No doubt, there are strong feelings on both sides of this debate. No matter what side you find yourself on, realize that the economy is always the driving force in business decisions. What worked ten years ago may not work now, and in 5 years that will have changed again.

Buggy whip manufacturers didn't see the "automobile thing" coming. Record companies didn't see the "music downloads" thing coming until it was too late. You have to adapt to the changing conditions or you risk being swept away by the changing of the tides. 30 years ago if you had told me that bands would be making HALF the money we were being paid back then...AND.... not adjusted for inflation, I'd have thought you were seriously crazy. Times have changed and certainly not for the better in the live music business.


I believe, that if you want to be successful in the music business, one of those factors is that you don't worry about the money. You play music because you love it, or you don't do it. If you play for a price or you play for free, do it like you're getting paid a million bucks or don't do either. It's not work. It's music.

Anyone who really wants to play to an audience will always find the way to do so. On the street corner, in the nursing homes and hospitals, or on the CMT music awards show..... where there's a will, there tends to be a way.

Musically, I'm where I want to be right now. I've played for free more times than I can remember. I've played for money where I thought I was rich when they handed me that cash at the night's end. I've played for 2 people..... the bartender and the waitress, and I've played on a stage in front of tens of thousands. Like I said in the other post, I've been there and I've done that... more than once.

I have no problem with anyone who is willing to walk on a stage and sing a song for free. Nor do I have any problem with a musician commanding top dollar for their performance.

Everyone has to start somewhere. And I can guarantee, it is a rare musician who has never played for free.

So.... unless you are that rare musician, one who has always been paid to perform and sing from the very first time you ever performed in public, you have no business telling other musicians to "do as I say, not as I do" when it comes to playing for free.

You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.