After getting beaten up for a week over bringing school supplies to Holy Cross, I hesitate to start another firestorm, but- here goes...
This year, two of the 18 people bringing school supplies down to Placencia were musicians, so we brought a guitar, and they did a little concert at the school for the kids. We also set them up with 3 or 4 beach-bar gigs, so they got a little beer money, and a few free suppers. They had such a good time, that they have already said that they would like to come back on the '08 delivery trip to San Pedro, and do another little show for the kids at Holy Cross- or some other public area, open to everybody ( help me here... where could we do something like this?).
If you have a bar, and would like to line up some Virginia music for next August, please contact me. This is a Johnny Cash cover act, with a guy singing and playing guitar, and a girl singing harmony. He has a deep, booming voice, and sounds exactly like Cash on covers like "Folsom Prison Blues" and "A Boy Named Sue", but he also writes originals, and has a degree in Music Theory from the University of Kentucky. Please e-mail, or PM me, and we can talk it over between now and next August.

well? Let's ROCK!

They'd be welcome to jam with Dennis Wolfe and the Usual Suspects but not to play a paying gig on their own.

Just guessing here, but with an easy set up for a duo, they might be able to play on the beach in front of a bar/lounge, etc... leave the guitar case open at their feet and get "tipped" for a set or two? Used to do it all the time in the little coffee shops. Check witht the establishment tho... or see if their exists a transient law!

Sometimes good $$, other times not so much... but its a blast to do and usually appreciated even if not with $$. It helps to throw a $5 and several $1 in yourself first - primer!

You should apply for a musicians permit first before soliciting any kind of payment to stay out of trouble. As for playing on the beach or streets I believe you'll need permission from Town Board.

I guess that's why the subject was "music and other bad habits", us musicians are always in trouble with someone! I kinda figured there would be a work permit or something even for a tipper.

Is it that you just want to play for the kids or that you would want to play at a bar?

You might look into Fido's. I know they have bands that come from the US to play. You might send them an email. Perhaps you can pick up a little cash while you do it.
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Actually, I'm not the musician, even though we brought down my guitar. I am a promoter, and for 10 years, I have been promoting a benefit concert for Ronald McDonald House every May. That led to my bringing a musician or duo out to the House every 2 weeks to do a little show and entertain the folks staying at the House that night. And that led to trying to get one of the musicians into the delivery group to entertain the kids at the school in Placencia, and now San Pedro. Godin Guitars has donated a guitar to be the "official" guitar of the House concerts, and that's the one that we brought in August. I don't know how to play it, I'm just the custodian...

My main interest is putting on a little show for the kids, but if a musician is willing to come out there, and take the time & effort to entertain the children, I would like to do something extra for them. Musicians like to get in front of people and play... that's what they do. If I can put people together, and the musicians get to play a couple of bars, and get some free beers and supper out of it, they'll come home with a better memory of Belize. If they have a great time, instead of just a good time, they'll pass the word on to other musicians here in Virginia. And- as is the case this time- they'll want to come back, bring more supplies, and play again.
Everything that I can do to make the trip more enjoyable for the people in my group, means more people coming to Belize, more money spent in-country, and more school supplies brought down.
None of any cash or free beer, would go to me. If I could get an e-mail address for Fido's, I would contact them, and/or pass it on to the musicians...

Poster: Jesse
Subject: Re: music and other bad habits...

They'd be welcome to jam with Dennis Wolfe and the Usual Suspects but not to play a paying gig on their own.
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I know that they would love to meet Dennis (me, too), and if he, or anybody, wants to give me an e-mail address, I'll be happy to say hello, and get the ball rolling...

Dennis Wolfe = denwolfe@btl.net

A great venue for all the kids of the island is the public library. We have a beach in front and could get a permit for a concert. We would probably use it for a fund raiser in terms of sponsors. Of course free for the public We are also right in the middle of town and have an exsisting summer program that it could piggy back on.