Whenever someone asks me what I do for a living and I give them
the answer, I can always count on hearing: “If you don’t mind me asking, how
much do you make down there?” The answer naturally is, “It varies.”
Fortunately, I don’t think I’ve ever come home with less than minimum wage.
If an hour passes and I haven’t made at least that, I can count on making up
the difference in the next hour or so. I’m guessing $10-$12 an hour is the
average. I make what one would make at a decent part time job. Of course in
this day and age, especially in NYC, I don’t know anyone who can live on
that. Fortunately, I sell my CDs. For $10 a piece, I can sometimes come home
with quite a bit of money. Much like mining or prospecting for
gold, I go underground, and if blessed, strike a vein. I might sell several
CDs in one fell swoop to an entourage of tourists or inebriated folk after a
fun night out. I might make a $20 tip from someone who was especially moved.
On the other hand, I could be out busting my hump in the middle of the week,
seeming to panhandle for spare change. |
||
|
The reasons people give me money are as
varied as the people themselves. Some like what they hear of course; they
appreciate the effort but not
necessarily the music; they want to impress a date; I remind them of their
son who is a musician; they were once a musician; they feel sorry for me,
etc. At the end of the day, it makes no difference. I’m grateful to be doing what I love. I am the CEO, the board of directors, and
the prime shareholder of my corporation. In other words, I don’t have to call
in sick, I’ll never get fired, and I get to take all the profit. I’ve been
living a semi-charmed life. I don’t have any savings to speak of, but if I’m
ever in a fix, I can just go underground at anytime and earn enough to get me
by. I am not a materialist. I have just
enough clothes, my bass, and a mattress (if that). My overhead is low. What
little money I make, I spend on good food, good times, and good people. I am
happy with what I have. My only desire is recognition for my art. If there is anything more thrilling than
the steady flow of money into my case, I would have to admit it is the
positive energy of the opposite sex. I can’t think of any other job that
would allow me to see the full spectrum of beauty that’s out there. I’m all about the music, but I also
wonder who’s going to walk down the platform. I have seen it all, yet I will
always be blown away. Give me a glance, and frankly who cares about the
bottom line. As attractive as So the answer to that ever-popular
question: Love or Money? Love, baby. |
