MusicianWages.com Forums » Forum: Gigs & Other Income Sources

MusicianWages.com Forums » Forum: Gigs & Other Income Sources - Recent Posts http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/forum/gigs-038-other-income-sources The Community for Working Musicians en-US Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:30:26 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/search.php iandavid on "Music piracy, in regards to the group blog event approaching" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/pircy-in-regards-to-the-group-blog-event-approaching#post-1881 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:45:23 +0000 iandavid 1881@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ With regards to music piracy and from an ethical standpoint, I believe an artist has every right to be angry and seek legal action when their recordings are unwillingly sold for profit or bootlegged by a shady record label or download site. It's the intellectual property of the artist, who typically writes and composes their own songs. Not to mention, the artist has developed their own way of performing a song, which is documented within the recording. In 2011, a judge ruled in favor of singer Paul Collins, whose rock group The Beat lost substantial revenue from a series of unauthorized bootleg recordings released by an underground record label. The recordings were unknowingly engineered during The Beat's tours with The Police, Eddie Money and The Cure. Although the label argued that the recordings were tracked and mixed by an independent investor during the 1970s and 1980s, Collins was unaware of these dealings and was awarded an unspecified amount of damages. Collins was granted permission to digitally re-master and officially release the live recordings. In response to backlash and negative publicity from fans accusing him of being greedy, Collins attempted to make a public statement about piracy. In 2012, Collins made the recordings available to everyone as free MP3 download tracks to fans worldwide. Some fans might argue that Metallica was selfish to target Napster for illegally offering their music as MP3s. In all fairness, not everyone victimized by piracy are platinum-selling, wealthy artists in the caliber of Metallica. Paul Collins had just as much right to take legal action, but he turned the negative situation into a positive one by publicly releasing the pirated material as free downloads to his fans. Case in point, not all rock stars are selfish or "only in it for the money." Musicians have a right to be paid for their intellectual property. People who support music piracy only think about themselves. If a musician isn't being paid for their work, how are they supposed to continue recording, writing, performing and touring? Musicians aren't slaves and if they aren't making enough money to function, then they might choose a different career path that doesn't involve making music. keyz88 on "“Tip Jar” enhancement technique... do you have a tip to share?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/%e2%80%9ctip-jar%e2%80%9d-enhancement-technique-do-you-have-a-tip-to-share#post-1822 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:58:25 +0000 keyz88 1822@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ The Art & Zen of the Tip Jar etiquette will vary from gig to gig, and everyones ideas on this thread are indeed very illuminating. Nice suggestions... keep em' coming... Studio Nine Productions on "“Tip Jar” enhancement technique... do you have a tip to share?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/%e2%80%9ctip-jar%e2%80%9d-enhancement-technique-do-you-have-a-tip-to-share#post-1821 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:19:21 +0000 Studio Nine Productions 1821@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ I was in New Orleans recently, saw a band that had a member of the audience come up and take the tip jar. They had her march through the crowd and hold the jar out for tips as they followed along behind her (wireless mics) performing a tune. Seemed to work well for them! Michael <a href="http://www.guidetopricingmusic.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.guidetopricingmusic.com</a> Patrick Colwell on "“Tip Jar” enhancement technique... do you have a tip to share?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/%e2%80%9ctip-jar%e2%80%9d-enhancement-technique-do-you-have-a-tip-to-share#post-1816 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:08:44 +0000 Patrick Colwell 1816@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ A friend of mine modified a big plastic jar (I think it originally contained bulk pretzels or something) To make it look like a monster. He made "teeth" out of felt to go around the opening, made eyes out of ping pong balls, added arms and a tail and made a sign that said "Please Feed the Tip Monster". He always seems to make more tips than anyone who uses the house tip jar (a plain metal bucket). keyz88 on "“Tip Jar” enhancement technique... do you have a tip to share?