GoFundMe to Pay for Gear?

[MDBass]

Let's try re-framing this situation in another way for everyone who is way too emotionally invested in the idea of a stranger "begging" for a bass to take an objective look at what is actually going on here.

It seems to me that the main issue people have is that they don't feel that said stranger "deserves" such an instrument, and attempting to acquire it this way feels like "begging" to them instead of work; not really sure how many private lessons these people have given, private concerts they have performed, or personalized songs they've composed, but that's beside the point

So, instead of opening a GoFundMe campaign, what if these established bands had simply posted on their social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) that they were offering private concerts and lessons to any and all fans who were interested, either in person or via Skype, and for anyone interested to contact them via email.

Would anyone have some kind of objection to that?

Of course not, if anything they'd be lauded for their enterprise and willingness to personally connect and interact with fans; the only difference being that their fans/benefactors would have no idea what that money was being spent on, but in this case they do.

 

[tfer]

I wonder how many of the folks on here grumbling about how kids these days don't know how to work hard and just expect handouts are receiving money from government welfare programs like social security.

Never taken a dime from any government agency.

Ever.

And your tax dollars go into social security. It's not a handout.

 

[Corevalay]

Honestly, alot of you just sound like grouchy old men. The reality is, who the heck cares if someone is asking for crowd-funding... even if they're aren't offering anything back. What's the harm in trying? Reality is, without a real cause, you're not going to get any money. But, if someone wants to donate $$$ for no reason other than they feel like it, what's the difference? It almost feels like there is a hint of jealousy in the criticism. Like, "Well, I had to pay for everything I have, why should someone get a handout". Again, who cares?

 

[MDBass]

Not moving the goal posts.

The OP ended his first statement about funding some guys custom bass with the sentence "But I want to see what TB thinks about it".

The next paragraph isn't related to the first, but was added (IMO) as another example of crowd funding uses.

But he asked for opinions about the first.

So it IS reading comprehension then

The OP says "both videos I saw', in direct reference to the first paragraph.

He didn't actually ask a question of any kind until the third paragraph

 

[TimBosby]

GoFundMe to buy gear after your trailer was stolen or your practice space burned down and you don't have insurance... iffy but OK. Next time buy insurance.

GoFundMe to fund your new album while offering incentives and rewards... better...if there's a demand for it, then have at it.

GoFundMe to build a CUSTOM instrument that you don't need... GoFYourself. I have custom instruments and have spent my own hard-earned paychecks on them. I may not need them, but nobody paid for them but me.

 

[tfer]

So it IS reading comprehension then

The OP says "both videos I saw', in direct reference to the first paragraph.

He didn't actually ask a question of any kind until the third paragraph

I've seen a couple YouTube videos lately of musician starting GoFundMe campaigns to pay for custom instruments to be built. I'm not going to post them here because my intention isn't to bash them personally. But I want to see what TB thinks about it.

Seriously!!?!?

"But I want to see what TB thinks about it."

That's a statement, asking for opinions...

 

[David Canady]

A local guy had a Go Fund Me account to buy a working vehicle. LOL, The CL's ads for musicians always includes "must have own transportation". What is the saying? ...A working musician is the guy who loads $5,000 worth of gear in a $500 car to drive 100 miles for a $50 gig.

 

[MDBass]

Honestly, alot of you just sound like grouchy old men. The reality is, who the cares if someone is asking for crowd-funding... even if they're aren't offering anything back. What's the harm in trying? Reality is, without a real cause, you're not going to get any money. But, if someone wants to donate $$$ for no reason other than they feel like it, what's the difference? It almost feels like theirs a hint of jealousy in the criticism. Like, "Well, I had to pay for everything I have, why should someone get a handout". Again, who cares?

And just for trying, some of these people like the guy with the sign in the endzone or the fellow with the Kickstarter for potato salad, ended up making tens of thousands of dollars.

Shoot, a comedian friend of mine posted his PayPal account on Facebook literally asking people to send him money for no reason, and made around a grand because enough people thought it was funny enough to throw a dollar at

The old adage "you'll never know unless you try" applies to all walks of life

 

[RustyAxe]

Meh ... it isn't something I would do, nor would I contribute to such a thing. If a performer somehow lost his only axe and had no way to replace it, it might be different. But donating to provide someone with a ego tickler ... nah.

 

[MDBass]

Seriously!!?!?

"But I want to see what TB thinks about it."

That's a statement, asking for opinions...

Right, and then he goes on to describe the exact situations he's asking for opinions about in detail, which for some reason you're choosing to ignore as unrelated.

If the OP was only the first paragraph I could understand the confusion.

 

[tfer]

Right, and then he goes on to describe the exact situations he's asking for opinions about in detail, which for some reason you're choosing to ignore as unrelated.

