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Well put
Daryl!!
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 11:43
AM
Subject: OT: compensation (WAS Re:
Looping venue help)
ah..I detect a storm brewing...do I seed the
clouds...?
I respect the well-established school of thought behind
valuing work
monetarily. It can be nice to get money after a show, but it
simply
doesn't matter to me. I've had a telecommuting day job for seven
years
that pays enough and is extremely flexible, allowing me to do things
like this tour while still making some cash by logging on late at night.
My perspective is, that's what I do for money. Music, I do for itself
and whether I gain or lose money in the process is irrelevant. I don't
need a second job and if I did, I'd find something where payment was
guaranteed and had a direct relation to the time I put into it, which
sure as hell isn't the case in any sort of art.
Certainly part of
the argument against playing for free runs that it
devalues the market for
everyone else who may NEED to be paid. Maybe so,
but the commercial music
industry and lack of government arts funding
deserve much more blame for
their lack of support, and further, anyone
who needs to be paid for their
music has to know that they're going out
on a highly arbitrary limb in
relation to their survival. Even more so
if they're playing unusual
stuff.
I know for a fact that these coffeeshops that somehow survive
charging
$1.75 for their brown water don't have the cash to front for my
unknown
ass to sit in a corner and do what I love. I'd rather be playing
than
anything else, so I provide them some atmosphere and get a world of
enjoyment in return, $20 or no $20.
As a side note, every
experimental/arts venue I've played at or talked
to so far has, actually,
made a point of charging a cover and then
giving the bulk (if not all) the
door to the musicians.
Daryl Shawn
www.swanwelder.com
www.chinapaintingmusic.com
>
Never play for free.
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