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/%e2%80%9ctip-jar%e2%80%9d-enhancement-technique-do-you-have-a-tip-to-share#post-1802 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:03:31 +0000 keyz88 1802@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ Joshua, Thanks for the additional info. Your Blinking light suggestion also reminded me that I use a “Sticky Bottom”. It is a 3-LED lighted coaster placed in the bottom of my my plastic carafe (with removable bottom) tip jar. Otherwise, It makes a nice nonskid beverage holder that lights up your drink/beverage... and is another visual attention getter. A YouTube “Sticky Bottom” video is at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESnEu478rDM" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESnEu478rDM</a> I set mine on “constant on” so the paper bills really light up inside the tip jar. Give a nice constant blue tone to the paper bills without being overbearing (like the blinking LED setting). Also has “alternating blink” and “all blink at once” settings if you're able to utilize those functions to your advantage. Bought three and will look to convert the button battery (it uses 2) to a Nickel Metal Hydride (rechargeable) setup. Like you, I also prime the pump by putting in several bills beforehand... yet I never thought of using larger bills as you do. Great Idea. Say Joshua, why don't you start a thread regarding some additional “crowd-working schtick” of crowd pleasing favorites? One can never obtain too many positive suggestions. JoshuaSkaja on "“Tip Jar” enhancement technique... do you have a tip to share?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/%e2%80%9ctip-jar%e2%80%9d-enhancement-technique-do-you-have-a-tip-to-share#post-1759 Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:53:10 +0000 JoshuaSkaja 1759@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ Very cool. Some things I've used, with varying degrees of success: -my tip jar is a clear acrylic pitcher -I bait the jar with a larger bill. If people see $1s, they'll tip $1s. I usually put a twenty in, and press it up against the (clear) side for maximum visibility. -I put a blinking light in the jar. My first one was designed for a dog's collar, but I've since moved up to one designed for a bicyclist. Brighter and takes the same batteries as my wireless, so I know I'll have them on hand. -I bought a tiny music stand that attaches to my mic stand. I tilt it flat and put the tip jar on that, so if you're looking at me, you're looking at a very conspicuous tip jar. -The best tips happen when I'm engaging the crowd, which can be difficult to do in some environments (I play a lot of solo guitar/voice dinner gigs in fancy-ish restaurants). I talk to people off-mic and make small talk with an ever-widening circle of people until it's appropriate to start addressing the whole room through the mic. Each room is of course different, but I have to keep pushing my stage personality into the room until they're all eating out of my hand. -My best friend is downright crazy onstage and he has an arsenal of crowd-working schtick. My favorite is when he gets the first big tip of the night. He holds it up high and says, "Ladies and gentlemen, he speaks the international language of music! These are our government-issue request cards [points at $20 bill]. You may have arrived with a few of them in your possession tonight. The number in the corner, of course, corresponding to the number of requests you are allowed to make––NOT necessarily the number of requests I am required to play. Speaking of which, do we have a thread going on here where we share our crowd-working favorites? keyz88 on "back to work after yrs. away with health probs." http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/back-to-work-after-yrs-away-with-health-probs#post-1695 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:05:50 +0000 keyz88 1695@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ Hi MissusTurner, Looks like talent and experience are already in your corner. That means soo much already. And posting your question at Musician Wages should provide you some positve feedback. Surprisingly, one great tool for networking and finding job leads is... OMG: Facebook. You don't have to become anyone's friend... if they are local musicians, simply look at their profile and see what they do, where they perform at or who their mutual friends are. The “mutual friends” feature is especially valuable. Somebody always knows somebody who knows somebody... Most musicians have their Facebook profiles open and public for keeping in touch with their mates, networking, displaying performance calendar events (or sometimes just to stroke their own ego) and other such purposes. You'll also be surprised the number of bars, restaurants and other organizations on their site with a Facebook presence. Initial research from the comfort of home on your computer has never been easier. I personally have a closed “private profile” on Facebook (just available to friends), but I supply my private Facebook profile with a picture and a weblink to one of my piano websites (for cocktail-piano/Jim Brickman-esque types of Top-40 tunes). That way I can direct them to my (non-Facebook) site for my contact information. Generates a lot of leads too. BTW: you mentioned that you are sending out mailings to prospects. That's one option, though I tend to send mailings out the week before I actually visit a potential client (as an icebreaker). Your milage may vary, but I really don't get many leads (of them contacting or calling me back directly) from my postcard mailings in and by themselves. Hope this gives you some additional ideas on how to get back into the swing of things. I know this post started a few months ago, but wanted to say "glad you're “back in the game”, as you stated. Play on!!! keyz88 on "“Tip Jar” enhancement technique... do you have a tip to share?