Re: OT: Tour wrap-up

[Daryl Shawn <highhorse@mhorse.com>]

Yes...very true. I'd have to say that the vast majority of places where 
I played for tips put money in the jar to start, and/or made a very 
direct call to the audience to make a contribution. I didn't consider it 
playing for free.

The advantage of the tip is that it enables people to pay for the 
"product" they like. A cover charge for an unknown artist is tough 
because the audience is giving up money without knowing quite what 
they'll be getting, and that makes it very hard for them to show up. The 
real trick is getting butts in seats, and playing for tips is an easier 
way of making that part happen. My point in the end is that once people 
are listening to music, if you're playing well, you're likely to see 
some cash.

Daryl Shawn
www.swanwelder.com
www.chinapaintingmusic.com

> And playing for tips is NOT playing for free (though some nights it 
> sure feels that way!).
>
> Dennis
>
> On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 7:15 PM, Travis Hartnett 
> <travishartnett@gmail.com <mailto:travishartnett@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     A beggar sits there and says "Please give me money".
>
>     A musician playing for tips says "Do you like what I'm doing?  I
>     could use some cash..."
>