What is it with people? I’ve had several approaches - two only this week - to play on recording sessions. Great! One slight problem - no-one wants to pay. I may be an idiot but I’m not a charity. Which part of “professional musician” don’t they understand?
It’s quite funny; does a bricklayer get asked 20 times a month, will you build me a free wall?
As you know Aidan, I am an entertainer and if I did all the requests for free shows, I wouldn’t have time to do the paid ones.
The sad thing is that every time I do a charity gig it results in a bunch of requests for free shows that cannot really be classed as charities.
Comment by Ray Parker — November 3, 2006 @ 4:40 pm
Which part of “professional musician” don’t they understand?
My guess is it’s the “professional” bit of that.
And I bet bricklayers do get asked to build free walls, by friends and acquaintances. Maybe less frequently than musicians get asked for free music, but that’s hardly surprising when you consider how often people listen to music as opposed to how often people need walls building.
My thoughts on this, as a musician myself, is there’s a balance to doing work for free and for pay, and we each have to decide what that balance is. It’s not black and white.
I’m a huge supporter of giving things away freely and generously. But I’m also a firm believer in being valued and valuing others and what they’ve got to contribute. Sadly, often people equate the cost of something with its value … i.e., if they get something for free, they think it’s worth less, or if they pay more for it, they think it’s worth more. This is a ridiculous philosophy.
But anyway, I’m happy to be generous with my time and talents as long as they’re properly appreciated/valued/enjoyed.
And of course, with time being as precious as it is, one will always have to pick and choose what one projects one is going to take on.
I just try to pick things I’m really happy to do, things that enrich me and my life and experience in some way … money is useful, but it’s just a by-product, ultimately …
Comment by leesun — April 3, 2007 @ 2:21 pm