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/%e2%80%9ctip-jar%e2%80%9d-enhancement-technique-do-you-have-a-tip-to-share#post-1618 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:23:13 +0000 keyz88 1618@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ sorry about the recent typos, I spell much better at <a href="http://www.RobertJohnsonPiano.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.RobertJohnsonPiano.com</a> keyz88 on "“Tip Jar” enhancement technique... do you have a tip to share?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/%e2%80%9ctip-jar%e2%80%9d-enhancement-technique-do-you-have-a-tip-to-share#post-1617 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:17:45 +0000 keyz88 1617@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ “Tip Jar” enhancement technique... do you have a tip to share? I'm not posting this article debating the pluses and minuses of using a tip jar... I'm simply seeing what (tip jar) tools work best for your particular type of venue... where is is traditionally allowed. Where tip jars are allowed, recommended or otherwise mandatory... does anybody have any tips (pun intended) on their ways of enhancing their revenue (via the “jar”)? I either utilize a small plastic brandy glass (available at the larger party warehouses) or a ($10.00 US) plastic wine carafe tip jar with a removable bottom (amazon.com ASIN: B003NY0WZI ) I just wanted to pass along a suggestion regarding tip jars and tip jar signs since I recently purchased a Neon BlackBoard from amazon.com to help potential “tipsters” toward my tip jar. Here's my amazon.com review on the ($7.50 US) UV Led Neon BlackBoard Stands on its Own Easel (ASIN: B005KSW3QG ) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R1457LDBSW1D1D" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/review/R1457LDBSW1D1D</a> or you can read it below: PROS - Inexpensive, Battery powered (with optional AC power capability), Acrylic plastic writing surface is recessed to prevent (most) accidental scratches. Highlighter is included and is made to clip (on the included mounting clip) on back - pen is always at the ready. The easel leg props up the frame very nicely. CONS - None, but please note that the acrylic needs to be wiped off with a "wet" (not dry) cloth. It's not exactly the same as wiping off a whiteboard. I play solo piano (full-time) and needed a unique yet elegant (ie: non-cheap) way to designate my tip jar...on a grand piano. This exceeded my expectations. It paid for itself the first minute with the first tip I got. Talk about a ROI! It also affords anyone to effortlessly look through the clear acrylic (to whatever is visible behind it), so as not to block anyone view. Sure beats a tacky tip jar sign or a large 2' x 3' blacklight enhanced acrylic sign. When the BlackBoard is turned off, all that is visible to the black frame. When it is turned ON, the fluorescent highlighted bright yellow words (mine is "TIPs") can be easily seen from over 100 feet. Draws the tipping audience over like a moth to a flame!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'm writing a review for something so inexpensive (hint: single digit price before taxes & shipping)! The "Neon BlackBoard" has me that impressed. The fluorescent highlighter (included) was a very nice bright yellowish orange... one of the brightest (fluorescent highlighter) markers that I have owned for writing on these types of signs. And the frame holds the clear acrylic writing surface so that the acrylic is "recessed" on both sides, preventing any accidental scratches or smudges when packed tor transport. I was surprised that even in bright office light - this writifg on this puppy still stood out. I bought 2 initially since I didn't want to take a chance on the units failing out of the box. Both worked fine. Haven’t tried the 4.5v DC power option yet, but the 3 AA's last for a decent amount of time. NOTE: I experimented and tried NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) rechargeable batteries, but they seem to only last for about 2 hours before getting the signage dim. So Alciline (or DC power) might prove the best choices. At least this device gives you 2 power options. GREAT CONVERSATION PIECE for the bartender or working musician in your life that works on "tips" to supplement their wages. GIVE EM AS A GIFT!!! Andree-Ann on "Solo pianist trying to find gigs" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/solo-pianist-trying-to-find-gigs#post-1504 