When is okay to ask an artist to play for your event with no compensation? I had a chance to speak with an artist in Central Oregon who has performed in rock bands his entire adult life. He’s got a good idea when and more importantly, when it isn’t okay to play for free. This musician demands to get paid for his craft of performing live music.

David Miller of Voodoo Highway out of Bend took a moment after practice to talk with me about equal pay for equal work of the performing musician. David explains his history in the business side of booking a show, suggesting that somewhere the notion of paying for performing musicians went out the window. He says that it’s a mentality that artists need to take the responsibility in changing.

We talk about when it’s okay to play for free and when it’s not. It’s a very interesting conversation that I hope event coordinators advertising and musicians willing to take a gig for free will take the time to listen.

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