I've gone from playing clubs, to playing concerts, back to playing clubs, to playing cruise ships, and now to playing Yacht Clubs, Country Clubs, and other private and semi-private clubs, and that's why the freebie musicians don't affect what I do.

I remember when I was young, the older guys told me that once they started playing Country Clubs, they never wanted to go back to playing bars. Now that I'm an older guy, I found out what they meant and other than my every Tuesday at the marina (a loose fun, no-pressure gig), I find I'd rather play those gigs.

I've made the bulk of my living playing music for most of my life. I'm at the age where others retire, but I can't envision a life without playing music, so I have no plans to retire. I just get a little pickier about which jobs I take.

It's a lot tougher to make a living at playing music than it was when I was young. Every hotel from a Holiday Inn on up had a band playing 6 nights a week. Single bars had bands and any bar with a TV in it was probably just a corner tavern with a dozen or so bar stools. Plus TV had grainy pictures and very tinny sounds so to hear good live music, you had to go hear a band.

All that has changed, the number of places and nights that hire bands have shrunk and people who play for free are taking away much of what is left.

I'm glad that I grew up when I did, or else I might have had to have day jobs all my life.

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
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