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:40:46 +0000 Andree-Ann 1504@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ Actually a few months ago I started posting ads on Craigslist instead of answering to them; offering my services as pianist for any type of projects and I got a few hits! OK I only got one gig out of it, but other people offered gigs (one of them was too far and two of them I couldn't commit to due to other engagements) so maybe that can work too...I found that answering ads and proposing my services didn't always work whereas posting an ad for yourself and waiting for answers to pour in brought in more opportunities. Maybe try this? johnboy1234 on "Solo pianist trying to find gigs" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/solo-pianist-trying-to-find-gigs#post-1483 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:34:36 +0000 johnboy1234 1483@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ Hi Guys n Gals I thought I would add a few tips myself. 1. Ring up venues directly 2. Do a google search for venues and email them 3. I found this site called bookmusiciansdirect.com about a month ago and joined up and have had 2 quotes for jobs already. The site is way better than gigsalad and gigmasters which I had previously joined with no luck. Bestie on "Roland TD-9SX V-Tour Electronic Drum Set ...$1200usd" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/roland-td-9sx-v-tour-electronic-drum-set-1200usd#post-1469 Sat, 03 Dec 2011 08:43:18 +0000 Bestie 1469@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ Hello Viewers ! Events Musicals Company Ltd, We have been in Business for Over 10 Years and We are Waxing strong daily. We deal in the Sales and Distribution of High quality Electronics Gadgets and Musical Instruments. Such as: Televisions,Home Theater System,Musical Instruments,Gps Navigation System and lots More. All Our Products are brand New,100% original,Sealed in Factory Box and comes with full accessories and 1 Year International Warranty. We also practice a 90-day return policy! That is, if you are not satisfied with the product(s) we will either refund the full payment made to the customer or replace the item(s) with a better one.But this will depend on the Customer's Choice. We sell mainly internationally and Locally. 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KINDLY PLACE YOUR ORDER IN THE BELOW MANNER. FULL NAME :: PRODUCTS BRAND AND MODEL :: QUANTITY :: ADDRESS :: CITY :: ZIP CODE :: COUNTRY :: MOBILE/TELEPHONE NUMBER :: keyz88 on "Solo pianist trying to find gigs" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/solo-pianist-trying-to-find-gigs#post-1385 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:33:39 +0000 keyz88 1385@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ Dear “Wedding Pianist” - A few helpful tips: 1.) I noticed that you didn't list your name or the address of your website in your post. I assume you stated by your post that you had both a website and a Gigmasters profile set up. I'M SURE there are more than a few members at <a href="http://www.musicianswages.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.musicianswages.com</a> that would honestly give you feedback of your website.. and even constructively critique your link on the Gigmasters profile. Don't forget to include your email address if you prefer to get the feedback in a confidential manner. You mentioned that you enjoy reading the forum pages a Musicians Wages... let the forum readers help you out. 2.) Don't quit the mailings, but only send them as an “icebreaker” a month before actually contacting a venue in person or by phone. That way they know you are out there when you came knocking to do some talkin'. I utilize 4”x6” promo postcards, but venues (namely bars, restaurants) don't really follow up from my mailers. That's just my experience - your mileage mag vary. 3.) I don't use gigmasters... I noticed that <a href="http://www.gigsalad.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.gigsalad.com</a> looks way more professional, has a free version (that I use), and Gigsalad even allows the client to submit a form that that you get via email. That form has most of the gig info included (date, pay range sought, # of people attending the event, etc...). Save yourself $20 a month and use the Gigsalad website. There are several other sites similar to Gigsalad (post a free profile with a premium option if you need their enhanced features). Just remember, Tip #1 listed above is the cheapest and quickest way to tweak your marketing strategy. Good luck, Robert <a href="http://www.robertjohnsonPiano.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.robertjohnsonPiano.com</a> TTDrums on "Good city for working musician?