This is not unusual. It happens all the time to me too. There are several places I work, I get a standing ovation when I just walk in the room because they really like me, but the A D doesn't. I am very freindly to her and she seems nice to me, then hires someone else. Same
price as me. She will then call me at the last minute and say help her out, the person she hired can't make it or she forgot to book someone for that date. I always say yes when possible to get in her good graces
but she responds by thanking me and not booking me in the future. This happens in a lot of my steady jobs. I think some of the A D's bosses are telling her to cut her budget and they are using free musicians. When I look on the calanders posted on there walls, there are people I never heard of and I know most of the entertainers in the area.

MEL