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I just picked up Ravi Shankar's "My Life. My Music" in which he describes getting up at 5.30am to start practicing for a few hours until he meets w/ his guru and practices for another 3 to 8 hours. These musicians and artists grew up in the days of the 'court' sponsored artist--where a wealthy patron supported the arts. We should be so lucky. For most of us it is a labor of love that rarely allows to live at the means we'd like --that is, earning enough to buy the toys and tools to make us better artists/craftspeople. I look at that too many things I'm involved in--music, martial arts, fine arts, and writing and think that the only thing I'd cut out of my chaotic and crazy life is my job with child welfare--which allows me to purchase the tools of my artistic endeavors. I have also been playing for belly dancers for the past few years and making more money at it than I ever made in 30+ years of playing ( and I'm not counting the first 10 years of learning my instrument) In one case, we play at a posh spa that frequently gives us credit --$125.00 towards whatever--massage, etc. I look at it as playing music for my wife's birthday/Xmas presents. It's not fully the music I want to create but does give me the satisfaction of being a 'working musician.' > From: looppool@cruzio.com > To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com > Subject: Re: Why SHOULDN'T musicians be paid? > Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:56:15 -0700 > > Travis wrote: > "What I do as a musician is very useful--to me. Fifteen years of public > performance has led me to the conclusion that it's not terribly useful to > most people, certainly not when it comes to them paying me money for what I > do. > > When plumbing goes wrong, people get sick and die. Clean water flowing in > and dirty water flowing out without a problem is a necessity for living. If > I get hit by a bus on my way to a gig, they play the in-store CD player that > night. When my sewer line breaks because a tree root has broken a pipe > under the front yard, I need a lot of specialized information, tools, time > and smelly effort to set things right again--or I pay someone else a > thousand dollars to do it better and quicker than I can. When people don't > have any music, they turn on the radio and the problem's solved. Music is > incredibly easy to find, plumbing less so. Thus the average plumber makes > much more than the average musician." > > > Wow, Travis, your cyncism and lack of respect or existential self esteem > for what you do is astonishing to me and hard to believe. > > I'm proud to be a musician, whether I'm paid well or not. I'll do it > until I die because I love it and value it myself. > I can't imagine living without music, frankly. > > Maybe I"m reading you wrong, but do I detect a large share of bitterness > about your inability to make money from your music? > > In my world, I value artistry and creativity higher than almost anything, > so I don't have any judgement of whether you can make money with your music > or not. > Some of my favorite artists are NOT full time professional musicians. > > To assume, of course, is to make an ASS out of U and ME > so I could be way off base here, but I'm just curious about your response to > the strong things I"ve just said. > > Perplexed but still respectfully yours, > > Rick > Use video conversation to talk face-to-face with Windows Live Messenger. Get started! |