[Dixielandjazz] Fw: Gigs Paid or Otherwise

[Steve Schwartz]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Schwartz" <surveyme1 at optonline.net>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2007 8:28 AM
Subject: Gigs Paid or Otherwise


>
> Hi Everyone:
>
> I must say that there certainly is enough heat being generated these days, 
> so I would just like to impart a true story about why it sometimes pays to 
> do "freebies".
>
> I guess it was in 1995 or 96 that I was playing in a local big band on 
> Long Island. The group was fair to middling and we had a female vocalist. 
> The material was mostly stock charts from the well known material like 
> Glenn Miller, some Dorsey, some high school charts and transcriptions of 
> Sinatra and other stuff.
>
> The sound of our group was decent, considering the varied skill levels in 
> the band. I was on 2nd trombone and we had been together for a few years, 
> so most of us knew the material pretty well.
>
> We played for free at a retail establishment for about an hour and a half 
> on a hot Sunday afternoon, as a promotion for company that had a limo and 
> wedding planning service.
>
> As a result of that, we ended up doing a $4000.00 gig at Oheka, the former 
> home of Otto Kahn, the father of Roger Wolfe Kahn.
>
> The people who hired the band were a young couple and they were doing this 
> for their parents.
>
> It actually turned out to be an easy gig and they had a DJ to fill in when 
> we weren't playing.
>
> We were also able to enjoy the food and drinks as well.
>
> This might be the exception, but if we weren't out there promoting the 
> band, we probably wouldn't have gotten the gig.
>
> This might not apply to Trad Jazz, but you never know who is out there 
> listening..

What about the concept of  "paying your dues?"

I believe that you have to be flexible.

Some gigs just make cash flow and keep you in practice but I am not 
advocating that you run yourself ragged for low or no money.

Steve Schwartz

>
> Steve Schwartz
>