[Dixielandjazz] Playing For Free -- Jazz Cruises

[Robert S. Ringwald]

Steven G. Barbone wrote:

>I think it is very funny that we castigate the marketing Exec who asks
> if Stumptown will play free. Especially when there are so many bands
> around that do play for free.



Steve, I have received a great deal of e-mail from the REAL pros thanking me
for writing the e-mail to the baseball exec.  I'm not sure why you use the
word "we" but most "good, professional" musicians do not work for free and
appreciate what I wrote to the gentleman.  According to the response I have
received, you are very much in the minority
on this one.



> And even a few of our own noble OKOM
> Jazz Societies have eagerly presented bands that  play free for their
> concert programs.



Steve, I can't speak for any other Jazz Society.  However, the only one I
play for, for free is the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society, and only for
their monthly concerts.  I personally do this as a pay back for all the STJS
has done for Jazz, including the annual Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, the annual
Jazz in the Park concerts, the annual Library concert series and other
events which STJS sponsors and for which we get paid.

Plus, the youth music programs that STJS sponsors: The annual STJS Youth
Camp, scholarship awards for music lessons, the TNT (The New
Traditionalists) youth band which STJS sponsors and the Traditional Jazz
Youth Jazz Festival, 3rd annual coming up this month.

To me, lending my time and talent to STJS is akin to belonging to the Lions,
Elks, or any number of organizations who work for and sponsor various
charities, hospitals, etc.

This is the only organization that I play for free for and it is only the
once a month Jazz concerts.  This is my personal decision, just the same as
your decision on which charity and how, to support.



  > I applaud the marketing exec  for asking. That's his job.



And as a professional musician, it is my prerogative to point out to him the
absurdity of his request.

When Sacramento had a triple A ball team, I often played for the games.
We always got paid.

When I lived in Los Angeles, we played for the Raiders and always got paid.



> I deplore
> the comments we direct at him for doing his job. The dialog should be
> between the exec and Stumptown.



Perhaps you forget that his post was posted on a public forum with over 550
members, many of whom are professional musicians?  If we don't stand up for
ourselves, who is going to???



 > On the other hand, I have nothing but contempt for bands that play for
> free. If they didn't do it, we wouldn't have folks asking for
> freebies. And along that line of reasoning, I deplore the bands that
> play on OKOM cruises for room and partial board. Of course, alcohol is
> not included, nor are the mandatory tips to the crew ($100 per person)
> and so you are paying to play. That cruise operator whose butt you
> kiss, profits mightily from your stupidity. And now there are cruises
> where musicians pay full price, just to get a chance to play. (imagine
> 40 banjos on the most recent one)That's even worse. Who among us will
> write to the cruise operator and raise hell?
> Or to our friendly musicians who facilitate this stupidity?
>



Steve, I'll be doing a cruise to Alaska with Bob Schulz's Frisco Jazz Band,
along with fellow listmate Scott Anthony,  in July.  We are not
paying partial board.  Our airfare and complete ticket is paid for plus that
of our wives or companions.  It is a bartering situation.  As far as I am
concerned, there is nothing wrong with bartering for your music, or whatever
as long as both parties are satisfied and both parties get what they want.

As Stubby will attest, and as any other musician who has been hired by
cruise lines will attest, working, playing music aboard a ship is not the
greatest life in the world.  your board is in the bowels of the ship, you
eat crew food and the cruise line can work you to death.  in port you have
to wait for all passengers to disembark before you can do so.

in our case, because we are not employees  of the cruise line, and because
our ticket and the ticket of our companion is paid for, we get very nice
cabins, we are treated as regular customers, eating steak and lobster in the
dining room, etc.

Thus for doing one or two sets a night of the kind of music we love to play,
we get a paid vacation for ourselves as well as our companions.  We get a
full week aboard a luxury ship, visit several ports, get our roundtrip
flight for
ourselves  and companion paid for, hotel paid for if lay over.  To me, we
are not giving our talent away, we are bartering for a nice vacation.

How many gigs would you have to play in order to get enough money to have
this sort of a vacation for yourself and your wife?  Why not play them
aboard a ship and have a fabulous vacation?  You can stay home and play your
gigs and I will be on a wonderful cruise to
Alaska.



> Stubby Heist had the right idea. He was contracted for money to play
> music. Anything beyond that sucks.



The type of music Stubby had to play, his living conditions while aboard,
his playing schedule, of course I would not do that for free.  But in our
situation, it is completely different.

I'll take a one week fabulous vacation under these conditions any day.

Regarding 40 banjo players paying their way, these guys are obviously not
professionals.  They have every right to take a cruise, bring their banjos,
play together and have a great time.

Many groups and organizations get together to enjoy each other's company.
It may be in a coffee shop, a hotel, a bar, a picnic, or even a cruise.
They are paying their way thus they are not under any obligation to play or
not play.  Who are you to say that they should not pay for their ticket,
bring their banjos and play?



>P.S. No need to resent the guy who plays the baseball game for great seats,
>beer and a hot dog either--it all depends on the team and the game.
Ha Ha. Reminds me of that old joke about the guy who goes up to a beautiful
woman



I don't know about you but, IMHO- taking a luxury cruise aboard a beautiful
ship to Alaska is not quite the same as getting a beer and a hot dog at a
ball game.

I could work a bunch of gigs and then pay for my wife and I to go on this
cruise -- Or I can go on the cruise and play my gigs aboard the ship.
Personally, I prefer the latter.

--Bob Ringwald K6YBV
530/642-9551
916/806-9551 Cell
www.ringwald.com
Fulton Street Jazz Band
See our new CD, www.ringwald.com/recordings.htm

"I can resist everything except temptation."  --Oscar Wilde, 1854 - 1900