[Dixielandjazz] Fwd: Great Club Gig for Pianist in San Francisco, Hurry before it's gone

[Robert S. Ringwald]

Gee, I think I have worked for this woman many times at many different 
clubs.  She must own a lot of them.

--Bob Ringwald



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <tcashwigg at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2005 9:40 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Fwd: Great Club Gig for Pianist in San 
Francisco,Hurry before it's gone


Ahhhh the wonderful club business:

Anybody wanna a play S. F. ???

-----Original Message-----
 From: Ambassadors of American Culture
<info at ambassadorsofamericanculture.com>
To: tcashwigg at aol.com
Sent: Sun, 04 Dec 2005 21:19:31 -0800
Subject: Great Club Gig for Pianist in San Francisco,  Hurry before
it's gone

      email this posting to a friend

 Attention PIANISTS: Anyone Want My GIG??
 Reply to: tom at tomshawpiano.com
  Date: 2005-12-04, 8:24PM PST


  I just finished a stint playing piano at The Fly Trap restaurant and
bar in San Francisco - and they may be looking for a replacement, I
don't know. You may want to get in touch with them to find out.

  I actually quit the job just the other night. Just walked out. After
working there for the past 14 months, I really just grew tired of the
owner:

  1. Not allowing a tip jar atop the piano;

  2. Removing the large tip jar that had been on a small table in front
of the piano and replacing it with the teeniest, tiniest, little brandy
snifter you ever did see;

  3. Rarely - if ever - appreciating or liking any of the substitute
players I would schedule in my place when needed. Especially
considering the fact that I've had well-known and highly-respected Bay
Area musicians in there AND she knows absolutely NOTHING about music to
begin with;

  4. Shoving the piano as far in the corner as possible - making it
both logistically difficult to get to AND awkward to play - then
telling me it was only for one night... which was probably about two
months ago now;

  5. Continually reducing the number of shifts until it was barely even
worth my while to go in to work;

  6. Refusing to get the piano tuned, despite repeated requests;

  7. Neglecting to replace the non-functional microphone cable (that's
set up for the sole purpose of singing "Happy Birthday" whenever
needed) despite previous mention;

  8. Shrieking at me for failing to sing "Happy Birthday" on cue - on
the occasion when I've NEVER EVEN BEEN GIVEN A CUE (nor time to turn on
the amp and position the mic, etc.). Without warning, the birthday cake
will come careening out of the kitchen (which, even on a good night, is
barely visible from the piano) and I'm expected to somehow psychically
intuit this and break into song;

  9. And her control issues - first and foremost being how
preposterously soft I was expected to play. Even soft-pedaling
everything, I still felt as though I was musically, creatively - and
expressively - "holding my breath" until I was blue in the face;

  10. Pouncing on every single substitute player I invited to sit-in
for me - as soon as they'd begin - rushing over to the piano to demand
he play "Quieter!";

  11. Sending me home on numerous occasions - without pay - upon
reporting to work due to a "lack of reservations". Even pulling this on
a sub one night who came in from the East Bay AND had to hire a
baby-sitter in order to do the gig;

  12. Repeatedly asking me and my subs for personal contact, tax and
social security number info - after already repeatedly receiving it;

  13. Not having a clue as to who is filling in for me - after having
personally received their names, dates and contact info directly from
me - and THEN proceeding to call me in a shrill panic over it while I'm
away on vacation or working at another gig;

  14. Lecturing me - in her inimitable screechy "dysfunctional
surrogate mother" way - about PROFESSIONALISM and/or "the lack" thereof
in the other pianists I would recommend, and MY "responibility" in
making sure they meet up with her "standards" of profesional behavior.
But ALSO, that it is my responsibility - or potentially my "fault" -
that they play in a style she approves of.

  In the past year I've had a chance to observe how this woman
operates, and she's like this with ALL her employees. She just finally
got around to doing it with ME. If she doesn't fire someone for the
slightest perceived flaw, she'll simply harrass and harangue the person
until they just get up and quit. I've seen many a fine employee come
and go this way. I call it self-sabotage. She calls it
"professionalism" - something I'm afraid she knows very little about.

  I've been a successful, working musician for over 31 years. I don't
need lessons in what is and isn't "professional", nor will I be talked
down to by some clueless, classless, bumbling and tactless business
owner. I respect myself and appreciate my talents way too much to work
for someone who is unwilling or incapable of doing the same.

  Anyway... If you think it's for you, have at it - it's all yours.
Good Luck!
  this is in or around The Fly Trap, San Francisco


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