The official, "Your services are no longer required" thread

Eh, dumb corporate rules strikes again.

At least it was nothing about your playing, it's just the politics of the business.

There is a podcast interview with Jason Sutter and he talks about in many situations, one day he's on tour, and then when the contract is up, it's up, and sometimes the band just continues on without him. It has nothing to do with playing, or anything, it just is what it is, and all he can do it say thank you and move on.

Which is perhaps why maybe it's a good thing I never got to turn pro, because some of the stories I hear would drive me crazy if I had to deal with them.

Then again, being a regular joe, I get my fair share with lay offs, jobs relocating without me, companies being sold off with no notice, etc. It's why I now work for myself.
 
So you're still working at Wally World as an Audio tech, but just not doing the Mouse gig anymore? That sucks, sorry to hear that, Bo.

Maybe you can start a YouTube channel gig, dress up like a raccoon, and play cover drums to famous songs.
 
You need a damn good slap.

I say! Steady on. I thought Englishmen were more reserved than that. Whither the Code of the Simples?

Still and all, damned fine sentiment and all that, don't you know, what?

/Wodehouse

Bo, kidding aside,

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I think I'll just quote yourself on this one. Some applies and some doesn't but it's the summation that should bring it home.

"I think there's something wrong with you.

I think Hollywood Jim is right - for whatever reason, you've wasted your time on musical instruments. Go do something else. I woulda' thought by 54 you'd have figured it out. What would've happened if you lived around Los Angeles where people living under rocks are incredible? The stamp collecting probably would've started sooner?

Either get on the instrument to enjoy the journey, or find something else. I think you've made up your mind.
__________________
Bo"

And I still don't regret saying what I said in that context.

It's true, I will get along with this one as well. Got NAMM coming up to hang out at, and that show choir work calendar is set through May. My power trio, although having been on hiatus due to our schedules from December, will be re-convening in February. My guitarist told me he thought it was cool as it'll free up my mind for our project. So some smiles do remain.

I might've been over-indulging on the comfort food for the last few days though, and feel a little heavier. Time to get back to my daily bike riding too.

Thanks everyone for airing your thoughts on this and for the words of encouragement.
 
Bo, sorry to hear what happened. No one wants a decision to end something made for them. I think that in one area you're taking this too personal. You weren't fired from your drumming gig. Whether we agree with it or not, the mouse house made a corporate decision that was budget minded. You aren't being replaced based on performance; you weren't told, "Well we've decided to go with a drummer who'w a better fit"...etc.

It blows that you got "streamlined" out of the drumming chair, but no one canned you on account of your playing.
 
Ah, Bo... you weren't a drummer in that gig. You were just cheaper to pay than some animatronic doohickey was to maintain. They weren't applauding for you, they were applauding for the suit. Now whatever gig you take next, they'll be applauding you.

You're bigger than the mouse, dude. You always were, always will be. I respect the hell out of you. Now get the #$%@ out of those grumpy pants before I come down there and burn them off of you!

Probably for the best. I assume it was uncomfortable siting on the throne with the cape & tights & everything.

Oh, that's Mighty Mouse...

Hey! Now you can finally get this bass drum head made!
 

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It is with a bit of sadness that I make the official announcement that a certain famous rodent and I have now parted ways. I announced to my friends on Facebook and thought maybe I can work out some therapy on the subject here.

I wish I had an exciting story about how the end came about, but there isn't one. The Company has decided that if you serve in two roles, you really should be where you spend most of your time. And in my case, being an audio technician is more steady, and more important to them than my work as a drummer, so the decision was made for all employees doing dual-roles to stay in one area. So apparently, this not only affected me, it affected a few others who were also musicians (and in the AFM Union) and crossing into work as a variety artist (AGVA Union).

I suppose I could understand the company's position - if you're already full time doing one position, then are you getting paid OT whenever you do the other role on a part-time basis? The law says yes, you should be, and the company probably says "no - we're not going to pay that". So I won't pretend to understand what was going on there, only to say that, for now, I will no longer be performing the role of the famous drumming rodent.

Like I said, I wish I had a more exciting story.

That said, it still feels like I was fired. And part of me wants to demand that the situation be made to work out. Make it fair (to me). Although I'm pretty comfortable in my own skin, whenever you're told you can no longer do something you kind of base your identity off of, you feel like someone is telling you that you're not the drummer you say you are - and after all these years of working as a musician, it still kinda' stings.

In the last 48 hours, the thought of giving up playing crossed my mind too (most unlikely, but that's how hard it hit me). I though about my age, and how long I've been at this, and there have been some days when I just didn't want to load the drums in the truck again and schlep them out for some faceless gig. Some of my musical friends I've grown up with no longer play at our age because they never made it to the next level where gigging was a way of life - and every time we see each other it's "How long are you gonna keep doing this?" kind of conversation, and sometimes I let that get to me. Being let go from a position amplified that thought.

I'm probably reading too much into this. On a positive note, it does free-up some 'mind time' to devote to other projects. So maybe this is a good thing.

It'd be interesting to hear what some of you think about getting fired from a gig, and what you do to soldier on.

I had a crazy thought of getting myself a raccoon costume and playing all my gigs that way.

Do I understand you correctly Bo? My take on what you have written is that you will now spend all of your time engineering rather than splitting your time between this and playing? You still have money coming in to pay the bills/buy more drumkits to sell at a loss?

