SYNTH ZONE
Visit The Bar For Casual Discussion
Page 5 of 6 < 1 2 3 4 5 6 >
Topic Options
#250797 - 12/13/08 08:21 AM Re: Well it's official I won't be quitting my day job for a career in music
Bill in Dayton Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 08/23/04
Posts: 2202
Loc: Dayton, OH USA
Quote:
Originally posted by zuki:
Hi Bill,

When my voice fails one day, I'll be the first to admit. I've sung correctly, since I was 14 and have no problems singing 90% of my hour performance. I never get sore or unable to reach notes.

In 2007, I played over 500 gigs and will probably so do again. However, I am only playing about 8 times total on the weekends and trying to keep Friday nights open also.

2009 should be fun. I have some new things up my sleeve to make it increasingly interesting.

Life goes too fast to work 7 days a week. No more....


That's...remarkable...500 gigs...

Given our proximity to each other, we really should hook up some time soon...



------------------
Bill in Dayton
_________________________
Bill in Dayton

Top
#250799 - 12/13/08 12:30 PM Re: Well it's official I won't be quitting my day job for a career in music
leeboy Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 10/09/04
Posts: 2580
Loc: Ocala, FL USA
DonM,
I live in N.E Indiana...are we close??
Lee
_________________________
Lee S.

Top
#250800 - 12/13/08 12:36 PM Re: Well it's official I won't be quitting my day job for a career in music
travlin'easy Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 15556
Loc: Forest Hill, MD USA
Don lives near Shreveport, LA, which is the other end of the world from Indiana.

Gary
_________________________
PSR-S950, TC Helicon Harmony-M, Digitech VR, Samson Q7, Sennheiser E855, Custom Console, and lots of other silly stuff!

K+E=W (Knowledge Plus Experience = Wisdom.)

Top
#250801 - 12/13/08 01:34 PM Re: Well it's official I won't be quitting my day job for a career in music
Stephenm52 Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 04/13/05
Posts: 5126
Loc: USA
Quote:
Originally posted by hammer:
Stephen,
My biggest problem is the turn over of the folks who do the hiring. I play basically senior gigs - will do about 200 of them this year and just about time I get established with a place the AD leaves and I get to start all over with a new person.

I guess my worst gig experience happened about 40 years ago. I got in a car along with 6 other players and 2 other cars, drove from Dallas to Alburque-about 14 hours with trailers-for a gig and when we got there we found out we were a week early. We got paid for the gig and returned the next week and got paid again.

Hammer


Hammer I hear you on the turn over of ADs, more it's common here where I live as well. Unfortunately 2 ADs who were fans of my performances recently left and as you say time to start over.

Quote:
Originally posted by mikey_maestro:
Stephen please remember My equipment is here for your needs if yours is not repaired in time for the next gig.

God Bless good Buddy



Mikey many thanks I appreciate the offer! Looks like my Bose has been repaired and is being shipped back to me. Since my office is just a short drive from the repair center I should have it back in plenty of time for this coming Thursday evenings gig.


[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 12-13-2008).]

Top
#250802 - 12/13/08 01:58 PM Re: Well it's official I won't be quitting my day job for a career in music
DonM Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 06/25/99
Posts: 16735
Loc: Benton, LA, USA
Quote:
Originally posted by leeboy:
DonM,
I live in N.E Indiana...are we close??
Lee


Not really. I live in northern Louisiana. A little far for a casual drive!
DonM
_________________________
DonM

Top
#250803 - 12/13/08 04:18 PM Re: Well it's official I won't be quitting my day job for a career in music
tony mads usa Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/16/02
Posts: 14376
Loc: East Greenwich RI USA
Quote:
Originally posted by travlin'easy:
Don lives near Shreveport, LA, which is the other end of the world from Indiana.

Gary


In more ways than distance !!! ...

t.
_________________________
t. cool

Top
#250804 - 12/13/08 04:23 PM Re: Well it's official I won't be quitting my day job for a career in music
tony mads usa Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/16/02
Posts: 14376
Loc: East Greenwich RI USA
Another problem is with the 'contracts' agents work out with certain venues ... I was on the cusp of at least one monthly gig a month at a very nice local CC ...worked 2 gigs ... lots of compliments, members were really happy with the addition of live music at members functions, the manager loved it, etc., etc. ...
The agent who has a 'contract' gets wind of it, and I'm out of a gig, and one of his guys has it ..
t.
_________________________
t. cool

Top
#250805 - 12/13/08 08:32 PM Re: Well it's official I won't be quitting my day job for a career in music
Riceroni9 Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 11/15/04
Posts: 1298
Loc: TX, USA
Thanks Stephen for posting this interesting story. It sure makes me glad I don't perform... although, the songwriting biz is certainly not a bed of roses. Lots of competition and few places to "peddle" one's wares without knowing people in high places and having tremendous talent.

Hey Don M., I'm hoping to pick that brain of yours some more at the Shreveport Jam. There are so many things I don't know about arrangers that would probably make songwriting and recording even easier. I never use registration memory, can you show me some straightforward approaches? Right now, I just re-play and re-cut a song until I'm satisfied... including vocals, from scratch. Dave Rice
http://www.showcaseyourmusic.com/DaveRice

Top
#250806 - 12/16/08 03:06 PM Re: Well it's official I won't be quitting my day job for a career in music
captain Russ Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 01/02/04
Posts: 7285
Loc: Lexington, Ky, USA
I guess what I've seen in the last 10 years is the reduction of the respect that top musicians get around here. Part of that is because the liquer laws changed, making a restaurant liscense available at very little cost. All of a sudden, instead of 6 or 7 major venues, every local place was a candidate as a music venue. Music became part of the mix, and not the primary draw. These are local spots, where it's part televised sports, part food, sometimes darts and then music. Add to that a supply of several hundred "pickers and grinners" all willing to work the 25 available jobs for little or nothing. Price is a more important "decider" that talent. Then, there's all the horn players playing over tracks. Most could never work with a band because of timing problems, but simply spend the night working for nothing and playing "catch-up" with their tracks. Many advertise themselves as offering "live jazz", which is an insult.

House jobs have all but disappeared. Many places change entertainment nightly, but don't bother to advertise, so they're not taking advantage of the individual "draw" factor.

Finally, instead of letting talent prevail, many musicians use politics....begging for work and using reduced pricing only to secure
jobs and generally, reduce the status of those serious about the art of making music.

My only salvation is longevity...I was here long before things went "south" and get the choice "society" and restaurant jobs. It's certainly not all talent, but things like billing clients, instead of trying to get paid at 1:00 PM on a busy Saturday night, always showing up and delivering what's needed and handling all business issues professionally.

It's a different day, for sure. House jobs pay about the same as they paid in the 70's.

And the "bottom feeders" have negatively impacted everything.


R.

Top
#250807 - 12/16/08 03:24 PM Re: Well it's official I won't be quitting my day job for a career in music
hellboy44 Offline
Member

Registered: 11/04/03
Posts: 541
Loc: Australia
Quote:
Originally posted by Riceroni9:
Thanks Stephen for posting this interesting story. It sure makes me glad I don't perform... although, the songwriting biz is certainly not a bed of roses. Lots of competition and few places to "peddle" one's wares without knowing people in high places and having tremendous talent.
http://www.showcaseyourmusic.com/DaveRice


Dave, speaking of Songwriting - what do you think of TAXI?
_________________________
God I hate signatures.

BUT...

www.chi-chi.com.au

Top
Page 5 of 6 < 1 2 3 4 5 6 >

Moderator:  Admin, Diki, Kerry 



Help keep Synth Zone Online