I have a friend who was hired for a big band job by a well known orchestra. He's a Peabody trained pianist who can play more songs than most of the Zone's members combined. The pay for four hours, plus rehearsal, was $175. Total time was about 6 to 7 hours. That was only a few years ago. Break that down to an hourly wage and you're talking $25 an hour. The way I figure, that's chump change in this business. The lowest paying nursing homes in the U.S. pay at least twice that, and most pay $100 or more for an OMB.

The pay scale in much of the nation for OMBs and duos in upscale, mid-Atlantic restaurants is about $100 to $150 for a 4-hour gig. Ain't much better than being a band-member in a big band.

As for the recession/depression (call it what you will), as Diki said, it ain't over until the fat lady sings. Lots of performers are getting hammered, including my buddy the piano player. I've been trying to convince him to get into the NH biz for several years and he wouldn't budge from his restaurant job. Now he doesn't have a job. And, the NH biz is booming. I get calls every day from folks wanting me to perform, and I'm trying to cut back. Forget the robot, as stated above, they're too expensive. OMB performers are at the top of the heap these days when it comes to income. I hope it stays that way for a couple more years until the youngsters get into the game and displace me. Those kids are really talented!

Gary