I created this petition to emphatically request the regulation of music-industry booking agencies and other entities that employ musicians for events, concerts, gigs, and live-music performances. The goal of this request is to improve conditions under which, and pay for which, professional musicians work.

I strongly believe that conditions under which professional musicians work, and their pay (salaries), must reflect a level of respect for the Music Arts. Currently, working conditions and pay do not reflect an appropriate level of respect for the Music Arts and professional musicians.

The main reason why lack of respect is shown to professional musicians is because music-industry booking agencies (and other entities that employ professional musicians) are unregulated. Booking agencies seem to be exclusively driven by profits.

And since booking agencies and similar entities are currently unregulated, working conditions and pay for professional musicians have gotten worse.

To provide some clarity, below I use my experience as an example of not receiving the level of respect I deserve. My experience is not unusual from most professional musicians’ experiences.

I started playing saxophone in 1998. After graduating college in 2008, I immediately started playing in corporate bands. I observed that many bands in which I worked were booked for corporate events by EastCoast Entertainment (ECE), a multi-million-dollar booking agency that’s advertised as “the largest full-service entertainment agency in the country”.

The markets in which these bands performed mostly consisted of wedding events and corporate events; such as, AFLAC, GoDaddy, and other Fortune 500 companies. Since those events were hosted by Fortune 500 companies, weddings and parties were some of the most top-tier events in the United States.

Of all corporate events in which I performed, it seemed to me that Fortune 500 companies spared NO expense in hosting events for their employees. Those events reflected levels of respect companies had for their employees.

In contrast, my pay in 2008 averaged $250 for each gig, regardless of whether a gig was located in- or out-of-state. As such, my pay did NOT reflect
• time spent mastering my musical skills;
• time spent traveling;
• preparation specific music selections for events (i.e., gigs); and
• level of proficiency at which I performed at those gigs.

Further, too often, if I were paid by checks, checks were not cashable in a timely manner. And it’s not uncommon for musicians to have their pay decreased for not helping to set up sound equipment even though they were NOT hired as roadies or stagehands.

Regarding travel time, each gig required at least 24 hours of my time to prepare, travel and perform. For out-of-state gigs, it was not uncommon for me to be required to travel the day before a gig, and then travel the day after a gig. As such, my total time spent preparing, traveling and performing totaled three (3) days of work.

Regarding meals, many times, only one (1) meal was provided to musicians, regardless of whether a gig was located in- or out-of-state. Often, meals were provided immediately prior to performances. And too often, meals were of poor quality and/or fried. In other words, meals were usually not considerate of musicians’ dietary needs.

Regarding other conditions, musicians frequently do not have appropriate spaces in which to dress for performances.

Working conditions and pay should not be stigmas for struggling musicians. All professional musicians are worthy to receive sustainable income. Please sign the position to regulate music-industry booking agencies and other entities that employ musicians for events, concerts, gigs, and live-music performances.