The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #99110 Message #1972490
Posted By: Big Al Whittle
19-Feb-07 - 10:22 AM
Thread Name: Performers fees (% or flat fee?)
Subject: RE: Performers fees (% or flat fee?)
Dear Countess (and I speak here as someone whose cousin once got mistaken for Lord Lucan)
I'm sure there is much nobility in your desire to see folksingers get paid a decent screw. However if you had engaged in the nuts and bolts that hold the live music scene together in England, I think maybe you would have a more generous of view of people you have been talking to, and their motives.
The folk music scene is a movement. The places in the movement occupied by professionals - music instrument makers, performers, journalists - still leave a lot of room for other people - shall we call them enthusiasts.
Many of the enthusiasts are quite as accomplished as the professionals, but they don't want to live the life of self employed small businessman - which is basically what we are, when we decide to make this our pricipal source of revenue.
the bigger the movement, the more all embracing - the more chance of artistic sucess, because there will be more chance of attaining or re-establishing a living folk culture. Even if you don't like an aspect of the folk revival - try not to seek its diminishment.