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/good-city-for-working-musician#post-1337 Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:44:39 +0000 TTDrums 1337@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ This thread is pretty old but I thought that the last post about Toronto deserved a response. I've spend lots of time in Toronto. It is the largest city in Canada, and the city really is huge. The music scene and pool of musicians in the city and surrounding suburbs is equally huge. However I think that the last post was pretty harsh as Toronto really is no different from any other big metropolis as far as the general music scene is concerned, although there are a few things that are unique to this city's music scene. First of all, as the biggest city in the country, Toronto is THE centre of music and the arts in anglophone Canada. Many young musicians (and not-so-young musicians) from across Canada and around the world come here in the hopes of furthering their career in music, launching their career, or just in search of work for several reasons. I would say the top five are : 1. Toronto has the third largest live theatre scene in the world after New York City and London. At any given time there are several major broadway shows playing in the city. 2. There is generally widespread public support for the performing arts, something that is severely lacking in smaller Canadian cities because of the sparse population. 3. Toronto is home to the headquarters for all major record labels, most indie labels, television and radio networks, and other national media in Canada. 4. There are literally thousands of venues across the city that regularly host live music. 5. There are several top-rated music schools, universities, professional music institutions and organizations, recording studios, television and film studios, and other production studios operating in the city. The music scene in Toronto is fascinating, but very fragmented and seemingly unorganized. I think that part of the reason for this is that this city might very well be the most multicultural in the world with 50% of the people living here having been born in a country other than Canada. Because of this, Toronto's music scene encompasses pretty much any and all genres of music. It is constantly changing and is hard to keep track of. For example, if you play traditional Mongolian music, you will find other Mongolian musicians here. Sudanese traditional musicians? We have them. Cuban musicians? We have lots of them. Jazz cats from New York City? They're here. European classical musicians? I know lots of them. Major label top 40 stars? They're here too. The problem is that it can be hard to even locate where gigs are happening as there is no "epicenter" or part of the city that plays host to the majority of music gigs. Things here are spread out across the city and it's massive suburbs. The fact that Mississauga, a suburb located just south of Toronto, is the third largest city in Canada gives some perspective on this. Central Toronto is where you will find live theatre shows, dance clubs, the symphonies, the ballet, as well as your jazz clubs, blues bars, music cafe's, folk clubs, all of the large and influential venues and of course all major concert and corporate events. If you're looking more for the ethnic music scene, you will want to try Scarborough, Mississauga, Brampton or Markham. Country Music? Pickering or Oshawa is where you'll want to go. Chinese music? Try one of the three Chinatowns in the City or Markham. Those are all generalizations of course but my point is that it can seem almost impossible to break into the scene here, because there are so many scenes. Another other thing is that language barriers can be a big problem here. There is over 100 languages spoken in the city, so don't expect everyone you meet to speak English or French. It is a frustrating and discouraging process to figure out where to start. I agree that it is very expensive to live in Toronto. The housing market here has been booming for years, and it can be hard to find even a bachelor or studio basement apartment in a bad part of town to rent. It's very much like New York City in the fact that it is a place where people from around the world WANT to be. My advice for any musician considering a move to Toronto, make sure you do your homework before you arrive. Networking is key. Researching the city and it's arts community is imperative. Have a definite plan of what you want to do here and how you are going to go about doing it. Chances are it is going to be very tough for the first year that you are here so keep that in mind. Don't expect things to be easy, and don't expect things to be handed to you. I find the vast majority of musicians in Toronto to be kind, warm and welcoming. But this is not a city to move to unless you are a serious musician with a plan. People's experiences are all about what you make of them. These days especially, music work is very hard to find and it is extremely competitive so don't expect every musician you meet to be happy to see you, and don't expect to be making top dollar on every gig or session right off the bat. You will be competing with many other excellent, established musicians for the work. If you have the chops, the work ethic, the right attitude, and you are determined enough, Toronto can be a rewarding and exciting place for any musician to live and play music for a living. Eliza on "back to work after yrs. away with health