Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Calling all Harmonica Vendors

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Ken writes: (among other points):
 
"but rather to help  Harplers who 
are still trying to learn how to  make a living playing harmonica understand 
how serious the issues of rights  and getting paid are"
 
...and my question to you would be....isn't there more than one way for a  
musician to 'get paid'...other than cash? 
 
 What if in the time honoured tradition of 'trade'...some people (and  I 
gather there were more than a few who aren't harmonicists 'still  trying to learn 
how to make a living' involved here as you've implied) might  actually prefer 
the idea of the publicity the movie would generate?   i.e. getting their names 
on the screen associated with this harmonica  documentary as having been 
chosen to play 'the' title song, and then  subsequently having their music heard 
and name recognized every  time the movie is shown or when a DVD purchaser puts 
a copy of the  documentary into their player?  
 
I'm no pro musician, but I certainly understand quid pro quo...and humbly  
suggest that perhaps there are lots of people who might have considered this a  
far better long term trade than $100 or even a couple of hundred dollars cash 
as  payment.  
 
If my take on it is correct, I don't believe they should need to  apologize 
to anyone. Why? They held a contest as an idea to make the documentary  better. 
Laid out the rules up front. Got lots of entries. Someone won. Someone  well 
respected in our harmonica community, as a matter of fact. The documentary  is 
made, completed...now it's a matter of trying to get it distributed and  
shown...a long, hard road. Years in fact, for these two young guys as  anyone who 
understands documentaries (and we all seem to) knows. 
 
 It isn't only the money they've had to outlay ...but huge chunks  of time 
out of their lives spent scrabbling to put this thing together, let  alone the 
stress and aggravation and travel involved. Does anyone remotely think  this 
was a 'simple' project? I have only a small idea of what it took, having  
watched Marc in action in Denver, and being able to speak with him for about a  half 
hour while he, absolutely exhausted, took a tiny break.... before hefting  
that camera and moving on to the next performance while I got to relax over  
coffee.  As a matter of fact I'd been trying to convince him to add  some footage 
from Robert Bonfiglio's upcoming seminar at the Grand Canyon, since  I 
thought Arizona/Canyon footage would be a stunning inclusion for the  film...but he 
simply couldn't make the drive, time-wise or financially,and  certainly 
couldn't afford to fly.  
 
  Spare a thought for that. What were they living on while  begging and 
borrowing from family, friends and anyone they could think  of to get this 
documentary honouring OUR instrument done?  If it falls flat  do they get anything 
back? Would anyone outside of their families care?   Would any of us give a hoot 
if people who'd devoted years of their  lives trying to bring this project to 
the screen ended up having to scrap it or  let it lie fallow for lack of funds 
or interest?  I doubt it...since it  wouldn't affect any of us personally.  
So what do they have to  apologize for?
 
Remembering my ad agency days and how involved it was just trying to get a  
30-second spot completed and shown...the huge amounts of behind-the-scenes work 
 (I helped find and choose locations for some spots among my other regular 
and  more mundane duties); I doubt there's a single movie out there where there  
aren't hard feelings of some kind...or someone claiming they deserve an  
apology for one thing or another.  Look at the current furor over whether  or not 
an actor actually played or 'faked it as good as' Little Walter in  Cadillac 
Records, or whether or not it was Kim Wilson subbing for him.  If  everyone 
trying to get a film off the ground were to spend their time with their  eyes 
'off the prize', would any project ever be completed?
 
Elizabeth
 
PS.  FWIW Todd and Marc individually, and together as producers  of the PFOS 
documentary easily passed the 'smell' test in my book, and I'm  not exactly a 
slouch at judging character.  This is no big, slick  'Hollywood' production 
where these guys are 'producer' types out to screw the  little guy harmonica 
player.  They did this project from the beginning with  heart..and it's the one 
theme clearly evident throughout.
 
PPS: Please talk to the people who are IN the documentary who have  actually 
met these guys before pre-judging them (this is for everyone who's  read Ken's 
post and might be drawing conclusions as to who Todd and Marc are  without 
knowing anything at all about them).  The trailer available at  the PFOS site 
will give you a quick snapshot of some of the players  ...... 
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