doctors and Lawyers, and everyone knows they make 
lots of money so they must be good musicians too and worth more than the 
regular band.

Nobody knows or care how good you are unless you MARKET YOURSELF know what 
your time talent and services are worth and go charge for it, and don't accept 
anything less.

Try and get Brain surgery fees negotiated and get a cheaper price, or almost 
any other medical service.   First of all Medical Services are regulated and 
can Legally only be performed by Certified Medical Professionals.  Not so for  
Musicians, musical services can and are sold by anyone who buys an istrument 
and can find someone to pay them to play it, with no regards to quality control 
or professionalism.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins

I have an opening at three for Free Breast Exams, on Friday, booked solid on 
Thursday, but could squeez a couple more in, in an emergency, :)