If the OP was only the first paragraph I could understand the confusion.

For the most part, until others pointed out that they received stuff for funding albums, I was responding to the first part. The part where he was asking for our opinions.

The second and third paragraphs ARE unrelated.

 

[MDBass]

For the most part, until others pointed out that they received stuff for funding albums, I was responding to the first part. The part where he was asking for our opinions.

The second and third paragraphs ARE unrelated.

No, they aren't, and this is where reading comprehension comes in; he mentions seeing crowdfunding videos recently in the first paragraph and goes on to describe those exact videos in the second paragraph.

Again, the OP doesn't ask any questions until the third paragraph, and the entire post is related to his questions.

Not really interested in arguing about something so obvious, I'm sure @Duuuuuuuuuude will chime in eventually

 

[tfer]

No, they aren't, and this is where reading comprehension comes in; he mentions seeing crowdfunding videos recently in the first paragraph and goes on to describe those exact videos in the second paragraph.

Again, the OP doesn't ask any questions until the third paragraph, and the entire post is related to his questions.

Not really interested in arguing about something so obvious, I'm sure @Duuuuuuuuuude will chime in eventually

I've seen a couple YouTube videos lately of musician starting GoFundMe campaigns to pay for custom instruments to be built. I'm not going to post them here because my intention isn't to bash them personally. But I want to see what TB thinks about it.

Yeah. I can see how that statement is easy to misunderstand...

 

[Luke19Boarder]

Yeah. I can see how that statement is easy to misunderstand...

You're conveniently leaving out the second (CLEARLY RELATED) paragraph of the original post.

 

[tfer]

I was responding to the prospect of paying for someone else's custom instrument. And so were most everybody else.

Hell, I even bolded and placed the example in italics, in case you missed it...

 

[40Hz]

I wonder how many of the folks on here grumbling about how kids these days don't know how to work hard and just expect handouts are receiving money from government welfare programs like social security.

Social security isn't a handout, nor is it a "welfare program," even if many of it's detractors and several prominent newgen bloggers don't seem to get it. Or maybe it's just they refuse to allow themselves to get it. But why let reality interfere with anything when you're on a good roll, right?

Problem was, instead of being allowed to remain the government administered pension plan - which the people who were paying into it for forty plus years, and were supposed to be eligible to receive in return - it was routinely plundered for anything the government needed money for. Including subsidies to the schools and related social benefits all the people (young and old) who never paid a dime into it received - and continue to receive. So Social Security evolved into what basically became a second income tax. One generally (but not always) used to fund any of the "social" and "feel good" legislation our lawmakers like to slap themselves on the back for. Too bad so much of it was funded with other people's money. And in the truest sense of the phrase.

Even the dumbest person in Congress will admit (if they're drunk) that had Social Security been left alone to do what it was originally intended to do, there'd be more than enough money to pay out to the people who both funded it, and it was promised too. So "Oops!" And just like some crowdfunding BS artists do, they're now wringing their hands and saying to forgive them and that they're doing what they can - but we're all in this together and we need to think about each other and yadda-yadda-yadda...

Whatever.

The damage is done and there's no easy way to even partially fix it now. Just one more broken promise made by Uncle Sam.

It won't be the last. And those that follow will eventually learn for themselves how blaming the victim feels when you find yourself on the receiving end. Guaranteed.

So lets not trot out the current nonsense about how Social Security is just another welfare or handout program. It's not. It's just been plundered to fund a huge number of them.

 

[MDBass]

Yeah. I can see how that statement is easy to misunderstand...

Being needlessly snarky when you're obviously incorrect isn't a good look.

I put the opening sentences in bold so that hopefully you can see how they are clearly directly related

I've seen a couple YouTube videos lately of musician starting GoFundMe campaigns to pay for custom instruments to be built. I'm not going to post them here because my intention isn't to bash them personally. But I want to see what TB thinks about it.

Both videos I saw (and I'm sure there's plenty more that I haven't seen) are for national touring bands, so it's not like they're just some jabroni in his basement. They both offer incentives for donations ($20-ticket to a gig, $50-private lesson, $500-a private concert in your home, $1000-a song written on the new bass).

 

[Luke19Boarder]

I was responding to the prospect of paying for someone else's custom instrument. And so were most everybody else.

Hell, I even bolded and placed the example in italics, in case you missed it...

And those defending him are pointing out that it isn't a hand out. There are incentives for contributing. It's right there in the original post.

 

[tfer]

And those defending him are pointing out that it isn't a hand out. There are incentives for contributing. It's right there in the original post.

What incentives are you receiving for buying a guy's custom bass?

 

[Luke19Boarder]

What incentives are you receiving for buying a guy's custom bass?

($20-ticket to a gig, $50-private lesson, $500-a private concert in your home, $1000-a song written on the new bass).