[Dixielandjazz] Playing For free

[Steve Barbone]

Posted on behalf of Tom Wiggins who tried to post it but AOL somehow
prevents it. 

Cheers,
Steve Barbone



RE: Musicians Playing for Free

  This is how it should be done, except for the Major Charities,  THEY of
all people should be charged because they can afford it more than the little
ones, and the money they skim off the top in outrageous salaries and perks
could easily pay a lot of musicians.
   They are quick to pay the Big names that appear for them and don¹t
believe for a minute that they don¹t pay them.  I know because I have booked
some of them at these events:

Educationally yours,
Tom Wiggins


Here is a story below  from another Bay area player, posted on Craig's List
where people beg for free music every day,: Craig's List - San Francisco Bay
Area, USA. 

Start snip from Craig's List . . .

 It is really interesting to hear about all of these musicians working for
nothing in the San Francisco, Bay Area. I played in a bluegrass band in
Yakima, WA, for 10 years. 5 of us made a minimum of $300 a gig and made up
to $3k. We created the demand, set the market, and WOULD NOT PLAY FOR FREE
unless it was a well-established charity.

 Conversely, here in the Bay Area, there are too many musicians willing to
play for nothing or costs just to get their music out on stage. I appreciate
that and love to perform, but one needs to put a price on it if for no other
reason than to enable full time musicians to be able to make a living,
especially in the high-cost-of-living Bay Area. I still require payment for
the groups that I play in, but I haven't taken my share in years ( I have a
successful business), preferring to ante up for the full-timers.

 How many painters will provide a painting for free? Figure out what your
time is worth and charge accordingly, if not for you, but for the other
musicians out there competing with performers that don't charge anything or
enough for their art....

end snip . . .