Re: [Harp-L] Death of live music? Not yet

[Philharpn@xxxxxxx]

There are a few things to realize:
 
*-Many of the traditional gigs have gone away. And they're gone for good. 
*-Most musicians don't make a living from music --they need a day job or  
side job or working wife to live.
*-Those working musicians who do succeed play a lot of nontraditional  venues.
 
None of this stuff is new. It's been going on for years. But for the sake  of 
argument, here's the list. Gigs don't call you anymore; they have to make  
your own gigs. 
 
Not much can be done about the first two items but nontraditional gigs  are 
another largely unexplored avenue. Some of these gigs may require  an acoustic 
or lightly amplified performance.
(1)  Madcat will book an evening show in a town and play the local  grade 
school that afternoon. Blues in schools. Jazz in schools. Big band tunes  in 
schools. Whatever, but make it a teaching-cultural item. While school budgets  are 
tight, the PTA often has some cash for special events.
 
(2) Play coffee shops and book stores. This works best if you have a CD to  
sell because you may not get paid for the gig but may be allowed to sell your  
CD. Richard Hunter was played gigs at least one of the national chain  
bookstores. But then, he has his Jazz Harmonica book and several CDs out that  could 
be marketed. 
 
 
(3) Play in the performance area at the mall(s). Somerset Collection (an  
upscale mall in Troy Mich.,former HQ of Kmart) has a grand piano that was  
frequently occupied with a variety of players during the recent Christmas  season. 
They could have just as easily offered a harp driven band (playing  winter-Xmas 
tunes).
 
(4) Libraries frequently offer cultural events. I've been to some blues  
events and heard about others.
 
(5) You have to make your own performing circuit. Movie and stage actor  Jeff 
Daniels does live solo guitar-singing shows (and baseball games) and yes he  
has a CD out.
 
(6) Public radio sometime has live performance shows that are not just  
limited to Prairie Home Companion.
 
(7) Several years ago, they was a guitar-harmonica player who woodshedded  in 
public and quite by accident he found tips being tossed in his guitar case.  
He thought that was pretty good: being paid to practice.
 
So I don't think live music has died -- it's just changed.
 
When I was in high school, one of the more statuesque girls got her hair  
trimmed in a pixie cut (really short).
 
 Somebody said to her, "You don't even look like a girl  anymore."
 
To which the guy standing next to me said, "Hey, buddy, you're not looking  
in the right places."
 
 
Phil Lloyd
 
 
 



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