[Dixielandjazz] Hobby Band Strikes Again Part II

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

Thanks Mike for being one of the Professionals and standing up for it.

If more guys would do the same we might be able to reverse the current 
situation, and some of us could give up our part time hobbies of being 
Dentist, Brain Surgeons and Amateur gynecologist on our days off from 
playing music for pay :))

Well, maybe not the Amateur Gynecologist, we do need to retain at least 
one Vice.   I am starting a new venture of Free mamagrams at Senior 
centers  every Wednesday, I had one little old lady show me hers and 
warn me that she had acute angina,  I bit my tongue as I observed them 
and replied I sure hope so my dear cause them is the ugliest pair of 
titties I have EVER SEEN :))  boom crash splash, crack rim shot, pop.


Yeah yeah I know, I will probably be fired from the DJML list for that 
crack, but hey it is Funny I don't care who you are, laughter is the 
best medicine so if it really offends anybody just get over it. and 
Look for something decent and good I might say next time or even said 
before.

Hey and in equal opportunity time there are certain parts of the male 
anatomy that don't get prettier with age either and are also known to 
sag and not be as perky as they used to be :))  Ladies, just iron the 
wrinkles out of it and it will look better, oil of Olay has also been 
rumored to help.

Cheers,

Old Tom Bob



-----Original Message-----
From: banjomusic at charter.net
To: Tcashwigg at aol.com
Cc: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 5:39 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Hobby Band Strikes Again Part II

   List-Message-Recipient: tcashwigg at aol.com
Larry Walton described a situation whereby he proposed a modest price 
($325) for
a 3-piece strolling OKOM gig and was turned down, in favor of a larger 
"Hobby
Band".

I run across this type of situation frequently. I usually quote a fair 
price for
my quartet and quite often I don't get the gig. Often, it's given to a 
local
"hobby band". In my area it's a band of young dixielanders who will 
play for $20
each just to get the experience. Actually, I shouldn't say young. It's 
a 7 or 8
piece group, college age, with a few old timers thrown in who don't 
seem to be
good enough to be in any one else's band. They are completely screwing 
up the
pricing in my market area. For example, they will play with their 7 
piece band
at a local retirement facility for $200 while I was charging $300+ for 
a trio.
It's very frustrating. I have passed on my comments to their leader 
indirectly
through mutual sidemen. I don't know if he has gotten the message or 
really
cares. He's an retired H.S. music teacher who thinks he is doing a 
charitable
thing by tutoring these players while at the same time undercutting the 
bands in
the area.

I don't let this particular situation change my pricing. I turn down 
several
gigs a month because they don't pay enough. When I was in business (I 
was a
marketing executive for 25 years), I remember turning down business 
because the
pricing was not in the company's favor. There's always going to be 
"good"
business and "bad" business. Let someone else have the "bad" business. 
I have
spent a lot of time and effort in putting together my product (service) 
that I
offer, and I think it's worth the price I charge. I would rather stay 
home and
practice for my own enjoyment than humble myself for pay below what I 
feel is
fair.

It's not that I need the money, but I do expect a fair return to 
compensate me
for my time, instrument depreciation, mileage, costumes and other 
overhead
expenses. Does it sound like a business? You bet! And like several 
others on
this list have mentioned over time, unless you treat it this way, you 
will be
trod over by the running bulls.

There may be times when you have to bend somewhat. I do some very 
select charity
work, and very occasionally I do a freebie for advertising when I think 
it has
value in the long run (I always pay my sidemen out of my pocket). But 
these are
few and far between. The recent comments by our friend Elazar in Israel 
is a
case in point. It may be worth it in his case to play for $25/man plus 
food for
a short period as an advertising project. I wouldn't do it too long, 
however.
The owners/managers/purchasers become used to the lowball price and 
unless it
pays off in a lot of additional business, they will feel that's the 
going price
for live music.

Or as Larry Walton puts it: " People who are given entertainment for 
free are
like alligators.  If you feed them with your fingers, soon you won't 
have an
arm."

Mike Woitowicz
The Banjo Barons Ragtime Band
The Dixie Barons Dixieland Band
www.banjomusic.biz
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