[Dixielandjazz] Happy New Year to all who aspire to be a professional musician

[Jim Allen]

At least after 4 years of college you weren't forced to play in the worst
band in Kansas City for a few million a year!

:>)

Jim Allen



On Thu, Jan 2, 2014 at 4:03 PM, Dixiejazzdata <dixiejazzdata at aol.com> wrote:

>
>
>
> The Life of a Most Professional Musicians:
>
>
>
> So you wanna Be a Professional Musician huh Bunky ? Read This first !
>
> You're a Real Musician When:
>
> You realize that the cheers from the audience after a particularly
> difficult passage are for a sports play on the big screen TV over the
> bar, and that in fact, no one is listening to you.
>
> When the gig you drove 200 miles for to make $100, and had to pay for a
> hotel room, is later referred to as your "summer tour".
>
> When your most sincere, heartfelt comments are made by people that are
> drunk and who won't remember you in the morning.
>
> When you are repeatedly told that the lead singer who can't read, never
> practices and has been singing for only six months is "The strongest
> part of the band", primarily because she has big tits.
>
> When you are pleased that the pay for the gig, when looked at hourly
> from the time you leave your house to when you return meets minimum
> wage.
>
> When someone comes up to you to tell you how much they love your
> playing, because they didn't think anyone played those things anymore.
>
> You get to the gig to find out that nothing is comped, and you're
> charged $10 to park.
>
> When someone seeks you out to complement your playing as the "best sax
> player they have ever heard", and you're the trumpet player.
>
> When you realize that a small piece of equipment- such as a wireless
> mike you need- will take months of weekly gigs to pay for.
>
> When you have to add $30 or $40 out of your pocket to find a sub, cause
> no one will cover you for what you are paid.
>
> You aren't offended when all of the young wedding guests leave after
> the second set to dance to the DJ at a club down the street.
>
> When you are told that you must play until the very end of when you
> were contracted for, when your only audience is the bartender, and
> you're being paid 40 or 50 bucks for the night.
>
> When the bandleader or club owner wants to pay you in food or drinks,
> and you have $100,000 in school loans to pay off for that music degree.
>
> When the guy collecting money at the door for the band's performance
> makes twice over the course of the evening than what you do as one of the
> band members.   Or even the Whole band .
>
> When as a member of a Jazz or blues band you no longer even pretend to
> smile
> when asked to play "Free Bird".
>
> When you know that other musicians who routinely claim they don't work
> for less than $100 a night only work a few times a year.
>
> When people who are drunk tell you that what you are doing is
> absolutely great and the best thing thing they have ever seen or heard,
> but refuse to pay more than $5 at the door.
>
> When someone calling the cops for noise is a good thing. You get to go
> home early and you still get paid.
>
> When you realize that asking women out that you meet on gigs doesn't
> work, for now they know you're a musician.
>
> When you get invited to play the same gig the following year, which
> means that you don't have tear down after this year's gig.
>
> When you have, for several years, been paid the same amount for a gig,
> but are afraid to say anything about it for fear that you might lose
> the gig.
>
> When you spend more on the bar tab than you get paid for the gig.
>
> When you finally have to resort to playing Proud Mary in order to get
> the audience dancing.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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