Steve Raybine:
Blog #98:
Raybine Speaks Out
I haven't written anything for the last several weeks due to the endless hours I've spent preparing my yearly tax report for 2009. When you're self-employed like I am as a music teacher; performer; composer and recording artist, it takes a long time to organize your innumerable declarations and incoming-and-outgoing finances--I don't have a business manager to do this for me, unfortunately. I paid out a large sum of monies to approximately 21 different independent musicians this year with my CD recording (In the Driver's Seat) or for gigs. Of those 21 musicians, only one (the Secretary/Treasurer of the local Musician's Association) actually put money back into my pocket with three engagements. What does this story tell you? Firstly, most musicians have little or no concept of a reciprocal business relationship--"RECIPROCITY," as it is known. I hire you for work and you reciprocate by hiring me or referring work to me in exchange for services rendered. Alas, but alack, no such luck.
The lack of reciprocity in music business relationships is one of my great pet peeves. I've encountered this scenario so many times on different levels that it has become a stale and tired situation. Musicians want you to do things for them, but when it comes time to return the favor, it rarely materializes. Thank God my father worked with people during his maximum-earning-potential days who grasped the concept of a reciprocal business relationship--otherwise he would never have been able to afford to send me to the Eastman School of Music for my undergraduate degree in music. I've mentioned this reciprocity situation to various musicians and they seem somewhat clueless about how business really works--more people need to take a basic business course in order to understand the rules (written and unwritten) about the business world.
I'm now selling more CD's and downloads on-line (internet) than in person. Let's face facts: record stores are dinosaurs and will be out-of-business in the near future. No one I know patronizes them on any consistent basis any longer. Moreover, why even make CD's? Very few people really want to buy a physical CD anymore--it's too easy to download what tune(s) you want and pop it onto your ipod. Saves you the money, space, energy and yes, the time and gas money of going to a record store and storing a CD you don't have room for in your home or car. There's a reason why many of the most prominent record stores have gone out of business years ago--relatively few people shop there anymore.
Terrestrial radio stations are suffering compared to internet radio. I've spoken long and eloquently about this, but suffice it to say, internet radio affords the listener more variety and less-constricted playlists. Large radio corporations like to promote the status quo, whereas smaller independent stations are more attuned artistic creativity and variety--what a novel concept!
More academic .edu musicians should spend more time functioning in the "real world" of music. Maybe then, they'd grasp how difficult it is for the independently-employed musician to earn a living in music. I've known .edu guys that couldn't have survived a month in the real music world, but were critical of those who could. Why can't we all just get along and appreciate one another? Maybe a chorus of Kumbayah is what's called for?
Can you believe how expensive it is to pay for insurance--car; instrument; house; umbrella; health; etc? It seems that every time I open the mailbox, I receive another insurance bill for something. Can we please do something about these astronomical insurance fees? Hey, I love insurance as much as the next guy or gal, but gimme a break!
The roads in Omaha have more patches than a football stadium filled with one-eyed pirates. Never have I experienced more road repair and large holes that could substitute for moon craters. Now that it's Spring, please can we get these roads fixed before my car disappears into one of these audacious sink holes?
Why do so many musicians play for a substandard performance fee. Why you ask? Answer: because they're so desperate to perform they'll give their talent away for free or next-to-nothing (the 'freebie' syndrome). People: this hurts everyone. It lowers the performance scale for all musicians--don't you get it? Negotiate a reasonable fee for your music performances--free doesn't equal good or even acceptable.
The music teaching field is getting more competitive each week. More teachers are appearing that charge a relatively small fee that inhibits the work other highly-trained and educated professionals offer to prospective students. People, once again, cheaper doesn't mean better or that you're getting a good deal in the long run. When you can have the best, why settle for the rest?
Have you noticed how few good-paying gigs exist these days? Times are tough, Amigos, if you haven't figured that out yet.
I'm incredulous about all the offers I'm receiving by new internet companies to e-blast my music for $89.00. Is this some magical number that makes me want to part with my money?
Have any of you made it through an entire day without spending money? I haven't and it frustrates me. Someone, somewhere wants my money and they usually get it.
Hey, my flowers and blossoming crab trees are gorgeous this year. Thank God for Spring and the wonders of nature.
Am I one of the few people that actually reads a newspaper anymore? I love the USA Today--keeps me informed about national news and sports.
Time to sign off, Amigos. Keep the faith and keep your wallets shut--at least for today.
Copyright 2010 Steve Raybine
All Rights Reserved
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