probs." http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/back-to-work-after-yrs-away-with-health-probs#post-1226 Sat, 08 Oct 2011 05:43:00 +0000 Eliza 1226@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ Hi Missus Turner, The music business has changed a lot over the last few years. There's so much more music out there but that makes it harder to get your music heard. But don't loose heart - it sounds like you are in a 'niche market' which will make getting back into the music business easier for you if you can find you own audience. Focus on what's unique about you and then what's unique about your fans. Then you'll know where to connect with them and start gigging again. Pam and Mark had been out of the music business for several years. My book, The Fan Formula, helped them restart their careers. Read about them <a href="http://www.thefanformula.com/the-book/">here</a> I wish you all the success you want as you restart your career. Eliza MissusTurner on "back to work after yrs. away with health probs." http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/back-to-work-after-yrs-away-with-health-probs#post-1196 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:46:34 +0000 MissusTurner 1196@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ Thanks for the kind words of advice, you guys. I have really been stressing over this, wondering how on Earth to jump back into gigging FT after all of this lost time. Tonight, I am trying to come up with something to mail out to local churches to start. Although I am not religious, I thought that organ work would be one of the more stable gigs out there locally for now; I don't know. I don't even know how I should look for auditions...one step at a time, though, I guess. Joe Stone on "back to work after yrs. away with health probs." http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/back-to-work-after-yrs-away-with-health-probs#post-1188 Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:27:27 +0000 Joe Stone 1188@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ If you contact or run into people that you knew from before and tell them you were away because of your illness, most people will be cool and glad to see you back. Anyone that gives you the cold shoulder is not worth your time. But don't make too much of the illness, either. What matters is who you are now. Besides, there will be a bunch of new players on the scene to meet as well. What people care about is the business at hand - can you play, and are you good to work with (professional, on time, etc.). It won't happen overnight, so be patient. Unless your music scene has events where people get together, you'll discover friends old and new over time. I think it's going to be fun for you as your contacts grow once again. David J. Hahn on "back to work after yrs. away with health probs." http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/back-to-work-after-yrs-away-with-health-probs#post-1184 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:37:45 +0000 David J. Hahn 1184@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ Hi MissusTurner - Sounds like you know what you're doing - I think you just need to keep doing it. You're focusing on the right gigs in my opinion - churches and synagogues can be great gigs, and they are usually easier to get that similar paying musician jobs in other areas of our business (like session work, as you mentioned). I don't see any harm in getting back in touch with your old colleagues, but I wouldn't expect much work to come from them - at least not at first. I bet it feels like starting all over again - and starting up in this business is definitely tough. But it's not impossible. It just takes time and hustle. But again - it sounds like you know what you're doing. Keep going. MissusTurner on "back to work after yrs. away with health probs." http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/back-to-work-after-yrs-away-with-health-probs#post-1183 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:11:21 +0000 MissusTurner 1183@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ I am posting this because I am actually feeling pretty confused about how to get myself up and gigging full-time after losing years to a disability that I now have under control. I was wondering if anyone might have any tips- I don't know. I used to know most of the local cats, and had a handful of contacts. I feel kind of weird about the thought of tracking them down and "going crawling back" to the studio where I saw most of them most often. I don't know whether I should consider those people as burned bridges at this point, or what- would they give me the cold shoulder for having been away? I am really clueless about where to start making new contacts, too. I don't even know how to dress for auditions these days, or whether to make up some kind of resume, or just do business cards and flyers. I am trying to break into church organist gigs, synagogues, wedding bands and club/bar bands, even sessions, although I know how locked-up most session work is nowadays. Ship work is not out of the question. Not to slam teachers; but I am really trying to focus as close to 100% on FT performance as possible. I am willing to give private lessons pretty much as a last resort, and as little as possible. It's just not for me. I've done it before, and am not really cut out to teach. I am a pianist/organist, classical and prog rock. I am currently trying to learn some blues and jazz chops, to increase my skills and opportunities. Any advice for somebody who has been out of the game for way too long? BrittL on "10% restaurant sales for 4hr gig?