From SoundOff.FM-Good News!

FAIR PAY FOR WORKING MUSICIANS

Ronda Retail Vs. Rocker Joe

A musician provides a service to a bar, club, or restaurant whether fans show up or not, the same way a retail clerk provides a service to a store whether there are customers shopping there or not. If afternoons are slow in the ladies apparel section at JC Penny, then maybe the manager doesn’t need Ronda Retail to come in to work anymore. He can lay her off. But if he wants to avoid a lawsuit, he damn well better pay her for the work she’s already done!

In the same way, shouldn’t Rocker Joe be paid a fair wage for his work last Monday night at Klub Vertigo? (Practicing, writing, rehearsing, scheduling, booking, promoting, loading in, sound-checking, waiting around, performing, loading out, waiting around to settle up, driving home). If Klub Vertigo didn’t find the performance adequate (either Rocker Joe sucked or his band didn’t bring in enough of a crowd to make the night worth it for the bar), then the club shouldn’t hire him back next time. But Rocker Joe’s band DID work and should be paid something for their effort, right? So why do we so willingly accept the fact that most music venues do not pay well? Why are so many bands hungry to play for free?

Music Apples to Retail Oranges

Granted, the comparison is not quite exact. For one, bringing people through the door is a burden that Klub Vertigo expects Rocker Joe to shoulder. JC Penny doesn’t expect Ronda to be responsible for the number of shoppers in the store on the days she works. (Of course, they do hope she does a good job and makes people want to come BACK once they’ve interacted with her.) Conversely, if JC Penny is slammed right before Christmas, Ronda still gets paid the same wages. If Klub Vertigo is packed with fans, Rocker Joe’s chances for a larger payment increase.

But I digress. Let’s get back to the simple fact that Rocker Joe and Ronda both performed a service. What are the assumptions we make that cause us to THINK of their work and compensation differently?

* Music is a hobby/recreation/art-form, while retail/commerce is work. Hmmm. Maybe not. Some of the best musicians I know don’t enjoy the music they play. They do it. They do it well. But it’s not fun. It’s work. They get paid what they can. They try to support their families. It IS possible for someone to enjoy selling ladies apparel MORE than playing music.

* There are millions of bands competing for that performance slot. Great! May the best band win. And when the best band IS chosen to perform, may they be paid accordingly. We don’t expect Ronda to work for free just because her boss at JC Penny pulled her job application from a pool of hundreds of applicants. She is paid BECAUSE she was the best candidate for the job. We have a whole other set of problems to look at if clubs are booking crappy bands (either they’re terrible or have no hope of building a draw) just to fill time-slots. I’m sure there are quite a few good bands (talented, or with a big draw, or both) that would jump at the chance to have a more regular gig. Which brings us to…

* W-2 versus…. other! Ronda is a W-2 employee, with a regular work schedule and, potentially, a benefits package. What is Rocker Joe’s status? 1099 employee? Under-the-table day-laborer? Volunteer? No matter how the IRS would define this OTHER status, it doesn’t make sense that Rocker Joe should be paid an unfair wage (or nothing at all) simply because he’s not a regular employee. What if Klub Vertigo decided to have Rocker Joe perform there 5 nights a week (instead of a different act each night)? Does he suddenly seem like “an employee” who should be paid well for the music he provides? Does the frequency of his work all of a sudden seem to justify that Klub Vertigo pay Rocker Joe a living wage? Whether Rocker Joe plays Klub Vertigo all year long or they have a different band every night, the club is getting the same service either way. (Courtesy “The D.I.Y. Musician” and Fair Trade Music Group of Portland, Oregon)

Jadi: So many people, especially in the Southwest, see professional musicians as hobbyists who make music for fun, not for a living.  Many club owners and venues take advantage of this mindset and pay very little if anything while they (the owners/venues) rake in a wealth of profits. The truth being; that without those exploited musicians providing a reason for patrons to enter and stay in a venue, the club would make far less.  Shouldn’t those profits be fairly shared with the people that generate them?   Do you know a lawyer, doctor, plumber, or other professional who works for free?  Neither should GOOD PROFESSIONAL musicians be required to do so.  Venue operators and club owners complain about a downturn in business while investing nothing in their entertainment-consumers aren’t stupid.  CLUB OWNERS: you get what you pay for. Do you base you bar on cheap, rotgut liquor? NO-you offer premiums. If you continue to cut corners, especially by bringing in cheap, half-ass bands, you will do long term damage to you potential gross.  In short, GOOD MUSICIANS ARE WORTH THE MONEY.  Pay them fairly and watch your profits rise.

Thanks to the fine people at Fair Trade Music/Portland and The D.I.Y. Musician for the first part of this post.   Godspeed.

Welcome Jesse Marks

Very excited to announce that Jesse Marks has joined the Jadi Norris touring band.  Jesse is a remarkable guitarist from Chandler, AZ who has been an international touring guitar player for South American pop star Annette Moreno and has 2 national tours for pop rock band Undersin Clair.  Jesse has a magnificent stage presence and Jadi says “…his guitar playing is world-class…Jesse can make it whisper, he can make it scream…he is the guitar partner I’ve been looking for…”

Check out the NEW Jadi Norris Band and watch these two world-class guitarists duel at a venue near you soon.

Workin’ Man is Number SEVEN on NMWeekly Charts!

Jadi reaches Number 7 on New Music Weekly Main Country Chart and climbing! This is the second Top 10 from “Make Hay”! Thank You Kacey, Bill, Jerry, Chris, Abby!

“WORKIN’ MAN’S…” ENTER MUSIC ROW MAIN COUNTRY CHART

6/02/2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

JUMPIN ARMADILLO ARTIST JADI NORRIS ENTERS MUSIC ROW CHARTS

FOR THE SECOND TIME

We here at Jumpin Armadillo Records are proud to announce that our artist Jadi Norris has charted AGAIN in the Music Row Main Country chart.  “Workin’ Man’s Saturday Night”, the third single from Jadi Norris’ critically acclaimed CD ‘MAKE HAY” (Jumpin Armadillo/IGO) entered the charts this week at number 79.   This is a huge accomplishment for our little, American-owned label and we want to thank every Radio Station and especially the FANS for their support.

MAKE HAY is available on iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Zune, Pandora, CDBaby, and many more fine online retailers.

Visit Jadi at www.jadinorris.com and on FaceBook, MySpace, ReverbNation, and Twitter.