Um...it's okay to rant but surely if you play the pipes you could, if you wanted to, get a paying gig on St. Patrick's day or if you chose not to play for free you could just stay home. You don't have to allow yourself to be treated like a free juke box - either insist on a fair fee or don't play. I sometimes do stuff gratis when it's for a good cause or it's educational, but when I start getting sick and tired of it I just say no.