Andrew Jackson has worked as a professional musician for 40 years, playing in and out of bars in State College, and like anyone who has been working for that long, he would like to retire.
Here's the catch: He can't. A lifetime of playing in bars hasn't afforded him that privilege.
"They expect us to play for next to nothing because here in State College, professional musicians are competing for venues against student musicians who can play for free since they're supported by their parents," Jackson said. "People also think that just because you're having a nice time, you're not supposed to get paid. But we can't do that. We need to earn a living."
Enter Christopher Lee, president of American Federation of Musicians Local 660 branch (AFM 660), which covers the State College area. Since late January, Lee has been spearheading an initiative asking for minimum wage for musicians playing at bars and written contracts between musicians and bar owners.
"The purpose of this effort is to create high-quality sustainable music venues which not only draw audiences, but also benefit the local economy," Lee said. "We want musicians to know that Central Pennsylvania is a place where you can find successful, artistic fulfillment with other musicians who are inspired, ethical and cooperative."
According to the AFM 660 Web site, the minimum wage will vary with the length of musicians' sets and the number of members in a band. State College currently has no across-the-board standard for musician reimbursement.
Sustainable music venues, Lee said, "sustain" music by paying musicians a minimum wage. This will not only keep more musicians in the State College area, he said, but will attract better musicians as well. Written contracts will also foster better relations between bar owners and musicians, he said.
Lee said the initiative began after a survey was conducted among local musicians last year to find out what they wanted and what was needed to improve the local music scene.
The response so far, Lee said, has been positive -- most bars in State College's downtown area have agreed to follow the initiative's guidelines.
"Musicians that are worth having are worth paying," said David Staab, manager of Zeno's Pub, 100 W. College Ave. "Following these guidelines will not impact cover charges or who we book as artists."
J.R. Mangan, one of the owners of Café 210 West, 210 W. College Ave., said AFM 660's initiative makes things more fair for musicians, adding the minimum wage proposed by AFM 660 is reasonable.
Though more bands have contacted his venue asking to perform, Mangan said it is still too early to tell whether being classified as a sustainable music venue will affect business.
Lee said every bar that has agreed to the initiative will have an annual plaque posted inside declaring it as a "sustainable music venue." In addition, it will also be listed on AFM 660's Web site. Lee said every musician, even those who are not members of AFM 660, stand to benefit from the plan.
AFM 660 member Arthur Goldstein, another local professional musician who has been playing for decades and also occasionally teaches at Penn State, said local musicians should get a living wage -- just like other working professionals.
"Professional musicians who are highly skilled spend time and study on their craft," Goldstein said. "Other professionals, like your plumber, get paid at least a minimum wage. So why not professional musicians, too?"
