Bob,

I can't tell you what to do. I don't depend on BMI or ASCAP for significant royalties, and never have, because they are so iffy. and how much will you get paid if the venues that you play in are all gone, or go completely karaoke or do away with YOU? I would not look for any of this to reverse itself. Just too many people that want to do this and will do it for nothing. That is the fact of life of today. And what we are all pretty much having to get used to.

It is my experience that no matter what "you feel you have earned" there is someone that you have to convince that is true and not only do they not agree with you, they refuse to pay you.

I have a lot of friends who are general contractors. One thing they say they have a lot of problems with is getting people to PAY THEM for work they have done. Almost all have some kind of legal lawsuit against someone who just decided not to pay up for work done. Now ask yourself. If people refuse to pay for something that puts a roof over their head, how willing do you think they are going to be to pay for something they usually don't even pay attention to?

I believe we are caught up in a world we have no control over. The entitlement generation is here and it's not going away. They look, expect and are getting everything free in their life. We have raised a generation or two of people who feel this way. And these are the people who refuse to pay for any music in any way shape or form. It is all part of a bigger picture, many things are related.

MAB