As a musician, I consider myself a craftsman. I spent years honing my craft to reach a level of expertise where I can actually make a living with it. As far as live performance is concerned, I rely on other craftsman (instrumentalists/vocalists) to help create a finished product much like electricians, plumbers, carpenters, dry wallers, painters, tile/grout guys and all the other craftsman work together to complete a project. Everyone must do their job well in order for the finished product to be successful.
My concern lies with the reputation that contractors have: they suck; they sub-contract out to the lowest bidder, they cut corners, they lie, they're craftsmanship is less than desirable, they're uneducated and the list goes on. As a drummer I get stereotyped as well: they're flaky, they're womanizers, they're not really musicians, they're loud, etc... I take pride in what I do and how I do it. I rely on word-of-mouth advertising for the bulk of my business. I enjoy shattering people's image of what a drummer is. So why can't I find a contractor in my area who has this same work ethic?
Every aspect of our renovation has been met with disappointment. Dry wallers, painters, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, project managers, granite fabricators, tile/grout guys and appliance installers have all delivered sub par work. Google "contractors suck" and see how many blog posts and bulletin board discussions show up! It's mind boggling. It's no wonder contractors have such a bad rap. There are shows on HGTV like Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection that show the magnitude of what I'm addressing. It's a real problem and it isn't being addressed. EVERY person I've spoken with on this subject has had at least one negative thing to say. That vast majority of people I spoke with had several things things to say and they did so with salty language!
It's too bad this industry can't be renovated as it surely needs to be.
