Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi
I really the time has come that all musicians of any genre should understand and accept their status of being a worker or of an employee.
Whenever and wherever they play in front of people – they as a matter of fact – WORK! Composing, rehearsing, whatever they musically do is work. Whoever pays a musician or band is the employer and the musician/band, who receives the money or check, is the employee. According to labor law this is a fact and musicians have to accept that a.s.a.p.!
There’s no reason for a musician to play free in public any more!
Yesterday I went to the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council grant information session. I was told when I receive a grant of x dollars and it’s for a music project, I’m supposed to pay the participating musicians from my grant money. Fortunately, there are some institutions in this city who understand that musicians can’t work free for their work and artistic contribution.
