Outta my way George Strait... I'm a bringing a butt whoopin with this music business stuff.

Okay, I've got a group of friends that I play music with pretty regular and we sound pretty decent, it's getting better, and they've been real patient with me... although I think some of that might be mutual. :-) 3 of the 5 of us have been either professional or semi-professional musicians over the years... I am not one of those 3. I've played guitar for my own enjoyment since I was about 14, a few times I've played in public either solo or with others, but nothing regular. About last July or August I decided that I needed to play the mandolin and picked up the basics fairly quickly, but it's definitely an ongoing learning experience. Add in that my music background has predominately been rock and blues and it makes my instrument choice a little curious.

Anyhow, these folks got together pretty frequent and through chance, they heard that I was playing mandolin. Then needed a mandolin player. I needed playing time. Ta Da! They've listened to their share of sour notes that I've squeaked out of my mando, but we're doing pretty good.

Now, the guitar player, Ronnie calls Sally last week with this message. "Sal, tell Jace we've got a paying gig." Ronnie has been a professional since his late teens, so he knows what the heck a "paying gig" is.

Sally calls me on my cell.

Sal: Jace, Ronnie just called, he says you guys have got a paying gig.

Me: No kidding? What's the story?

Sal: I don't know, that's all he said other than it's gonna be at the Royal Theatre in Macon.

Me: For real?

Sal: According to Ronnie, yup.

Now the Royal is a local movie theatre that has been converted for the local theatre group to perform in several times each year. It has an attached restaurant/supper club area for a couple of black tie affairs and such each year as well. So... this is sounding pretty cool.

I get to play music

I get an audience.

I get paid.

Cool.

So we go to play last night and I'm all curious so I ask what's up. Well... lol It turns out that 2 of our members have decided that the community would like to have a little coffee house style music night once or twice a month and they're starting up on a shoe string budget.

This redefines the term "Paying gig".

Martina (our singer) looks at me and said... "admission is gonna be $3 bucks" I said, that seems real cheap. She says "Well we're gonna have coffee and deserts and stuff that'll be on top of that" Me, "Ahhh" Martina then says "We'll all pay admission as well. We need the money to get started."

I sat there, everyone smiling at me with stupid grins. "For real? I gotta pay AND play?" In unison it was a room of grinning, nodding heads.

*sigh* Okay.

I really REALLY love playing. :-)

Sal and I went out today, I got a new hat just for the show. A good "look" is important in the music business you know. lol