Mark2 -> RE: Brokering Gigs (Aug. 22 2012 23:10:35)
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Just to be clear-I split the money evenly with musicians, but I understand why some don't. In my case, I've been playing with the same guys for 20 years, so any extra work I did or money invested has long been recouped. The reason it works with me with this agent is the understanding we have, and that's been nurtured from the beginning. I agree that agents in general tend to be jerks. If I was trying to earn a living , it would be completely different. I couldn't indifferently sit around waiting for a call. I'd have to hustle. The fact is I'm pretty much done gigging. Once you start doing corporate work, it kind of ruins you. You get spoiled by the money, and don't want to do lower paying stuff, and the chops required aren't the same, so you get lazy. At least I did. Maybe I just burned out on it. LOL at the mafia comment. I heard the exact same comment from a local dancer. She said your either in or not. Too bad for her she's of the opinion she's not, which, in her case, is a shame. quote:
ORIGINAL: Miguel de Maria Mark, Anthony, :) I get this, too... When I book a group, I do make more. But it's a fine line as to how much more. When is it fair, and when is it exploitive? If you are keeping secrets from your colleagues, are you really justified? It's not easy to say, because not all musicians are going to look at it from both perspectives or with any degree of realism. I pay my guys more than anyone else does, I believe, and probably make less of a leader premium than anyone else in town. But I don't know that it materially helps me. Most musicians are just going to go to who has the gigs. On the other hand, there can be wounds that never heal when secrets are kept and people feel there is too much disparity in the equation. I do not care for the agents as much as Mark. I think most of them charge much more than 20%. I have seen them drop people from their rosters at the slightest provocation, and they keep some of their musicians in a state of fear. It seems they are always trying to get me to lower my rate, and are not above trying to play me against the supposed fees of other players. Some of them ask me to play for free for FAMs and such. These are not the characteristics of an equitable business relationship.
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