Hi Folks,

Being a professional musician is unlike other professions. It's work
and it's "fun" (i.e. you might enjoy it occasionally). Therefore some
people assume that if they get you to work for them FOR FREE, you'll
like the idea and thank them.

I got an issue with former contacts. Past friends whom I used to play
with _years_ ago in small garage bands. Friends who can't tune their
guitar, who can't sing. Now I don't think very highly of myself. I'm
just aware of my own level. It took me more than 10 years of
practicing to gain some confidence in my abilities.

Somehow these people have the notion that if they're friends with me,
I should also play in their band. When I say "no" they reply "but man,
this is what we DO together!" and I go "Well, not during the last five
years we don't and besides when was the last time we went out for
anything other than a rehearsal?".
For me, playing for fun means playing with people with at least some
basic level of musicianship. Playing with them is punishment.

Do you feel better now you've cleaned the air ;o)
If you don't want to work for free with someone then don't. When you say
friends, i think of proper friends, ie people you consider good friends -
drinking partners etc! I would be more than happy to jam with people like
that. People you used to 'hang out' with years possibly aren't good friends
anymore, charge them mates rates! (if you want to work with them at ALL that
is, from what you said it sounds like they're not musicians).
--
Nathan D Higgins

Website: http://nathan.link9.net/
Email: nathan[at]link9[dot]net
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Ofer E wrote:

Being a professional musician is unlike other professions. It's work
and it's "fun" (i.e. you might enjoy it occasionally). Therefore some
people assume that if they get you to work for them FOR FREE, you'll
like the idea and thank them.

As a friend of mine put it:

"As long as I'm willing to play for free people are happy to pay me
that."

snipitty doo dah

--
ha

LeBaron & Alrich wrote:
Ofer E wrote:

Being a professional musician is unlike other professions. It's work
and it's "fun" (i.e. you might enjoy it occasionally). Therefore some
people assume that if they get you to work for them FOR FREE, you'll
like the idea and thank them.

As a friend of mine put it:

"As long as I'm willing to play for free people are happy to pay me
that."

Sure. But the real question about playing for free is what do you
get out of it? Playing for free isn't always a loss.

Reasons to play for free include:

Charity. Sometimes it makes you feel good to give someone a hand.

Fun. A jam with killer musicians is always worth the salary even
when it's free.

Advertising. Sometimes you have to pay a few dues up front
to show people what you've got. If they like what they see
you get it all back later with interest.

Practice. Sometimes your chops just need the steady gig
to be honed in. So you sign on to a band etc. to do that.
Remember, however, that you approach a practice session a
tad different from a true gig. In other words you get to
try things that aren't quite solid yet.

Not included in this list is playing to keep former buds from
feeling hurt that you've gone off on your own. OR for that
matter keeping ANYONE happy who is has the nerve to ask you
to play for free.

My policy is to never play for free. That does NOT mean that
I never play for no money! I play for no money all the time.
But I always ask "what am I getting out of this". Typically
it's one of the above. If I decide I have no return, then it
always requires cash to get me to play.

Benj
--
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