[Harp-L] Death of live music

["James" <wasabileo@xxxxxxxxxx>]

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.
 
I think what is happenning is we are returning to the "Norm"
My own research, please correct me if I am wrong, is most of the traditional players, always had some other way to make a living:
Walter"Furry Lewis" worked until retirement for the Memphis Dept of Sanitation.
Texas Bluesman Mance Lipscomb was a "straw boss" on a large Texas Farm
"Blackace Turner" was a photographer
The Bafa Brothers, Cajan musicans had a real estate business.
Walter Horton and James Cotton worked as resturant cooks.
Zydeco Queen "Queen Ida" has a successful restaurant
Boogie Woogie Pianist Sammy Price was a real estate salesman and Politican.
Sonny Boy Williamson had all kinds of odd jobs.
I think during the 60's there was a perid where there seem to be opportunities for full time working musicians - example Charlie Musselwhite, John Mayall.
John Poppa (ok we'have had that discusison) has achieved a great deal of success (he has other problems which I care not to discuss at the moment)
I remember growing, several unknown but very talented, technically proficient jazz guitarists who worked for the Post Office. They had families with tuition and mortages and the post offfice afforded them a steady income with benefits while they could play on the weekends and have a pension at the end.
So folks not much has changed. Are there less venues? Maybe I see a lot of virtual on line stuff going on that folks would have never dreamed of years of. Hey, on the weekends I go to some of the clubs, and bars. I live in a big college town and some of the gigs are interesting. We start off with "Run Around" and "The Hook" go into some jam pieces and are able to work " Wang Dand Doodle" "Got my Mojo Workng" and eventually get the crowd worked up with Walter Horton and as the evening goes on, even some jazz standards. I love it when it works but I would not give up my civil service position for it. No offence to anyone out there. I love music but I like my roof as well

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