<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=3>In a message dated 3/8/03 5:43:58 PM Central Standard Time, BillSargentDrums@aol.com writes:<BR>
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<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Case in point: I have been working for several years with a name big band that is run by someone who can be cheap past intelligence. With this guy, money can and does win out over musical quality. In the past year, there's been this drummer in our genre who is also a farmer in a state hundreds of miles from our area. This guy makes good money with his farm and also can afford to be away from it for periods of time.<BR>
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He took a cruise from me that I should have played because he bribed his way onto the gig by helping to sell several cabins for the cruise . . . then played for zippo. Just took another cruise from me because he offered to drive halfway across the US to the five day gig for free. Then he took 2 nights last weekend from me here in Wisconsin, because he offered to drive up from Nebraska for free as a "vacation".<BR>
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Meanwhile, I've got two young girls I'm trying to keep in private school and pay two mortgages, etc. etc.</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
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Bill...was this last line a joke? You can't be paying for private shools and two mortgages as a musician.<BR>
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Jim Beebe</FONT></HTML>