Issue Project Room

  

05-25-2010

i don't know what this star rating system means.
but i would like to know exactly why IPR, a non-profit who have received over 2 million dollars in grants- including 1.5 million in public money from the city of brooklyn, is still paying musicians paltry door fees. Furthermore, playing for the door meant one things when venues are centrally located- this place is in the middle of nowhere, and doesn't advertise in the weeklies- musicians often wind up with next to nothing. The place has excellent bookings- focusing on high quality new music and avant jazz, critically important stuff. But how can new music be more than a game open only to rich kids and rock stars on their nights off if the venue doesn't pay the musicians? and how can they talk about 'needing' 1.5 million to renovate a room they received from the city for 10 years RENT FREE- and delivered up to code- part of a deal the city made with dumbo loft villain david wollentas- to turn it into a luxurious "carnegie hall for the avant garde" when talented musicians and composers are dropping out of the industry every day for lack of funds? Issue project Room was originated by the late Suzanne Fiol, a wonderful person and friend to many on the scene whose death last year saddened many. But somebody needs to say this, and say it loud, however much suzanne was loved, the politics of this stinks, and although musicians are divided over how to deal with truly marginal venues, when subsidies go into the multi million range, the venues need to grow up and pay scale minimums, and musicians need to unite to make sure they get the message. how about some leadership on this issue- for this and other heavily subsidized venues such as joe's pub- from the union?