It’s simple really: Show people RESPECT.

Don’t be self absorbed. Don’t be disconnected. Don’t succumb to brain fog. Pay attention. Be conscious. Care about other people and their lives. Try to be a good person, always. Is this really too much too ask, even from musicians?

I think not. But at the same time, it seems that musicians are some of the worst offenders. This post is really a follow up to one earlier in the year about RESPECT. I think I covered most of the tenets in that particular blog but after a recent incident I thought the message was worth repeating.

Here is the skinny….As a producer, I make records. Most of them I perform on as well but often I am hiring various players to come in for different parts. Sometimes it’s the rhythm section. Other times it’s horns or accompaniment. Less often is vocalists (God help us all with this rare breed).

In every case, the choice of musician generally depends on who you know and whether they are available. However, there are some other factors. How reliable is said musician? How easy is he/she to work with? Have they been used before? How much do they charge? Now, all of this is generally unknown with new people, so often we have to roll the dice here. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But usually, these guys are referred from someone you do know. Thus it would seem that there may be at least a modicum of respect from being “referred”.

In addition, there is a timing aspect. Recording an album is less complex than shooting a movie but there is timing element, a flow, an order of recording that needs to happen. In essence, a producer is sort of building a house, floor by floor before working on the inside floor plan. It’s a big deal and small timing issues can move the project back in large ways. Because of this, the timing of “hires” can be critical to the project’s development. This is why the “timing” aspect is often planned months in advance.

Enter the jackass. This is the guy that you get all the material to, you review the notes, you make sure he is good with the charts, recording etc., and you book a session, weeks in advance. Then Mr. Jackass calls 2 days before the session and says he’s too busy to make it. In the quiet words of the Virgin Mary, “Come again?”

This isn’t a question of compensation. This was a handsome hourly rate. It’s not a question of being busy–you booked the time, all you have to do is come in and perform, right? The charts weren’t even that difficult. I’m not producing material that I need Robert Glasper to come in and hit. With any normal pro that I generally work with this particular material is easy peasy and even fun work. So what gives?

This is an issue of said musician being all of those things that you shouldn’t be, listed above. It’s unfortunate, because some times these particular assholes are really good. But they are used to being catered to, having work fly at them constantly. As such, they lose the value of “working with” other people to focus on themselves only. “What do I get out of it” rather than “What can we accomplish together?”

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about him/her. I’m the guy writing the check and producing the project. Weeks in advance any reliable, legitimate musician is going to review what’s going on, review the material and decide yay or nay whether they want to book the session. And it’s not like they’re working for free. This is a real world opportunity to make good, easy money for most pros.

But it’s not just about making money one time either. It’s getting introduced to a nexus of various players and productions that may require me to reach out and call again to book more performances in the future. It’s working with a producer who might use you on another project or with another band. OR….perhaps I get the call asking me if I know any good organ players (<—ooops!).

But when the musician fails right out of the gate, they destroy the relationship, now and in the future. And what’s more, delay the project–which is really unacceptable considering the entire thing could have been avoided in the first place with a just little thought about someone other than the musician themselves. And you would think they would at least feel a little shitty about it, right? They don’t.

So, the moral of the story is this:

If you are a musician that wants to develop a successful career over time–DON’T BE A JACKASS.

Sure, it helps if you are great and in demand but over time there are so many OTHER guys that can come in and do sessions at the end of the day who are frankly just better and better options. Why limit your reach by acting like an self absorbed asshole? There’s no need. So take heed and pay attention the next time you book a session or get asked in for a project. It’s not about you, even if it feels like it is. Treat the other person in the transaction with RESPECT, always.