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What would you do; principles or money?


Shaster

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Perfectly illustrating why Trump is a Billionaire and you are not.

 

im not sure at whom this might be directed... but just to clear things up a bit, im ceo on a company that cleared just a little less than half a mill last quarter... (can we stop some of the silly conclusion jumping around here, please?) the only thing this perfectly illustrates is that some people have morals and values... and some people just suck as human beings...

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I think even if you don't have morals or values, or if your morals and values are different or even opposite from mine, you have a right to say "No" for any reason you want. Here are a few on my list, and of course YMMV.

 

1) Playing for a cause I am extremely opposed to

 

2) Playing for a person or entity that I am extremely opposed to

 

3) Playing for anything that might in the long run hurt my business more than help it (Whether I liked any president or not, playing for him/her would make enemies - this country has been successfully divided and conquered)

 

4) Playing for a client to is a major PITA (actually I don't decline, I just overcharge and if they want me to be unhappy, they are going to pay me a lot - but nobody has been willing to pay me that much yet - so it's not me telling them "no")

 

5) Any gig I think I'd be misbooked for. I'm not going to take a gig for an EDM audience, because I don't have the material to cover the gig.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

 

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I thought that his post wouldn't effect me and blow me down if I haven't just agreed to do a xmas gig but insisted that I won't be singing any carols or religious songs. Just isn't in my heart to do it. So I guess sort of the same. Now Fairytale of Newyork anyone?

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Almost forgot about religion. Many years ago I did an album for a minister. I recall that he wanted to pray before each session. It's not that I felt he was wrong in his beliefs, it was just kind of strange to be a part of something I wasn't a part of. I kept thinking they would "find me out". Recently I was involved in a Gospel project. Somebody started quoting scripture and I didn't know what they were talking about. I just kept nodding and making sure they knew how to spell my name for the cheque.

 

In the latter case, I was 100% into their project, and 100% into their right to their beliefs, so I didn't feel wrong taking the gig or their money.

 

It is funny though, sometimes where the money comes from matters. Decades ago I did a gig where I finally realized that we were getting paid not from the venue's meager profits, but by the owner's stable of working girls. Luckily by the time I realized it ,the club was shutting down because the owner had to flee the law.

 

I've also played in bands with pimps and drug dealers. My only thought at the time was that they sure had great gear and really nice cars... I would feel differently about that today. Ethics, morals - it gets confusing, and more so everyday.

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I sing with the local choral society and we always sing for the Remembrance Day ceremony. Both my parents served in WWII and one grandfather in WWI, so I attend out of respect for them. The singers stick to O Canada and God Save the Queen and Oscar Peterson's "Hymn to Freedom" but much of the ceremony is taken with politicians and preachers bloviating on their favourite topics (patriotism and God) when the event is meant to remember those who died in service to the country. It just pisses me off. A few years ago there was a movement to commemorate Canadians who served in the American military in Viet Nam. Mercenaries and murderers, I'd call them. Thank God that's passed.

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I totally despise the idea of politics (or religion) playing any role in what gig I do, whether I am accepted into any particular music scene, or the selection of my bandmates. But I anticipate things are moving in that direction and that social media (esp. FB) will be a minefield in that regard.

 

 

I was very recently approached [by a former HC forumite! ] to possibly assemble [and lead] a performing unit to play for Democratic functions in and around Los Angeles.

My response?

As long as the money is good.

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We don't do religious Christmas songs, only secular ones.

 

There are two Christmases here in the US (1) The Christian One with Jesus in the Manger for those who are believers and (2) The secular or pagan one that started as giving gifts after the sun (not the son) died for 3 days around the solstice and then was born again. This was adopted by the Christian philosophy and eventually turned into Santa, but it's roots predate Christianity.

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I don't do religious Christmas songs for a different reason, my audiences are mixed, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Atheists, and who knows what else.

 

Religious songs are exclusive, while secular songs are inclusive, and I want to include as many people as I can.

 

I don't want to raise one philosophy over another, believers and non-believers are all welcome and I don't want to favor one over the other.

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im not sure at whom this might be directed... but just to clear things up a bit, im ceo on a company that cleared just a little less than half a mill last quarter... (can we stop some of the silly conclusion jumping around here, please?) the only thing this perfectly illustrates is that some people have morals and values... and some people just suck as human beings...

 

Directed at the OP. Bottom line it’s business. Go make your money. That’s my point.

 

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I played for a wedding and they wanted me to play some religious songs in a Catholic church on my alto sax. No problem. It's the appropriate place for a religious song. I enjoyed it, the echo and reverb in the place was great.

 

I try to please the audience, not alienate them. For that reason I won't do certain songs for certain gigs. We try to play everybody's music, and when you have a wide audience, a wrong choice could make everybody's music into nobody's music.

 

I wouldn't play Tzena, Tzena, Tzena in a Catholic church any more than I'd play Silent Night in a synagogue. Both are decent songs though.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

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