| Playing for free (or very little bread)
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"? |