[Dixielandjazz]Professional jazz musicians

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

Sorry for the long post and rant Rebecca  If it offends anyone please just 
hit DELETE. Now before you get upset.

Tom,
I, too, am a CLU and ChFC, but I don't know what they are either.  But I play 
a heck of
a clarinet.
Russ Guarino


Hi Russ:.
Tom  (unsure) Wiggins.
Not quite sure if Im a Professional anything yet since being a bandleader is 
about the most multi fauceted career crossing job I have ever had.  Agent, 
Musician, pschiatrist, Salesman, Designated Driver, Legal advisor, bail bondsman, 
Laundry man, roadie, financier, mother, father, alledged rich uncle, bus 
driver, travel agent, producer, auto mechanic, loan officer, accountant, web 
designer, publicist, concert/festival promoter, talent scout, A&R director, 
sometimes Funeral Director, Wedding reception director Special Event producer. 

I have no room on my business card for my PHD CLU titles,  "I Just DO IT"

If you can and do all of the above things at the same and make a living, then 
you qualify to be a PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, otherwise, chances are you are a 
wannabee and remain a contented  perpetually underpaid and over worked sideman. 
  ( especially at all those Freebie gigs.)   :)) 

If you have all of the above qualifications, it does not matter at all how 
proficient you are on your instrument you will be unanimously qualified and 
elected to be a PROFESSIONAL BAND LEADER.

   It takes more time and energy to book arrrange and play a Freebie Gig than 
it does a paid one folks, it also costs you just as much gas money and wear 
and tear on your vehicle and on and on and on.  If everyone else involved in 
the event is being financially compensated at the market rate for their 
profession, then why are the musicians at the bottom of the list and always asked to 
DONATE 100% of their services and pay their own expenses.
Yes some PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS who have other high paid careers can afford 
to do these gigs for free and accept a wall full of ATTA BOYS and plaques of 
appreciation to hang on their office walls, take a major Tax deduction for the 
Donation at the highest market rate of their other real Profession, and let the 
Professional Musicians who need that paying job to earn enough mnoney to pay 
for their medical or dental or mechanical etc. etc. expenses to PROFESSIONALS 
who make far more money than the most underpaid (at union scale level wages).

I guess some of our Legendary Musicians who lost all their teeth should have 
been smart enough to hire a Professional Dentist  to play as a Professional 
Musician so he could barter out his dental work, or maybe a few of them would 
still be with us or lasted longer if they had hired a Heart Specialist, or could 
have their hearing and on and on and on.

Seems to me it would not have been too difficult for some dentist to make a 
set of false teeth for a few of them even if he had to be generous enough to 
carve them from the wood on his second or third clarinet.  Heck even George 
Washington had wooden false teeth.

Now please no hate letters from the Doctors and Dentist listmates, I am not 
picking on any of you guys personally, you should all know that by now.  
Doctors and Dentist and Lawyers, and even some CPAs have been responsible for making 
some of the best music this country has ever produced, I know because I 
produced it and they paid for it, they invest very well if they want to and the tax 
shelter benefits are wonderful if you know how to do it.  Anybody want to 
invest in music production contact me off list and I'll be happy to show  you 
some interesting projects.

I'm going to play a wedding reception next month for my Dentist, since I have 
been going to his practice for thirty years he though I would be happy to 
play his wedding party for free, :))    I negotiated three future root canals and 
gold crowns for the gig, so now I need to find some professional players for 
a benefit to do the gig for no money and good exposure.

We are all Musical Whores folks, now let's just negotiate the market price 
and get on with making music. :)))