The word is going around that the powers that be, at Swannanoah, have been very irritated that some good musicians have come to the campus after the classes are over and dared to play music without signing up for classes. From my own experience I received dirty looks and remarks from management last year even though my wife Cathy was taking lessons.
They also got pissed that Tommy Peoples, Martin Hayes and David
Power, invited me to perform with them at the concert that night even though I was doing it for no fee.
Now the word is that they are going to charge a fee to anyone appearing on campus… it will be $100.00 for a “buddy” pass. This policy will do little but spread bad feelings.
In my opinion this is an injustice and moronic thing to do. Students need to hear good sessions and musicians should be able to play as long as it does not interfere with the programs.
By the way, the pay for teachers at Swannanoah is far from adequate;
downright cheap.
… wonderful, simply wonderful… but typical… a good thing is often murdered by it’s own hand. :roll: And in this case, it sounds like greed may be the motive.
Pat,
you are absolutly right, this is a grave mistake on the part of the management. Though I must say, there are alot of very bad muscians who come to the gathering without paying, who do not benefit the sessions in any way. While charging someone such as yourself is ludacris, it might do to keep some of less than masterful people away.
-Jack Devereux
Pat I think you need to chill. I understand your concern and respect your opinion but there is a little more to it than that. Stuff you don’t really understand.You have no business bashing it like this on an online messageboard. If it is that huge of a deal to you maybe talk to Jim about it. The 100 dollar buddy pass is alittle extreme, i will agree with you there. As jdevereaux said, there are many many people who come up univited and are terrible. Now you and say Joseph Sobel coming up on the otherhand is just a phenominal thing, I agree.Maybe you are jealous you were not invited to teach? You say the pay for teachers is barely adequate, but yet the same great teachers and players keep coming back.
If there’s “a little more to it than that,” then you must be “in the know.” So why not share these extenuating circumstances instead of blasting Pat and implying that he’s not good enough to be invited as a teacher. Have the balls to actually say something instead of hinting at this or that.
As for teachers coming back to teach with barely adequate pay, you’ll find that an extremely common thing. Just look at any public school in America.
I agree with you 100% Pat. It’s hard to believe Swannaona would do something like this “$100 pit pass”. In a contrast with Elkins where they encourage the playing music with the locals, it does not make sense or cents.
Pat, your participation in the concert with David Power, Tommy Peoples, and Martin Hayes was a big event of the week.
If they do follow on with this buddy pass, it gives a true meaning to “Unter Aller Sau”.