[Dixielandjazz] Suggestions or truths?

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

Hi Jim:

You must also keep in mind that you are basically the ONLY Band of it's 
kind and a special marketplace where you have established yourself very 
well of which I for one am certainly proud of seeing.   And never get 
tired of telling folks that I have good friend, musician, bandleader 
and studio operator in Madrid that I respect and volunteer to introduce 
them to you should the need arise for them to travel to that part of 
the world.

Here in the USA however things are much much different, and most bands 
who do not learn to operate themselves as a real business quickly fail 
and all the players are only interested in the "GIG"  not building or 
pursuing a real image and business career from their bands, which is 
also why most of them opt for working day jobs to make a living and 
play a little music on the weekends or whenever they can find an off 
night.   Here I go speaking generically again,  Sorry about that.

It was not my intention to start yet another controversy on the DJML, I 
was actually responding to Elazar concerning his particular situation 
in Israel and hit the reply to all.   There are of course exceptions to 
this suggestion but more often than not in the USA it is in fact TRUTH, 
and in my marketplace especially so, having been a band leader in these 
parts for well over 35 years and having booked hundreds of such bands 
in various genres I have seen it happen two or three times a week.  
Over and Over and over again.   Heck it even happens with some of my 
big name artist,  I have a few trying to juggle playing in two or three 
bands at the same time right now,  Nightmares at just much bigger 
dollar amounts.

Of course I believe in paying the guys respectfully and well, but those 
that do better than average are the loyal ones that do not try to 
undercut me or hustle low paid gigs for the band and hope they can be a 
leader or get more money for the one or two dates they might find in a 
year.   I do the booking and promotion and financing of my show and do 
not ask or expect the other guys to do it.   Heck I have done better 
than splitting the money evenly on many occasions, and have actually 
paid the guys more money than a particular gig may have even paid 
because I had promotional or direct business reasons for doing so.   
Did not mean to indicate that the bandleader should be a  stingy miser 
or scrooge.   However that being said, just being a musician does not 
guarantee that you are necessarily worth the same amount of money as 
every other player in the band on any particular gig, until such time 
as the band is a bonafide real entertainment unit that as yours does 
works all the time with the same personnel who are loyal and treat it 
like it is actually their business and contribute more than showing up 
and blowing a few tunes and grabbing a check and going off looking for 
another band to play with for more money etc.


I have always worked for better than average money and paid my players 
better as well.   It is and never has been a hobby for me to run a 
band, strictly business and because I treat it like one it treats me 
and all of the rest of us the same way.  Tough to do in a market like 
this too.


Professional working bands and hobby bands approach the business 
completely different, but many hobbyist bands sooner or later think 
they are worth the same money as the WORKING PROFESSIONAL UNITS, and it 
just ain't so, even if they can match them in musical ability, you have 
to build a reputation and earn that money.   Just because your 
grandfather died and left you a Banjo does not make it true that you 
can make a living with it.   Whatever your instrument happens to be , 
it is no more than a tool for you to go out and transact business with, 
not a guarantee that money and fame will come from owning it and being 
able to play.

You can be the best dentist in the world but if you don't go out and 
market yourself to somebody and establish a reputation nobody is gong 
to find you and bring you money to make you a living,  same goes with a 
plumber or lawyer, or any other profession.


Cheers,

Tom  Wiggins

-----Original Message-----
From: jim at kashprod.com
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 1:16 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Suggestions or truths?

   Tom wrote:
>Never split the money up equally, that will eventually break up any 
band
because they will expect it every time.


There seem to be a lot of "suggestions" on DJML lately being placed out
there as "truths".  They don't, nor can they, cover all cases....ie;  
been
splitting the pie even with the same guys for 40 yrs, so when is the
"eventual breakup" going to come?

Jim


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