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I was in the Pressman's Union for a while, but they didn't get me any gigs.
From what I'm told, a union card is necessary for many theater pit, symphony gigs and such. The union sets the $ scale. I was in the union about 50 years ago. Never got me anything (granted I was just a teenager and there were many better players around).
I do a lot of theater work, and I’m still not in the union. But I don’t do union gigs. I still make $75 or more per service.
Basic thing about the musicians union (around me anyhow):
1. Don’t join unless you get a union gig.
2. If/When you get a union gig, call them up and get a membership, but not before.
3. You won’t ever get a gig by being in the musicians union, so there’s no reason to join the union before you get a union gig.
Basic thing about the musicians union (around me anyhow):
1. Don’t join unless you get a union gig.
2. If/When you get a union gig, call them up and get a membership, but not before.
3. You won’t ever get a gig by being in the musicians union, so there’s no reason to join the union before you get a union gig.
I was in the UK version for a short time circa 1979..waste of time, and the fee, whatever it was...
good question! i don't know! i haven't been an A.F. of M. member for a while, now (though i was for forty years). i do read some musician's union materials (news) now and then.
my impression is that nothing much has changed. maybe a current member can speak to the 'union way'.
not my experience (local #3, indianapolis). i got lots of gigs because i was a union member. i know every local is different, however.
I was in the union when I lived in San Antonio, Texas, but my experience was that they did more preventing their members from playing in non-union or mixed gigs, than they did to get jobs for them.
yes, of course. and of course they knew something about me...i was a member of the union! all types of gigs (but they knew what my preferences were). this should not be surprising.
+1
I was in Local 47 in Hollywood for about four years in the early seventies.
For my union audition, I had to lug and load my bass, amp, and cab with 2-15" speakers up and down my second-story stairs so I set could set up on stage (more stairs), just so 3-4 suits could watch me execute an F# scale which one of them asked me to perform.
I guess they needed some background music to be played while they were turned away from me and talking to each other while I was playing!
I completed the scale and passed the audition I was so previously sweating!
Had I spent the necessary time to learn how to read actual notated arrangements, I too would have gotten more work.
As far as jobs, they did have a musician's wanted bulletin board at the local where I got most of my gigs from.
Some were to learn 25-50 songs so the front could have a band to showcase to one or more booking agents that would show up on a single night's gig.
They'd find a willing club (and most were), then fill it with their friends and family (who btw spent money on food and drinks) so the agents could see them in a live environment, which would helped them get signed.
By 73-74 this practice was so common that the club owners started charging the acts that wanted to use their stage for potential record or touring possibilities, as well as charging for the food and drinking customers the act supplied!
I can't recall if some had a cover charge or not.
Therefore, gigs were getting fewer and farther between, especially non-union ones as there were now more out of work musicians.
Once, I did set up a meeting with the union BA, asking for work, and he told me work was slow, but he could get me a possible gig touring with Little Richard.
He then proceeded to talk me out of it by saying that LR had numerous grievances against him regarding paying the band.
Let's say scale was $200 p/w.
Some members would end up with a $75 check.
When they complained to him, he'd reply something to the effect of...you were smoking on stage 4 times, that's a $20 fine for each time.
You were munching or drinking something or other on stage...$15 for each infraction.
IIRC, the players weren't warned ahead of time either!
Around that time, the non-union MCS (Musician's Contact Service) was gaining popularity.
That was OK, sans the percentage of flakes that would show up at an audition (or gig) with some or all of the following:
Can I plug into your amp?
You got an extra pick (or cord, as mine's leaking).
I think one GP even asked if I happened to have an extra guitar string (when I was doubling) of a specific gauge!
I did do some non-unions towards the end, but used a funny/fake last name when I was introduced, just in case a rep was standing in the dark/back part of the club, if and when they did show up.
I dunno. I think they probably call you cause you can do the gig. Guess we’re arguing semantics now. But I think if they really wanted you, and you weren’t in the union, they’d say, “Hey, I want to hire you, get in the union.” And you say, “ok, I just got in the union” and then you got the gig.
i'm not even sure i understand your statement(s), your POV. "they" probably don't care one way or the other...
I never wanted to be a pro, I wanted to write song with a metal band. I figured I'd gig on the weekends when I got old.
Reading music would have been useful recently, I was playing with a bunch of musicians who started out on piano. I know what the symbols mean and all of the theory just never bought a primer. I think I did pretty good for no lessons.
Reading music would have been useful recently, I was playing with a bunch of musicians who started out on piano. I know what the symbols mean and all of the theory just never bought a primer. I think I did pretty good for no lessons.
I've been to Branson and I don't envy any of those pros. The venue owners drive Beemers and the musicians drive beaters, play Modeling Amps or direct. It's not as glamourous as people think.
