[Dixielandjazz] Competing With DJ's

[Dixiejazzdata]

 If your name was Sir Elton John you might have gotten it :))
or maybe Liberace,   

John Tesh maybe $3000.00  

Bobby Short often made $10,000.00 + for an afternoon Tea performance. air fares , hotels and a lot of fringe "Benefits"  yet was OFTEN offered $100.00 to $200.00 FOR A FOUR HOUR COCKTAIL GIG AT A BAR.   It's about building a suitable clientele for your musical services and then charging accordingly.

The message was simple:  You can start High and always come down, but if you start low you can NEVER go UP because you are dealing with someone who
is shopping for price only and has no clue or does not care about QUALITY or professionalism.

What Steve was talking about is: so many Dixieland Bands just assume that the market will only pay $200 to $500 for a good Band,   and that is totally incorrect.  The going rate is not a going rate at all.  Except for musicians and band leaders who are willing to accept offers from amateur talent buyers who have no clue what a living wage even is.

Bandleaders need to be business people first and foremost or they will soon be out of business and so will the sidemen, who often know even less than bandleaders so have no idea what to even ask for a gig.   You are worth what you think you are worth  "IF" you establish that fact and stick to it, and raise the price reasonably after each successful gig until you get it to an acceptable level to make a decent living for your time education and effort.

Bart.



 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Ringwald <rsr at ringwald.com>
To: B.B. Buffington <dixiejazzdata at aol.com>
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Thu, Nov 10, 2011 6:43 pm
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Competing With DJ's


I just quoted $300,000 for a gig and got it.  

Not!


--Bob Ringwald
www.ringwald.com
Fulton Street Jazz Band
530/ 642-9551 Office
916/ 806-9551 Cell
Amateur (Ham) Radio K6YBV

"All the problems we face in the United States today can be traced to an 
unenlightened
immigration policy on the part of the American Indian."  Pat Paulsen



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