Don M...

A good description of what is happening.

Yes musicians are valid, good professionals who need to make a living.

I can't afford to fly anywhere.
Trouble is that a musician who can afford to fly in across country puts out a tip jar.

I tend to feel like I should put out the tip jar and they could help pay down the credit debt I get into when I go to their performances.

I beleive that there are ways to fix this without screwing either performer venue operator or customer.

Remember if not for audience there would be no venue.

As it is going now the numbers unable to afford to attend are growing.

Perhaps the answer is more performances, lower cost per audience member and with accessibility improved even greater profit will come through greater numbers.

Just because you get an adequate number of people attending who are wealthy enough to not feel the prices does not mean that you are getting all the audience you could by changing the paramaters.

I know how much I need to pay for a beer and it is dramatically less than I am bing ripped off for the same at a venue.

Yes what is happening is normal and understandable and not terrible. However even the best situations could use a wake up call.

That wake up call is - do something about the high costs for audience to attend or you will be all out of work.

Is it excessive perofit taking- not necessairly but look into that.
What is the profit of the venue you play at?
If it is excessive then demand that it be toned down a notch.
If no one is accumulating money then change something else. Situations will differ.

Essentially - Try something and dont think that the present situation is the best just because it seems to have been that way forever.

Remember- when you cultivate a mono crop and it fails yoiu loose totally. Never rely upon one income level of patron. Broaden the base eliminate economic descrimination even though it seems to pay well.

Conrad