If that's the case then it's sad but not the end of the world. As others have said, sometimes if you are comfortable, the fact that something disturbs that comfort can be a good thing if you respond in the right way. Not the same thing at all, but I recently left a band I had been part of for over 10 years and initially felt a bit lost. I am now involved in 2 seperate and very different musical projects which more than make up for that loss. Its all ablout how you look at it, not ultimately what took place.
 
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Hey...It's all good Matt.I know what it's like,being told your services are no longer required after giving years of service.But in your case,it's not about musicanship,it's about some bean counter,making a bad decision,based on his shallow understanding,of what really matters.That decision is often ,well removed from a humanistic view of the world.

This is just opportunity hitting you in the face.Take it and run.:)

Steve B
 
It's a pretty commanding thing to have on your resume. It says a lot. That you are able to hang with the requirements of one of the biggest entertainment corporations in the world....for years, right?...stuck inside a friggin heavy suit of no less than a world icon and dealing with all that...and the only reason you're not doing it anymore is because of cost saving measures beyond your control...

Brother, you can do anything that will come down the pike. You have a tons of support here. Still, I'm sure you will miss all the excitement.
 
I posted recently on a thread titled "focusing&letting go" a long winded question.I last month recently went thru a sort of similar situation (not dual roles) but fired under above title.I was NO WHERE NEAR tenured the amount of time you were in your dual roles.BUT i was promised a Las Vegas tour in easter this year, further tours to Germany, Spain, Uk &Japan.Also was promised payment for recording 2 tracks for a compilation cd that was going to be released worldwide to coincide with our tour of Las Vegas.Anyway the singer scrapped the whole band&tracks &she attacked me personally&blamed me for the quality (or lack of) the song mixes.Me&the guitarist waited 3 weeks after the recording session even after 2-3 messages asking if she was happy with our individual playing.She used the excuse" family issues" when really she was plotting&scheming behind our backs because when i FINALLY recieved a message from her on FB it read in part that she&her husband(bass player) had received "other opportunities"!.I was devastated gutted humiliated hurt&shattered BUT determined to carry onwards&upwards!&NOT let negativity drag me down! :).
 
I guess that it isn't easy being a mouse sometimes. :)
Im sure that a mouse of your abilities will move on to sample better pieces of cheese in the near future.
 
I posted recently on a thread titled "focusing&letting go" a long winded question.I last month recently went thru a sort of similar situation (not dual roles) but fired under above title.I was NO WHERE NEAR tenured the amount of time you were in your dual roles.BUT i was promised a Las Vegas tour in easter this year, further tours to Germany, Spain, Uk &Japan.Also was promised payment for recording 2 tracks for a compilation cd that was going to be released worldwide to coincide with our tour of Las Vegas.Anyway the singer scrapped the whole band&tracks &she attacked me personally&blamed me for the quality (or lack of) the song mixes.Me&the guitarist waited 3 weeks after the recording session even after 2-3 messages asking if she was happy with our individual playing.She used the excuse" family issues" when really she was plotting&scheming behind our backs because when i FINALLY recieved a message from her on FB it read in part that she&her husband(bass player) had received "other opportunities"!.I was devastated gutted humiliated hurt&shattered BUT determined to carry onwards&upwards!&NOT let negativity drag me down! :).

Man, if I had a nickel for every time I heard this story of people promising things and then having them fall away....

It is horrible when this happens, but unfortunately, we're in entertainment and there are more yahoos out there than real people so it happens. I like people, but sometimes they just suck.

I wasn't promised anything on this gig, and usually, we don't expect things like this to go on forever - this whole show is probably going to go away in 2016 - which is a better run than other shows I've been in. But my focus is always "Ok I've been hired, keep nose to grindstone and do a good job". I don't think I'm ever listening when people promise things in the entertainment industry. It's not that I don't like them, but it's really obvious when people promise me the moon, so I'm not falling for it. It's a tough position to be in when you're positive with those people because you're all working towards an honorable goal, and at the same time the phrase "I'll believe it when I see it" is closer to your heart ;)

Sorry to hear your story, man. But it sounds like things were promised to get the best out of you and then reality set in for the people who hired you.
 
I'm sorry to hear, man.


That's the thing about a job; no matter how much you bring to the table, if you work for the wrong person, or the winds of change blow the wrong way, someone decides you're expendable.

That's the truth. And being in a union does not necessarily help either(learned that one the hard way this year. But then it's rather suspicious that step-daughter wrote some slanderous things about hubby less than 2 weeks before his work fired him. My take on unions now is unless your related to union bosses your up a creek without a paddle.
 
I'm sorry to hear that!! Hope things work out for you as soon as possible,
especially on the mental side!

In the last 48 hours, the thought of giving up playing crossed my mind too (most unlikely, but that's how hard it hit me). I though about my age, and how long I've been at this, and there have been some days when I just didn't want to load the drums in the truck again and schlep them out for some faceless gig. Some of my musical friends I've grown up with no longer play at our age because they never made it to the next level where gigging was a way of life - and every time we see each other it's "How long are you gonna keep doing this?" kind of conversation, and sometimes I let that get to me. Being let go from a position amplified that thought.
I can totally understand this! Don't do it though! Better days will come. And I'm
sure ANYONE could ask himself "how long am I gonna keep doing this". Some
do what they love, some earn a lot of money, some earn a lot of money doing
what they love, but they sure all know being in strong doubts sometime.
 
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