Why is The London Olympics Asking Musicians To Play For Free?

The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games “would not dream of asking welders or parking attendants or caterers to work for free or for a token fee ‘because it’s such great exposure’. But LOCOG is not alone in thinking of musicians as different from other professionals. We all do. We all know that musicians love what they do, and if they weren’t paid, they’d go on playing anyway.”