Persona Eric
Eric is a 23 year old college graduate living in Inwood in NYC. Currently Eric works at Tao waiting tables to make some money. Eric does not want to be waiting tables but the job market is weak and he was not able to find a job in his field, which is playing music.
A typical day for Eric starts by doing some chores and then heading to work to be there by the lunch rush. Eric tries to only take shifts earlier in the day as he hopes to keep nights open for gigs when he does get them.
Just because his nights are open, does not mean Eric always has a place to play every night. Instead of playing most nights, Eric spends his time searching Craigslist and speaking to other musician friends hoping to find a gig for the evening. This frustrates Eric because he would much rather be spending his time playing than searching for places to play.
On the nights that Eric does find a place to play, things still do not always go in his favor. Yes, Eric plays live because of his passion for music, but he still needs to eat. Alot of the venues do not pay Eric or they give him horrible rates for the time that he spends performing. Eric wishes that he could negotiate his rates in an easier and more percise way.
In addition to the pay not working for Eric some of the time, the venues sometimes just don't suit him or his music. Eric has a certain style and at times his style doesn't fit the venue he is playing. Eric has also been treated rudely at many of the places he played, he wishes he knew more about where he was playing before the night of the gig.