J-HALEY wrote:Black57, I believe you to be an honorable person but I have to tell you I could not disagree with anyone more than I disagree with your last post.
A very good Female Bass player friend of mine would totally dis-agree with you the most, she is hands down the best bass player I have ever had the privilage of working with and an absolute pro.
She is a single black female supporting a son with her musical ability and let me tell you she has a lot of ability.
She is currently on tour with Mike Ward jazz violinist and I recently had the privilage of getting free tickets to go see him play at the Red Cat Jazz Cafe in downtown Houston on Mikes Birthday, A well known Sax player by the name of Kyle Turner was there (they always spend they're birthdays together) and the hair on my arms stands on end just remembering the single greatest musical moment I have ever witnessed in my 50 years.
Al Jaruexs Drummer was there and there was this beautiful young flute player playing jazz, and let me tell you she was unbelievable.
Anyway my point is you claim you are a proffesional, I am sorry but this attitude pisses me off, at the cost of promotting YOURSELF you are dragging down every pro.
This seems very selfish from my standpoint, you would not believe how many gigs I have showed up to play only to hear this ideaolgy.
Never ever should any true musician EVER PLAY FOR FREE.
I mean something or somebody pays your bills. WOULD YOU HAVE THEM HAVE THIS SAME MENTALITY please think about it?
I don't mean to sound like i am personally attacking you but this is very important and personal to me.
Incidentally my new guitar player magazine came in the mail today, and Hammet&Hetfeild of Metallica are on the cover if you go to page 20 there is an article (paragragh) on Pat Travers on Playing Well With Others and a guitar player from this area is mentioned because he is playing in the Pat Thrall spot of the Pat Travers band His Name Is Kirk McKim he was in my wifes high school graduating class of 1985!!!!!!!
J-Haley,You are correct, but I have to say playing for free and playing for nothin' are 2 different things. I may play periodically with no monetary return, but I do indeed get paid for every concert that I do. I never play for nothin'. Two months ago I sat in with a jazz band for free. I got 2 gigs out of it. I am a musical whore. I strut my goods to pick up johns so to speak. However, if someone called me and said that they needed me to play for such and such, on such and such day for such and such reason and no pay. No, I am not their man without some form of financial gain. I play regularly at open mics and the owner at one of the facilities wants me to do a paying concert. I get out to be heard, I get heard to be hired.
My point was, you gotta be selective. you gotta advertise...you gotta practice...that ain't the same as playing for free. Also without a strong desire to play, I would have never had the opportunity to play with some pretty cool artists such as Billy Mclaughlin...that was priceless.
Music is all I do, I am a paid musician . That is how I make my living. I got one of my teaching gigs by playing in a house band for Chinese New Year. The band was made up of teachers from another music store. Before the evening was over I had a special meeting with the owner of a learning center to teach the flute there. When I began teaching at her center I asked for considerably more money than what I got at the old store. not only did I get the money, the other store increased my pay by the same amount without me saying a single word. Now I am working on a couple of composition/publishing gigs. I work hard...I will be paid for my hard work. you don't believe me? Come watch.
