mike ansberry

I live in the Nashville area. I was recently offered a chance to play with a group that I'd like to get in with. It was at the Gibson Guitar Showcase. It didn't pay anything. Now being a public school teacher I've got all the money I need, so this isn't really about the bread. I play for free all the time at churches and charities and some public events. I am not a pro, just a weekend warrior. But it just seems to me that if we (musicians) are willing to play for free someplace just because they stick the word "showcase" in their name we are killing the business of professional playing. I've also been offered jobs playing jazz in local restaurants for $25 a night. I've been turning all of these kinds of jobs down. Anyway, I was just wondering what you guys who are real professionals making a living with the horn think. Was I crazy to turn down the gig at the Gibson "Showcase"?

kadleck

Hi Mike -

It all depends on what you'd get out of it. When I moved to NYC, my trumpet teacher at New Eng. Conservatory (John McNeil) told me to take every free gig and rehearsal I could find, just to get myself out there. It was great advice.

Certainly, in your case this may not apply. You have a steady gig. The benefit for you would (I assume) have been to hook up with some great players. The question is: was Gibson really making no $ off of this "showcase", or were they just trying to get free entertainment? Perhaps the band decided to play just to gain some exposure, which makes sense.

If they called you once, they'll probably call you again. Maybe a "sorry I couldn't do the Gibson thing, please try me again" phone call might be a good thing to do.

Thanks Mike -
Tony

The BuZZ

Vulgano Brother

When I was a Business Agent, the favorite line around the musician's union concerning showcases was: "Exposure? Be careful--you can die of that!"

mike ansberry

I talked to the guys from the group I was to play with and told them I'd love to play some other time. But it is kind of a weird deal. I only really know one of them. He tells me the group is made up of playing pros and other people in the music business in town. This group almost always plays for free. It is a "release" for them. I could understand that if they were playing for some charities. But the Gibson Guitar Showcase is a big store in the Opry Mills Mall. What they are getting is free entertainment. It would be a good chance for me to make contacts, but it just doesn't seem right to me. I've talked to some other players in town and they tell me that almost all of the places on 2nd Avenue pay very little for musicians. People are willing to play because they think they'll be "discovered". What they wind up doing is driving down the pay scale for players. I think the bus boys make more in some establishments than the musicians make.

Clarence

Play for free my @ss.
If it don't make dollars it don't make cent's
I had someone tell me one time ....It's a paid practice...LOL.
Well that's just my two cent's.

A sax player friend of mine asked me if i wanted
to do a chuch gig..............they paid me $280.00
for six songs.
Now that's what i'm talking about.

Jimi Michiel

Mike-

I was just talking about this with some other trumpeters in Minneapolis this morning. It's a tough line to walk. I try to stay away from free gigs where somebody else is making a buck off my donated time. On the other hand, I volunteer to play in churches and community groups because it really does get me exposure and I make good contacts. No matter what, if you do a free gig, make sure to not go in with the "this ones a freebe, so I don't have to be a professional" attitude. I've taken a couple of gigs this year that I wish I hadn't but you've got to just smile, play your butt off and hand out business cards when you're done.

-Jimi