An adventure in music

I was going to write this as a facebook post (http://facebook.com/jamesrobinsonparran) but I remembered I had a blog that I never use- so here I am in the blogosphere. For any musician, this is not a new story but I write this as a cautionary tale about asking for what you're worth and being clear about things.

My first mistake was going on craigslist to see if there were any gigs I could take for some quick cash. It's been in my experience that people who post for musicians on craigslist are doing it for one of two reasons: A)They don't want to pay, or B)They're certifiable. Of the myriad of opportunities I've had, not one of them has been particularly good from that site. But that's another day's story.

My tale begins here:

This is the ad on craigslist:

looking for talented piano player no drama (north side chicago )
Date: 2011-03-31, 5:05PM CDT


looking for a talented piano play must be 21 please be available to perform on friday saturday and sunday please call 8**-***-****
pop music, r/b, motown , country and rock please call soo we might put you on this friday if talented call now 8**-***-****

* Location: north side
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
* Compensation: $75

Last minute sort of thing, not horribly bad but I can empathize with needing a musician quick. Let me just say this, first: I never call unless there's a damn good reason to. Strangers with my number calling whenever they feel like it? Fuck that noise. I have a google number for a reason. So, I ignore the request for a phone call (as well as the bad grammar and spelling) and send an email.

Below, is the text of the email in all its glory:

James
to gigs-******

I'm interested in the gig. What are you looking for exactly?

http://jamesparran.com



http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/****

polite, to the point and some information on me. About 10 percent of the time, I just get an informal "You look like you know what you're doing- here's the skinny." This is what I get back:


Steve to James
CAN YOU MEET ME AT THE CLUB FRIDAY AT 5PM FRIDAY

Now, "Steve" is not this guy's real name. I changed it to protect his show. But I've seen him post repeatedly for a keyboardist in the past and my heart kinda sinks. I know that this will probably be an uphill battle because if he's had such a hard time keeping a pianist as his posts suggest he's not only poor, he's nuts too. Still, I soldier on. You never know a book by its cover, so to speak:


James to Steve
Two things. A) where is the club? and B) What are you looking for exactly? I'm not sure if I'd be a good fit, and certainly don't want to waste your time.

regards,

James


You'll see a couple of things here. A) in his first post, he asked me to meet him at a place that he hadn't given me the address to. And B)he didn't answer my original question of "What's the gig?" I was respectful, professional, and I think- patient. Maybe he's on a smart phone and hasn't gotten a chance to sit at a computer lately. Benefit of the doubt, people. That's my game. Here's his response:


Steve to James

3160 north ****

and check us out on youtube

"The Steve show"

http://www.youtube.com/user/

Again, not his real name or show. So I check it out. Looks like the guy does pop music with a live band. It sounds like he does it poorly. But, it seems to be popular, so whatever. I can do that, and with the time crunch of him wanting someone Tomorrow I figure time is of the essence and email him some final questions back. This is important:


James to Steve
Checked out the clips. You do pop songs, then? Just a couple more questions:

A)Are there music charts for these songs?

B)Is there a keyboard at the club? What kind is it?

C)Is 75 dollars a night, or for the whole thing?

Look forward to hearing from you.

James


I have to know if I need to start listening to these songs now, or if I can read the charts and not have to worry about it. I need to know if I need to bring my keyboard, or will they provide one at the venue. And, I definitely need to know how much this show is paying because no way in HELL am I lugging around my keyboard, or playing hour to two hour (or more, because we hadn't gotten that far yet) shows for 25 dollars a call. I could make more begging on the streets. This is his response:


Steve to James
your right maybe your not a good match thanks for inquireing


And that, folks is the end of that. I think when I asked him if it would pay 75 dollars a show, he freaked and thought I was too expensive. And so I am. But there are many, MANY lessons to take away from this:

1)Don't go on Craigslist looking for gigs: I think I might have had one good gig from craigslist in a decade. I said before, people go on for two reasons A)They're nuts or B) They're cheap. Either way, not a good deal.

2)If you think it's gonna stink, you're right: As soon as I saw this guy's name, I knew I was in for a bumpy ride and I was right. Should have walked away then, but c'est la vie.

3)Do not be afraid to ask for what you want (or need) in payment. Even if you don't get it, you save in aggravation: I have too many stories about how I took lesser pay to put food on the table or rent money in my pocket. Most of the time, I appreciated the money but hated the gig. I'm thinking recently of when I agreed to accompany a high school's competition. Never again.

As it was, I had enough stuff this weekend that this would have just been butter on the bread. But the nerve of some people. I suspect he wanted me to play three days in a row, for several hours, with my own equipment for 25 dollars a call. For those of you who think that's fair imagine this: would you work for 25 dollars a day? Wouldn't even cover your gas!