Comments on: You! Peon! Work for Free! http://doublebassblog.org/2009/02/you-peon-work-for-free.html double bass news, stories, downloads, podcasts, and more! Fri, 23 Dec 2011 05:11:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: virender http://doublebassblog.org/2009/02/you-peon-work-for-free.html/comment-page-1#comment-16107 virender Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:16:59 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/2009/02/you-peon-work-for-free.html#comment-16107 i want peon job. i am very hard worker and hounst person i want peon job. i am very hard worker and hounst person

]]> By: Jason http://doublebassblog.org/2009/02/you-peon-work-for-free.html/comment-page-1#comment-10726 Jason Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:25:18 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/2009/02/you-peon-work-for-free.html#comment-10726 Why not leave your name? These musicians are not salaried--they're working for $35 an hour, and being asked to play for free for an institution that takes over 50% of a musician's hourly rate as an "administrative cost" is insulting. These are the people that aren't at the top of the musical heap--they're working for low compensation as independent contractors, and being asked to volunteer services in this instance is insulting. I do things for free all the time, but I pick and choose, and I would choose not to get into this situation. By the way, I DON'T have "trouble" getting work--I'm just trying to point out inequity in the freelance biz. If you're going to write things like: "i think your attitude stinks. and quite frankly, if these are the kinds of emails you are writing, no wonder you are finding it difficult to get paid. i certainly wouldn’t hire anyone with that kind of attitude" ...you should have the courage to leave your name. Why not leave your name?

These musicians are not salaried–they’re working for $35 an hour, and being asked to play for free for an institution that takes over 50% of a musician’s hourly rate as an “administrative cost” is insulting. These are the people that aren’t at the top of the musical heap–they’re working for low compensation as independent contractors, and being asked to volunteer services in this instance is insulting.

I do things for free all the time, but I pick and choose, and I would choose not to get into this situation. By the way, I DON’T have “trouble” getting work–I’m just trying to point out inequity in the freelance biz.

If you’re going to write things like:

“i think your attitude stinks. and quite frankly, if these are the kinds of emails you are writing, no wonder you are finding it difficult to get paid. i certainly wouldn’t hire anyone with that kind of attitude”

…you should have the courage to leave your name.

]]> By: a. nonymous http://doublebassblog.org/2009/02/you-peon-work-for-free.html/comment-page-1#comment-10725 a. nonymous Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:20:24 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/2009/02/you-peon-work-for-free.html#comment-10725 with all due respect, you have it completely wrong. as a full-time professional NON-musician, believe me, i'm asked to do stuff all the time (work extra hours to make nice for a client, to help build a presentation, to do community work, etc) for no pay to better the whole of the organization for which i work. i dare say that every profession requires this to some degree. ask anyone who is in the financial or legal world how many hours a week they work at their supposed 40-hour/week job. (and, yes, of course they are well compensated, but so are those at the top of the music profession as well.) i dare say even our beloved gary karr, etc, works for no pay or a very low honorarium sometimes - if it's for a speaking engagement (with musical illustration or whatever). again, i mean all this with due respect: your website is a tremendous resource for bassists. however, i think your attitude stinks. and quite frankly, if these are the kinds of emails you are writing, no wonder you are finding it difficult to get paid. i certainly wouldn't hire anyone with that kind of attitude - and if anyone on my staff sent me an email asking about overtime if i needed them to, for instance, work at a job fair on a saturday, and it was their first email response to the request, and they brought up their college tuition in that email, i would be really, really perturbed. i am in no way saying that musicians (or anyone) should be taken advantage of, nor am i saying you don't have a valid point, but - seriously - ease up dude. it's a little intense. with all due respect, you have it completely wrong. as a full-time professional NON-musician, believe me, i’m asked to do stuff all the time (work extra hours to make nice for a client, to help build a presentation, to do community work, etc) for no pay to better the whole of the organization for which i work. i dare say that every profession requires this to some degree. ask anyone who is in the financial or legal world how many hours a week they work at their supposed 40-hour/week job. (and, yes, of course they are well compensated, but so are those at the top of the music profession as well.) i dare say even our beloved gary karr, etc, works for no pay or a very low honorarium sometimes – if it’s for a speaking engagement (with musical illustration or whatever). again, i mean all this with due respect: your website is a tremendous resource for bassists. however, i think your attitude stinks. and quite frankly, if these are the kinds of emails you are writing, no wonder you are finding it difficult to get paid. i certainly wouldn’t hire anyone with that kind of attitude – and if anyone on my staff sent me an email asking about overtime if i needed them to, for instance, work at a job fair on a saturday, and it was their first email response to the request, and they brought up their college tuition in that email, i would be really, really perturbed. i am in no way saying that musicians (or anyone) should be taken advantage of, nor am i saying you don’t have a valid point, but – seriously – ease up dude. it’s a little intense.

]]> By: Anonymous Content Delivery Droid http://doublebassblog.org/2009/02/you-peon-work-for-free.html/comment-page-1#comment-10662 Anonymous Content Delivery Droid Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:18:55 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/2009/02/you-peon-work-for-free.html#comment-10662 How wonderful of this school to both throw their doors open to the public and reach out to their teachers! And the musical content providers didn't even have to pay for the privilege of performing. As we move into the 21st century, this type of activity is what will place this school at the forefront of institutional branding and allow them to confidently stride into the future of music education! How wonderful of this school to both throw their doors open to the public and reach out to their teachers! And the musical content providers didn’t even have to pay for the privilege of performing. As we move into the 21st century, this type of activity is what will place this school at the forefront of institutional branding and allow them to confidently stride into the future of music education!

]]> By: Peter Berquist http://doublebassblog.org/2009/02/you-peon-work-for-free.html/comment-page-1#comment-10657 Peter Berquist Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:05:54 +0000 http://doublebassblog.org/2009/02/you-peon-work-for-free.html#comment-10657 Jason, Thanks for this article and thanks for your blog - an outstanding resource. The first thing that comes to my mind in this situation is the importance of AFM membership and also the great value of having a musicians' union. As a professional bass player and local AFM officer, I'm dealing with this attitude in various shapes and sizes all the time. We must constantly counter this by educating the public, and our fellow musicians of the value of our work. One thing I've been meaning to ask you is have you considered interviewing for your blog some of the prominent bass players who serve the music community through the AFM? Off the top of my head, there is Bruce Ridge, chair of ICSOM and a member of the NC Symphony bass section; Nathan Kahn, AFM negotiator and member of the CO Springs bass section; and Debbie Newmark, Director of Symphonic Electronic Media and free lance bass player in New York. Thanks again for all you have done for the bass community with your blog. Jason,
Thanks for this article and thanks for your blog – an outstanding resource.
The first thing that comes to my mind in this situation is the importance of AFM membership and also the great value of having a musicians’ union.
As a professional bass player and local AFM officer, I’m dealing with this attitude in various shapes and sizes all the time. We must constantly counter this by educating the public, and our fellow musicians of the value of our work.
One thing I’ve been meaning to ask you is have you considered interviewing for your blog some of the prominent bass players who serve the music community through the AFM?
Off the top of my head, there is Bruce Ridge, chair of ICSOM and a member of the NC Symphony bass section; Nathan Kahn, AFM negotiator and member of the CO Springs bass section; and Debbie Newmark, Director of Symphonic Electronic Media and free lance bass player in New York.
Thanks again for all you have done for the bass community with your blog.

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