The U.S. has roughly one “proper” orchestra for every 6 million people.

RKK

http://www.fleetwoodrv.com/revolutionle/default.aspx

…put those truckers to shame…

Thanks for the note. 200 days a year on the road- not unusual for many freelancers. Certainly many of my colleagues in Columbus did that between trips there, Dayton, Louisville, Toledo, Indy, Canton, Western Ohio….

CB- I’m afraid you’re argument sounds a little looney to my ears. I can’t tell you how many people I know with $100,000 violins making 10k a year. Violins don’t maintain themselves either. Then there’s the bow. And insurance. And you’re still driving your car into the ground- I’ve done as much as 30k miles in one year. And I was working on a freaking double doctorate at the time, not that I’m bitter. I just think that if all the Columbus musicians went and blockaded a refinery or two, they’d be making a good salary in no time. Maybe the UK regional players should steal a page from the lorry drivers playbook. RIght now, they can’t get petrol to get to work, how cool would it be if the musicians stopped the lorry drivers from getting to work….

K

Except that darn truck cost over $250,000 dollars + maintenance. Although I considered putting a piano in one and traveling around the country

AM NOT!!! Never drove a lorry before! Or a truck, either! Well….not for pay, anyway. And not far, either….only a moving van for my own household goods. And a few times for friends/family …. does a good BBQ meal & beer count as pay?? All of my ex band mates were not drivers either….well except for Joe, and Craig……hmmm, also Billie…and Julie (the roughest of all!) And they never could see the conductor ’cause they never remembered to look up… OK – Never Mind!

US drivers at a good company can get paid reasonable well….if 200 days away from home is of no consequence…one can earn (assuming averages from Taylor Truck Lines info: 3000miles/wk, $0.43/mi ave depending on experience) over $67,000. More if you own your own truck ($.88/mi X 3000mi = $137,280).

Maybe that is why I play music whenever I can in organizations/groups that I enjoy….and climb mountains fixing police radio sites and microwave communications systems all week to pay the bills. At least my day job beats work!!!!

I might value an education, but I certainly don’t think it should be a guarantee on how much money you make. In fact, I think some “uneducated” professions should get more – such as the friendly garbage men that take away my stale cabbages on Thursday. Its surprising they don’t pass out or get cancer. Or if you really want to complain, you dont have to bother with the fair trucker who lives in the woods near you. Look for those that are NOT on strike or complaining – such as that CEO at your major corporation on the corner. Thats where the real problem is, and they are just as diplomaless and more – ignorant selfish baboons.

Ok, you all…quit slacking (or making me slack). Get back to work. You there, Wales dude…start waving that white stick thing a bit…maybe more loopy this time around…work on that forehand…the percussion wont see you – they are all ex-Lorry drivers btw. As for Gert…haven’t figured out your instrument from your blog, but you might try singing something for us? As for me, this bloody violin thing needs stitching, and I have a turkey that needs attending in the garden.

To CB- I slightly choked on my corn flakes at the mention of truckers choking on gas prices. I can’t think of anyone more hard hit than freelance musicians by gas prices, and on top of this, we’re expected to pay for an maintain hugely expensive instruments…

I highly, highly recommend Jason Heath’s series Road Warrior Without an Expense Account which begins here
http://doublebassblog.org/2006/12/road-warrior-without-expense-account.html
On the other hand, CB is quite right that thousands of excellent musicians are forced in to low earning freelance work despite playing as well or better as their colleagues in the majors simply because of lack of opportunity. When you look at the subsidies our government provides to sport, you can’t help but see that the arts are woefully undersupported, especially considering they do more to drive the economy than sports.

Really quite galling for people who have spent several years studying Higher Education and Professional or post-grad vocational qualifications to discover they would have been better off dropping out of school with no qualifications. Nor would I like to run this one past the squaddies in Iraq and Afghanistan who earn considerably less (they appear to be earning what an Army Captain earns)

Truckers who are employed, (as opposed to self-employed), as these striking drivers are, are no more affected by oil prices than anybody else who is employed for a salary and whose employer meets the costs of doing the work.

Or the people in the good ol USA who never had a chance at an orchestra seat yet are good enough in training to have one up front?

Anyone heard of supply and demand?

But really…just remember, once you make the decision to change careers, or compromise yourself in a position in say…software engineering or…Software QA testing or the like…the golden handcuffs will never allow you to mentally go back to what you value most. Eat your onion soup, and crusty bread and never doubt….

As for truckers, they are being killed by gas prices – which I understand right now is caused by an over-saturation of capital via lower interest rates and thank you Mr Bush admin which is driving up futures (todays dollar will be worth more in the future) and inflation. ad infinitum based on your country code…and chinese demand…and Composerbastard rambling to himself at $5.00 per gallon