[Dixielandjazz] Fwd: Secretary of Arts for USA
Hal Vickery
hvickery_80 at msn.com
Sun Jan 11 07:29:06 PST 2009
Could we please cut out the political comments? I don't come here to read the political views of others.
Hal Vickery
----- Original Message -----
From: BillSargentDrums at aol.com<mailto:BillSargentDrums at aol.com>
To: Hal Vickery<mailto:hvickery_80 at msn.com>
Cc: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com<mailto:dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 6:32 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Fwd: Secretary of Arts for USA
When times are bad, those gigs that exist and survive solely on the sale of
alcohol do quite well as people who drink a lot like to escape and drown their
sorrows more than usual.
However, the bulk of my engagements, private events, come from big dollar
people. Gigs like weddings and corporate functions. Since Labor day, so many of
those people have lost so much, and they don't know where it going to end
up, and the new prez is IDIOT enough to tell the confidence driven economy that
it's going to get worse, and it's going to be that way for a long time . . .
. . that they's sitting on it and nobody's moving.
Don't get me wrong, I still have gigs, good ones, more than many others, but
I still know what's happening . . . especially to folks like me who don't do
cheap bar gigs . . . or cheap nursing homes.
The father of the bride just no longer has that nest egg intact that he had
set aside for his daughter's wedding. Yea, my jazz band does a ton of
weddings, we play Count Basie and the like, it pays great and the people live us,
and we end up exposing a bunch of new folks to music they never knew was so
good.
Also, the financial company that wanted to use us for a big event this month
canceled for financial reasons. Another big bucks gig.
Hey, if I wanted to go out and work in a bunch of bars and get paid very
little to hear the owner gripe about the cash register or door could, I could
fill my calendar. Life's too short for that crap. I've got it worked out that I
can go out and play one gig and make more money in one night than most make
in 15 . . . and even though times are screwed up, I will survive . . . that is
until the government decides to intervene and create an Arts Czar to
interfere with the natural market forces and screw thing up for everyone.
Bill
BillSargentBands.com
In a message dated 1/10/2009 9:35:18 P.M. Central Standard Time,
larrys.bands at charter.net<mailto:larrys.bands at charter.net> writes:
I certainly agree for the most part. But speaking of all that for some
reason I am booking my act very well for the new year. This month will be slow
but things are looking up. Having said all that the other bands that I often
work for are strangely absent with gigs................One has completely
closed down. I was playing about 25-30 jobs a year with them. He will still
pick off a gig if one comes along but he isn't advertising or doing anything
new.
Mardi gras has gotten so big here that it's getting rough to book a
Valentine's day gig. Everyone is spending their money on MG. I lucked out and
booked a Valentines gig this year. I also picked up two new clients this week who
will likely have return gigs.
That's what we do in the music business and that's stand on our merits but
it helps a bunch if you go out and beat the bushes too. Money is the grease
that makes all this go around.
I'm so incredibly happy that I can still command a good price for my talent
when guys that are better, the competition is great and so many have gone by
the wayside. It's a real ego trip and I just can't help it. The more I make
the better I feel about my music and talents because people will pay me to
do what I love.
An interesting quirk to the music business and government is that in my end
of the business the venues are requiring paperwork for taxes and do send
1099's. Now I don't like to pay taxes any more than anyone else but when you
compete against guys that aren't paying, then it's pretty unfair. Now there is
an element of getting caught and the guys that do it all the time may have
problems. I don't consider the guy that comes in and picks off a gig or two
as being important but the guys that are there all the time need to be on the
same playing field that I am. A little fear is a good thing.
Larry
St.L
----- Original Message -----
From: _BillSargentDrums at aol.com<mailto:_BillSargentDrums at aol.com>_ (mailto:BillSargentDrums at aol.com<mailto:BillSargentDrums at aol.com>)
To: _larrys.bands at charter.net<mailto:_larrys.bands at charter.net>_ (mailto:larrys.bands at charter.net<mailto:larrys.bands at charter.net>)
Cc: _dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com<mailto:_dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>_ (mailto:dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com<mailto:dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>)
Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 8:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Fwd: Secretary of Arts for USA
Keep them far, far away!
The government has screwed up and over regulated every single thing they've
done outside of the military . . . and by the looks of it, they're about to
screw that up now too.
Don't want nobody else's money (outside of regulation and telling us how to
live our life, that's all that government is, taking money from those who
earned it, as in you & me, and giving it to someone who didn't), don't want
their advice, and certainly don't want them regulating is or forcing some to
"give" us work.
I'll stand on my own merit and efforts, thank you very much.
Bill
PS, It's because of what congress has done and the recent campaign for
"change" that has given you & I the current lack of work and lack of fluid capital.
In a message dated 1/10/2009 4:06:36 P.M. Central Standard Time,
larrys.bands at charter.net<mailto:larrys.bands at charter.net> writes:
I nominate me......... I couldn't do any worse than anyone they might
pick....Rock On!!!
Larry
StL
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen G Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net<mailto:barbonestreet at earthlink.net>>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net<mailto:larrys.bands at charter.net>>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com<mailto:dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>>
Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 12:21 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Fwd: Secretary of Arts for USA
> >
>> Dear Friends,
>> You may already have received this, but it is so important,
>> I'm passing it along.
>>
>> Quincy Jones has started a petition to ask President-Elect
>> Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. While many other
>> countries have had Ministers of Art or Culture for centuries,
>> The United States has never created such a position. We in
>> the arts need this and the country needs the arts--now more
>> than ever. Please take a moment to sign this important
>> petition and then pass it on to your friends and colleagues.
>>
>> www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html<http://www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html>
>>
>> Happy New Year!
>>
>
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