When You Don’t Hire a Professional Musician, Bad Things Happen to Good People

by oldwp | Aug 20, 2011 | Uncategorized

What's the difference between an amateur and a professional? Experience!

Earlier this week, I had a frantic phone call from an activity director at a nursing home that had a young student violinist cancel on her for a very important dinner.  The activity director was trying to save money but she ended up wasting even more time and money.  Unfortunately, I was available but in her panic, she ended up getting another amateur whose instrument and style was not at all in alignment with the event.

More recently, I read the notice of the memorial service that I played at for a World War II Navy Seal veteran.  Much was written about the color guard and the drill team but no mention of the beautiful music that I provided – yes, another amateur cancelled at the last minute.  Because I had the experience of knowing that the location was equipped with nothing more than a podium and 200 hundred people were expected to attend, I provided my professional sound system, too.  It was a beautiful moment when the great-granddaughters of this hero wanted to sing a song to honor him; everyone was able to hear them, as well as the many beautiful eulogies.

Then today I received a letter from a hospice care organization that is looking for volunteers to play music for families with a loved one who is dying.  The letter went on to imply that if you volunteered you would be considered for events that paid, such as memorial services, music at impatient units and luncheons.  And I thought “pay to play” was only related to Illinois politicians…

When another hospice organization had asked me to play for a memorial service during the holidays last year, my grief was still very raw from my father having recently passed while in another hospice facility.  However, I wanted to give the comfort I was extended, and yet the holidays are the time I am most requested to play.  Someone recognized my talents for their worth and donated the small stipend I requested that would allow me to justify turning down five other very lucrative engagements.  Knowing I wasn’t the only one in the room who was hurting, my professionalism took over to provide a very special program.  I was blessed with so many people telling me how they were dreading attending the service but that my performance made them smile if only for a little while.  Would these people have had the same comfort and care if there was someone who was playing for the publicity or to gain performance experience?

As a professional musician, there is no difference between a paid performance or one in which I choose to donate my services to.  That is what professionalism is.  Over the years, I have had the honor and privilege to provide music for Relay for Life, the foster children of Shelter Inc., Sudden Infant Death, Wish Upon a Wedding and many memorial services for members of armed forces.  So, when I am asked to provide music “for the exposure and publicity” and then I find out that these groups have enough money to pay for my services but are looking for a “deal”, it is very disturbing.  Inevitably, they end up in the same position as the three groups I discussed earlier – expecting professional level service from inexperienced amateurs.