I met someone in a music venue last weekend. When I was introduced he said,‘Wendy Hayes? I know you. I‘ve heard your CD! You’re awesome!’ I was humbled and
flattered. I never thought I would hear anything like that. I also felt suddenly shy and at
the same time, thrilled...thrilled because maybe, just maybe, all of this ‘stuff’ I’m doing
might just pay off in the end.”
Wendy Hayes, Wendy Hayes Quartet
http://www.wendyhayes.net
“Being a musician is labor intensive. You have to love doing it so much that the work
involved feels worth it. You must practice and write, then get gigs and wrangle with idiots
who fancy themselves as promoters (promoting is something they hardly ever do), so you
promote, then get you and your band to the show. Do the show, deal with soundguys who
don’t know what they are doing. When its all over you have to get paid, which sometimes
involves threats and tactics less than ethical. Then you pack up all of your gear again, get
in the tour vehicle and head to the next gig for some more eye opening abuse. Sometimes
everything works out just right but you can’t get lazy. You must be ruthless in your persis-
tence and keep your fans happy. It’s all about the fans.
Lipbone Redding, Lipbone Redding & The LipBone Orchestra
http://www.lipbone.com
Balancing Your Professional and Personal Lives
It’s said that all work and no play makes one a dull person. Music, although wonderful,
can easily become an all-encompassing endeavor when you’re a professional. We find
ourselves working on music, looking for gigs, or both as the clock ticks on. We start our