Fran and DNJ: I respect both of you, but I think that there's much more to the "entertainer vs. musician" issue.

I'm in my 51st year of working at least 4 jobs a week (first paid job was at an officers club in Alaska at age 10). I've had 9 weeks off-total in that time, and have been the highest paid single in the area since I started doing a single about 15 years ago. I have been honored to have known, know and worked with some of the country's top musicians, and learned from every one of them.

I'm a frequent performer at state events for the governors of several states, the presidents of major universities and private colleges, major fortune 500 and 200 corporations and professional performance groups (jazz arts foundations, philharmoic orchestras, etc.). Performance income this year will be in excess of $60,000.00 and I turned down as many jobs as I took.

If that makes me "dead in the water", or "Yesterday's Newspaper", so be it.

Income from film scores for industrial films for major worldwide coroporations will be in excess of $100,000.00 this year. Add to that the production fees for writing and producing the films the sound scores are created for in excess of $750,000.00 (income for my company-not all personal income).

I don't tell jokes, do routines, do novelty songs...I don't even talk at all during performances. I have no PR package, demo CD or headshot...no website, no business card or stationery and don't record any music on an arranger. I don't post work on here, but, If you want to know if I know what I'm doing, ask Nigel or Tony Mads, whom I've shared work with off-line.

This is a serious lifetime undertaking for me, which has generated nearly 50% of my income, paid for an instrument collection worth millions, put myself and three kids through graduate school with no student loans
and made it so that I never have to work another day in my life if I don't want to (but I REALLY do)!(Could have retired comfortably 20 years ago).

I have friends who head music departments, are in demand for Broadway shows, lead orchestras...all individuals who are at the top of their games and who earn 6 figure incomes and much respect from audiences, their peers and the artistic cummunity.

Sorry for the rant, but if you really want to, you can succeed on your own terms if you have enough talent and desire by placing the emphasis on musicianship over entertainment.

And, you don't have to sing show tunes, suck up to drunks or rednecks, do comedy routines or work for jerks to do it.

I laugh a little at the "entertainers" who place style over substance (not my preference, obviously).

Is my approach right and the ones others take wrong? Of course not, but, believe me, to say that a non-entertainer is "dead in the water"
in this business is a little short sighted.

It's all about finding your place, figuring out how to "get over" and working your A** off to continuously improve and achieve satisfaction, however you define it.

I think it all comes down to what the individual needs as a result of involvement in the business. An entertainer needs the positive feedback of appreciative fans...they need to "feel the love".

Others (me included) get their satisfaction from the creative process, the playing of increasingly sophisticated, difficult music,
recognition from their peers and completion of high level performances and projects.

WOW, I'm out of breath!

I feel SO MUCH BETTER!

With MUCH care and RESPECT...

"Boring old Russ"

[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 11-09-2006).]

[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 11-09-2006).]

[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 11-09-2006).]