Windsor artists starving

By Iesha Coburn

Some local artists would rather spend their time making music, than potentially losing practice time by
getting a part time job.

There are many artists who have made a name for themselves who have come from Windsor, bands
that have started from basically nothing, that now have a fan base and make more money off their
music. Then there are the artists who share their lyrics more for the fun, because they live and breathe
art. Vincent Franzoi is an artist who didn’t quite know his calling was music until he started expressing
himself more through his art.

“I first started off with my paintings. I never really considered myself as an artist but as I showed off my
feelings through paint more and more people started thinking of me as an artist and then I just wouldn’t
deny it,” said Franzoi

Franzoi calls himself a starving artist. He is not employed and survives on a disability pension although
he currently makes paintings and is a piano player, he doesn’t make money off his hobby. After Franzoi
realized he had an attraction to art and music, he decided to express his creativity abroad.

“I’ve travelled to Italy, the streets of Toronto, and other places as a starving artist. I’ve tried working a
day in and day out job, but I just felt as though I had lost myself,” said Franzoi, who has travelled when
he was earning money.

Being a starving artist is not unusual. Angelo Marignani, the owner and operator of Milk Coffee Bar has
come across many artists who have not had as much financial income as other artists who are branding
themselves as a business.

“I think that’s really important because with all this talent there is one deficiency in their plan. They have
the passion that is needed in order to do something and do it right. They have the technical know how
which is very important you have to have that talent,” said Marignani.

“But they don’t have the administrative skills and I think that’s what Milk sort of teaches them, that it’s
important to properly label your art with a price.”

Marignani is excited about the initiative that he wants for his bar to help out other not so wealthy
artists, and how to gently push them in to the right direction.

“We’ve had over I’d say 500 art shows, 100 per cent of that door [income] goes to the band because it is
worth that,” said Marignani.

One of those artists, Robert Mittag who is known as “Rockin’ Robbee,” an artist who used to play bass
player in a band as a hobby over 20 years ago. He is familiar with Marignani and his initiative for fellow
composers. Robbee has played in a few dozen bands that were located in Ottawa and a couple in
Detroit.

“I got advice against it that there were better careers to have. I pursued some education, college
education, and it worked to survive in other fields of endeavor, but I have never given up on music,” said
Robbee.

Although Rockin’ Robbee has come across hard times, he says no matter how difficult it may get, the
most important part of his life is the music and that it left him feeling complete.

“It’s more fulfilling, I think what I learned from some of the straight jobs I’ve had is that I couldn’t be
fulfilled by them and although they paid me money to pay my rent, it left me empty, the pursuit of
money leaves me empty, but playing music doesn’t,” said Robbee.

Most of the people who want a music career do it as a means for income, to earn enough money to pay
rent and put food on the table by playing music exclusively and making themselves into a brand. But for
these musicians, they tried looking through different channels for income that kept them going for a
little while but eventually they realize the music is first and foremost in their lives.