YOUR MUSIC COULD COST SOMEONE THEIR JOB

Okay, so once I was playing with a well-known contemporary music ensemble at a major festival in the United States. One of my pieces was on the program. We had a false start because a keyboard wasn't turned on, but once we got that straightened out the performance went very well indeed, and I thought the piece was well received.

So sometime later some friends of mine who are in another very good contemporary music ensemble were having a party. One of the guests in attendance was a woman who had been the Executive Director of the aforementioned Major Festival the year we perfomed my piece. The exact words were never reported to me, but apparently this woman was dissing me in no uncertain terms. She really did not seem to like me.

One of my friends asked her "What's your problem with Mr. Composer Head? I think he's a real nice guy, and a fine composer".

Former Major Festival Executive Director Lady replied "Mr. Composer Head cost me my job. Because of his piece, I was fired".

I'm not sure how that's possible, but that's what she claimed, or so I was told.

So, when was the last time your music cost someone else their job?