Originally Posted By: 90 dB
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“If I want to give my product away free for the joy of doing so that's my business and I'll do it if I want to.”

That statement perfectly illustrates the problem addressed in the OP.
Try handing out free hot dogs at a pro ballpark, or free beers in someone's bar. Let me know how that works out for you. grin <...>


Try going into that very same venue and instead of giving away free music, try giving away free drinks to the customers and see how long you last.

When I was a kid, we tried to sell some pineapples we grew in front of the local Kwik Check grocery store. The manager came out and gave us a lecture telling us he would rather not call the police to get us to stop.

Back almost to the topic...or at least the sub-subject of adaption.

Yes, you have to adapt to the ever-changing music business. When I was young, a number of old guys were waiting for the big-bands to come back, and refused to play any of that "rack and roll".

When we started playing Country Clubs, even Elvis Presley songs were too recent for the audience, now it's too old for most, and they want to hear Baby Boomer music, Disco and even a few new ones like Blurred Lines.

Rewind a little: I used to play in 4 to 6 or 7 piece rock bands - that was what horn players did. But I had the guitarist and bass player show me how to get around on their instruments, and doubled on a few songs. When we backed Freddie "Boom Boom" Cannon, he heard our group and asked me to play bass because he thought I was better than the bass player (I wasn't better, just picked up things quicker).

That served me well because in the psychedelic era, nobody wanted to hear saxophones for a while so I played bass for a living.

When we were having too many personnel problems in bands to keep working steadily, I decided to go to the duo market by making my own backing tracks. I did it first by recording the tracks on a Teac 4 track reel-to-reel and mixing to cassette. Then came MIDI sequencers and that made my job easier. No, it didn't put anyone out of work as we played smaller venues.

You need to adapt to the changing market, but how can you adapt at people who give away what you are selling? Even if the quality isn't nearly as good, it's free.

True musicians need to play, and music needs an audience. Many musicians would hate it if people started pirating their CDs and other merchandise or stealing the songs they wrote. Then why is it OK to steal another musician's livelihood by taking his job away and playing for free?

If you live by the "Do unto others", or the "Thou shalt not steal" ethics, it can't be OK.

So here's my suggestion. The next time you go out to play for free in a commercial venue, take along a cooler full of cold beer and give away free beers to the customers.

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