Re: Cheapskate again

[Mike.Biffle@wj.com (Mike Biffle)]

>>>Why stop there? When you perform, just charge the venue 2/3ds less than 
>the
>>>rest of the musicians in the town...

>> Don't forget to lower your working wage at your day job as well so 
>you'll be
>> cheaper than the rest of the employed work force. Therefore more 
>desirable.

>My band is not my job.

I'm assuming that it's possibly integrated with your self image and soul. 
Which 
in my book come first before the day job. The day job is my means to an 
end. If 
there's no time for that end, then the job has compromised my efforts. 

I'd say that if you're *never* going to place a price on your art, great. 
But 
the second you play out though you start to deal with marketplace 
considerations
and their long range impact on how you do your art. 

Do you want more time for your art? It might be good idea to consider that 
a day
job and family will ultimately compete with time left over for that art. 
The 
only place time will come from in the future to support your art is from 
the day
job. That equals money lost, and less ability to support yourself and 
family. 
Time is finite and so is money... There are some hard realities to deal 
with if 
music is a true commitment which you want to endure throughout your life. 
It's 
really worth something, and worth careful consideration of real world cost 
of 
living and doing business issues. Even if it is for the people. There has 
to be 
a form of reasonable exchange.

>> I'm not about to bust my butt to evolve a concept and put together the
>> technology (low or hi) cart it to the gig (which is probably a very low 
>>paying one), play for a group of people of whom maybe 25% show any 
>respect for
>>the performance, then charge the price of a Big Mac, Fries and Coke for 
>my CD!

>But how much profit does one realy make selling these cds?  This is a real
>question.  I guess I can see if you are a solo act (as many of us seem to 
>be)
>but by the time you split the proceeds 4 or 5 ways...  I would rather 
>have more
>of them out there.  Besides, how many of you out there have a few boxes 
>of 
>unsold cds sitting next to your couch?  Lots of my friends do.

Well I just don't see it as being about subtracting the price of mfg. CD's 
from 
your asking price. You still have to consider other intangibles like time 
spent,
continuance of future projects etc.

>> And what about art and soul? Only one other post has mentioned anything 
>about
>> the esoteric nature of the commitment to an artistic process and it's 
>> possible value.

>Art is priceless.  I never figured I would make money doing this.  I do 
>it 
>because I need to.

I'm not questioning your motivation, just your long term vision. If one 
needs to
do something, I would assume there would be a cost involved in actually 
doing 
it. I know artists sometimes do desperate things to continue their art. 
It's not
a crime to consider how one might do that art *and* actually have time as 
well 
as a visible means of support. I still argue that art has real monetary 
value 
and should be part of any sensible society's budget. Socialist or 
Capitalist.

Musicians in earlier phases of the biz got ripped off because of they 
wanted to 
play so bad, without regard to the consequences.

>>>when I get my cd together, I am
>>>going to price it more along the lines of $5 or less, so that more 
>people
>>>are likely to pick it up.

>> Unfortunately this will only devalue CD sales for the rest of us.

>I don't think it works that way, really.  Music is unique to the 
>individual-
>buying jazz band A's record is not going to stop me from buying country 
>band 
>B's record. It's not like Jolly Green Giant Frozen Peas vs. Birdseye 
>Frozen 
>Peas.

        I'm not talking about style here, I'm talking about money. I won't 
pay 
any more for a country CD than a free-improv one! 8->

>> Either it is a sign of insecurity from a begginer or it is a price
>> gougeing tactic.

>Err... I know you weren't meaning this to be a jab, so I won't take it as 
>one.
>Insecurity?  That seems a bit ridiculous.  And I don't think that Fugazi 
>is
>trying to get even with Mariah Carrey because they sell their cds for 
>10-11 
>bucks a piece.

        You're right. Politics... I wasn't considering that. Sorry. Fugazi 
has 
had a great run and their ethics do speak well of them. Even in a 
socialist 
society one would expect that not only would there be cheap prices on 
CD's, bit 
that one's cost of living would be cheaper in all other respects as well. 
That's
clearly not the case here in the U.S. If you wish that to be the case, I'd 
charge the higher prices on the CD's to finance your lobbying efforts 
elsewhere!
8->.

>> (Which has been disastrous in some trades like photography and
>> i.c. chip manufacturing.)

>The thought of a looper from the Pacific Rim making really cheap records 
>and
>taking all our fans away just flashed in front of my mind's eye and made 
>me 
>chuckle. Think about it.

Again, I'm talking about compromising the price of *all* CD's. Not about 
stealing fans. Just compromising public perception of what a fair and 
reasonable
asking price for a CD is. (Hey... I'm on the Pacific Rim... are you 
talking 
about me?! 8->)

>And let me finish with this: I sincerely hope that we all do well for 
>ourselves, to whatever standards we hold ourselves.
>Trevor

Absolutely!

best
-miko