Bill......I've been thinking about those key words "oral contract" for the last few days. I'm writing this for the benefit of the group.

I was lucky. I got reimbursed for my canceled event. If I was UN-lucky, oral contract or written contract, I could have proved my case. But, that's just the start. The next step is spending usually a whole day in Small Claims Court. And when you win your judgment, if the defendant still doesn't want to pay, then you have to start a whole new procedure with a whole new justice dept. That means filling out more papers to get their paycheck "attached." And if they're self-employed, then the Sheriff has to confront them at a time when they have money on them. He honors the judgment by removing them from their money and giving it to you.

That took me a whole year once to get it from a bride who decided to cancel on a whim.

The point I'm making is...to everyone........DON'T ever put yourself in a position where you might have to go through all that. There were more than a few times, I didn't feel comfortable with a client and I asked for the money in advance. Of course, that was in the days when you could pick and choose jobs.....when you came home and found a gazillion calls on your answering machine from people wanting music for their parties. Ah......the good old days!

Mark

When did that stop????

I had a few like that Mark but that didn't take me that long....

Donny......you have to remember not everyone is a TOTL arranger player like yourself. I mean like.......you're the best, or at worst, you're one of the elite few that can play any keyboard including a KMA right out of the box without even using a manual. That really impressed me. You can make keyboards "talk." People like you can pick and choose what jobs you want, how much you're going to charge, how long your breaks will be, do you get a meal, and do they fill your car up with gas again after the gig? In a world of noblemen and the aristocracy, you are the noblest of noble, and a welcome dues-paying member of the aristocracy.

In short, you're constantly "in demand!" I really wouldn't expect someone like you, who does 3 jobs every holiday that comes around, to understand how the phone could stop ringing for ordinary players like myself.

Mark

"Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble,
when you're perfect in every way"

Tony.

I’d have to give it some serious thought before I take on something like that again. The vitality, energy and adventure of youth are no longer with me....mostly the mental energy!

I don't know how Bob Hope managed to play golf up to almost 100?

Mark

Mac Davis is my hero!
DonM

Chas,

I thought I was wrong last week, but I was mistaken...

Just one more example of the 1% being completely out of touch with the rest of us!

Mark, what troubles me is what you are trying gain/win. You may be able to get full pay for a cancelled job but in the end you will lose.
Building a rep. is putting the customer first; even the largest of firms thinks that way.
I read an article where one of the large US companies was trying to increase their business so they hired a team to bring in some fresh ideas. At the end of two weeks of deliberating on subject ( which they received a good size check)
Their suggestion was “Put the customer first”.

Sometimes it is hard but it pays off.

John C.