[Dixielandjazz] FW: gigs

[Larry Walton Entertainment]

I follow the six foot rule.  Everyone within six feet of me knows what I do
and what I have to sell.  If you just sit and say nothing that's what you
get.

There are two groups on this list: the hobby players and the guys that
understand music as a business.

I agree, it  boils down to what a group or individual's personal goals are.
Personally I started playing professionally when I was 15 and put myself
through college and raised my family with music.  While I have always had a
day job it has always been music oriented.  About 15 years ago I started a
non music related business but until that time I either taught or played
music 100%.  The music business has always been in my blood and I get a lot
of personal satisfaction from music on two levels.  The first is that I like
to play music.  The Second is that people will pay to hear me do it.

I get personal satisfaction knowing that people want to hear me play and
have done so for 50 years but it's not without effort.  I do have to work at
it.  People just don't turn loose of money easily and as Tom  and Steve
constantly point out to me is that you have to sell, sell, sell.

Sales are difficult in any business and more so in music.  Whereas if you
are selling shoes the customer leaves with something tangible.  With music,
he leaves with hopefully a good feeling or you have furthered his business
or whatever but he doesn't leave with a tangible thing.

A lot of hobby musicians just don't like the idea that music is a product
and that it can be sold. but it's more than that.  If a musician doesn't
play and play often he's musically dead.  The endurance goes and so does a
lot of other things.  Personally I don't feel that I could maintain my
personal musical standard with a once a week rehearsal or the twice a month
nursing home gig.

I have pretty much withdrawn my services from the local hobby bands because
the leaders of those bands are using the musicians and not paying them
fairly for their time.  I guess that pretty much draws the line.

Larry Walton
St. Louis

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Kashishian" <jim at kashprod.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2005 2:32 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] FW: gigs


> Tom Wiggins wrote:
>
> >I do play gigs and so does Steve Barbone, and Jim Kash..........Tom
Wiggins
>
>
>
> Tom, I don't think my name can come into this discussion about pushing for
> gigs, as I just happen to be in a band that has been together a very long
> time in a very small area.  Our name & good music carries us through.  For
> this, I daily count my blessings, and we are content with the work we
have.
>
> I do not promote the band as such, nor do I call anyone for gigs.  I have,
> over the years, made the occassional "suggestion" while having dinner or
> drink at a place, that maybe the band would be good for business, but that
> is the extent of my delivery.
>
> That, then, brings us to the crux of Mike Vax's original message, that
> constant reminders by some on the list that things should be done this way
> or that may not fit the mold of others, the way they work or where they
> work, therefore it is meaningless and boring to read over & over.
>
> I really don't like to look at my gigging with the band as a business.  I
> have enough of that during the day!  The band is a perfect escape valve,
> rather than a business.  If it's not that way for others, that's fine, but
> it's up to each one to decide how & why he handles his music the way he
> does.
>
> Jim
>
>
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