Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Get a career!

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Umm..not quite, Bob.
 
My take on it is that the young "lady" (for wont of a better description)  
was simply parroting the terminology of her parents.  Open mouth, out comes  
Daddy's expression of "music isn't a career".  At the age of 21 (or  
thereabouts)...and quite inebriated, one clearly hasn't yet developed the  thinking 
capacity you so generously attribute to her (or why be drinking to  excess in the 
first place in this day and age?)...... and yes, I  know many young "struggling" 
musicians who 'work' during the week and  garage-band gig on weekends, due to 
there not being enough money to be made in  the music industry, so some way 
has to be found to pay their bills "until they  hit it big"  They are legion. 
 
 I seriously doubt this was in the young lady's head at the  moment she was 
challenging Michael (who is clearly not of her same age group) as  to his 
choice of music as a living.  Firstly, she had no right to talk to  anyone in such 
a supercilious tone with as little respect as she gave him.   For Pete's sake, 
she didn't recognize a Stones t-shirt...has she lived in a  paper-bag for all 
of her life? (perhaps hanging out in bars is the  explanation).  Sorry, a 
young drunk with no music creds has no right to  make such judgments.
 
I quite understand Michael's state of being flabbergasted.  I might  have 
been able to decimate her with some well-placed sarcasm...but then, I'm  older, 
female and quite good at it.  I'd probably have chosen as he did..to  simply 
walk away, stunned by what  passes for "young adult" today,  figuring...why 
waste a good argument on someone too uncomprehending and drunk to  appreciate it   
;)  
 
As to your idea of musicians who do eke out a living full-time as artists  
"looking down" on those who haven't chosen that route?  I don't know  any.  
Nowhere in Michael's original post did he make such an  assertion...and knowing 
and observing him the little bit I have (we met at  SPAH and he went out of his 
way to try to set up a way to enable me to  learn to play diatonics over the 
phone or to work something else out  down the road because of my personal 
situation), he's very gentlemanly and  quiet, low key and pleasant to deal with...I 
can't imagine anyone with less  "attitude".  
 
Based also on my knowledge of Jason Ricci and his Band's appreciation  of 
their audiences on the road, and just how many times during a show he  thanks 
them profusely for coming out on a weeknight to see him knowing they  have work 
the next day... I'd say the full time musicians I know intimately have  no 
thoughts at all of "contempt" for those who have regular careers  while playing 
music only on weekends.  Jason has also specifically  talked with respect about 
the difficulties of the road for musicians who  have families...it's a topic 
raised many times at teach-ins..most specifically  at SPAH in Denver, since 
most of the attendees fall into that category, so I've  no idea where you're 
getting this from.  IF a musician whose  show I attended talked/behaved with 
disdain to or about his/her audience,  he/she would soon lose me as an audience.
 
Peter White's another artist I follow, going to every one of his NY shows  
(jazz guitarist).  He's wonderful to his fans...making sure to get down  into 
the audience...playing to specific people, meeting and greeting afterwards,  
smiling for photos..talking music with those interested... I've had  in-depth 
conversations with him as well. No airs at all, no matter how tired he  is from 
the road.  Why patronize an artist who behaves otherwise?
 
  The idea of the "starving artist" isn't a literary myth  either.  It 
astonished me at JR & New Blood's last gig I attended at  Terra Blues when people 
who were absolutely raving about the incredible  performances by the band 
members, jumping out of their seats to want to  play onstage .... becoming steadily 
inebriated while being  exceedingly generous to the waitress bringing their 
liquor, would then  somehow pretend not to see the BAND tip bucket when it was  
brought around by the same waitresses.  I guess they assumed the $5.00  door 
charge  (by the Club) was more than sufficient to support a 4-person  Band as 
good as New Blood?  Right.  The same people were tipping the  waitresses more 
than that for a couple of drinks.
 
Practically speaking, it costs the band more to GET to Terra Blues to  put on 
their hours-long show, than they make playing there for an evening,  so for 
some gigs it costs them more to PLAY than they get paid!   Ask Jason some time 
just what these clubs pay a band for a night's gig, and you  might be shocked. 
 The gas and tolls getting into and out of NY are  enormous...and there is no 
place locally to eat or stay for the night that is  reasonable.  Not to 
mention the wear and tear on the Van carrying them and  all of their gear.  Jason 
never complains about it, puts a smile on  his face and plays to the last 
member of the audience till the wee hours  of the morning .....turns on that 
energy, giving as much to the  last number as he does to the first.  THIS is why he 
is such a  pro...and has MY undying admiration. I don't know many  "weekend 
musicians" who have a fraction of that kind of dedication to their  fans.
 
 On the contrary, almost all of  the part-time musicians I know play an hour 
or so, expect conditions  to be perfect for them before they show 
up...complain and whine when they're  not, complain and whine when they're forced to spend 
even a few days on the road  and by "on the road" I mean perhaps the next 
State over....are terribly annoyed  by not having yet landed a major recording 
contract after playing with their  bandmates for a couple of years, simply 
because they think they're good enough  and are "entitled".  They want to be 
"Stars".  They have no  conception of what hard work, dedication and "paying one's 
dues" in  music truly means.  Maybe those you know are different, but in my 
neck  of the woods, those are who I know....  So...don't get me started.   ;)
 
Elizabeth 
 
"Message: 10
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:15:38 -0400
From: Robert Coble  <robertpcoble@xxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Get a career!
To:  Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID:  <0c9fe140bdc0be2892a787ddc225bbde@xxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain;  charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

Maybe all of the musicians that the young  lady had known previously are 
all struggling
with careers, and trying to  sandwich in some gigs on the side. So it is 
not so far-fetched
to assume  (generously, I admit) that she didn't consider gigging with a 
local band to  be
a "career." Most of the musicians I know have a "day job" and only get  
to play when an
opportunity arises. And lest you think that they are mere  "amateurs" 
without the chops to
"make it", I can assure you that they are  every bit as good as many of 
the "professionals"
who are full time  "professional" musicians.

No offense and nothing but admiration for all  of you full time 
musicians who give those
of us with "careers" such a  wonderful place to escape to, outside of 
our jobs. We may not
have the  courage to follow your example, but then, a lot of people have 
to work at  some
job earning money so that YOU can be paid to play. If we all played  
music as a career (or
followed the muse without regard for those mundane  things that are so 
often despised
by "artists"), who would be paying to  hear all of us play?! Somehow, 
being a "starving
artist" just doesn't  seem to be as wonderful in real life as it is made 
out to be in  fiction.

I personally find it strange that anyone would have contempt for  the 
people who pay to
keep them doing what they love to do. I'd feel  grateful - but then, I'm 
no "artist" so I guess
I can't possibly  understand that mindset.

Hopefully, food for thought.
Crazy ('bout  harp!) Bob"






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