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/10-restaurant-sales-for-4hr-gig#post-1126 Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:40:26 +0000 BrittL 1126@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ I haven't played a percentage gig myself but I do know a few musicians who have and for the most part, 10% is pretty o.k. up here in my town. You kind of have to feel them out, I'd say the best way would be to ask them to explain how the payout is. Do you need to sign off on any receipts? Will you be given a copy of the bars total at the end of the night showing your 10%? Being honest and direct has always been what I do, and so far it's worked out. To get into your number 3 question. I play on average of 16 hours every Thursday-Sunday. Each gig is 3-4 hours and I break up my sets into 45 min sets. I, like you, am a heavy handed player. I stomp, I shout (sometimes even scream). Most places are accepting of shorter sets with more breaks as long as you don't abuse them. Generally, if a gig runs from 10-2 on a Friday night, this is how I'll break it down. 10-10:50 - first set. 10:50-11:10 - first break 11:10-11:55 - second set 11:55-12:10 - second break 12:10-12:50 - third set 12:50-1:10 - third break 1:10-2:00 - last set. In between sets, I always make sure to go around and mingle with customers, introduce myself, promote the bar specials and act as an employee of the bar and do my best to make sure I boost up the bar sales as much as I can for the owner. Most places I play don't have a problem with 4 sets as opppose to 2 big ones because I interact with the crowd inbetween and they generally end up selling more because the customers feel "cool" and "special" that the live entertainment chose to hang out with them or stopped to say thank you personally in between sets. Hope that helped <img src="http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/bb-plugins/bb-smilies/kopete/smile.png" title=":)" class="bb_smilies" /> Good Luck. brian on "Reading Versus Improv on Keys?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/reading-versus-improv-on-keys#post-1084 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 21:57:35 +0000 brian 1084@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ I can't fully answer your question becuase i've never done any serious broadway type of work. But I have done high school musicals and in my limited experience, in broadway it seems the part is written out exactly for you and you're expected to play exactly what's written. As far as sight reading is concerned though, to me improv and sight reading go hand in hand. My improv skills have done wonders for my sight reading skills. I wouldn't sacrifice one for the other. Ideally you want to be great at both. bloozer on "10% restaurant sales for 4hr gig?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/10-restaurant-sales-for-4hr-gig#post-1083 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:08:33 +0000 bloozer 1083@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ Hi, I looked around in the forums for a bit but didn't come across an answer. Let me know what ya'll think: A new BBQ/blues restaurant just opened downtown and their hope is to have live music every evening during the dinner hours. On weekends the music starts after the dinner crowd thins out and the place becomes more of a bar-with-live-music joint. It's a nice, clean place in a popular, safe location for night time entertainment. It's the only BBQ place downtown, and one of the only places for live blues music in the city. The owner has a few other successful restaurants in the area and I am confident the place will be popular for both the dinner crowd and nightlife. I played there a last week, had a good time, and made a nice chunk of money, so naturally I'm looking forward to playing there again. Today, I was asked via email if I'd be interested in playing a weekly spot. They've offered me Thursdays 6-10pm for 10% restaurant/bar sales with a $100/night guaranteed. However, in the three or so years I've been playing gigs, I've never played for a percentage -- only for a flat rate. By comparison, the show I did for them last week was for $200 for 3hrs (Friday night, starting at 10pm) and I made an additional ~$40 in tips/CD sales. This month I'm getting $100 to open for a touring blues band (1hr set) and $375 to perform at a blues festival with nationally known headliners (50min set). My questions: 1) For restaurant gigs, does 10% seem fairly standard? 2) What steps can I take to ensure I'm getting the agreed payment when it comes time to collect? That is, if the manager says they only made $500 that night so I'm only getting my minimum $100, how can I be sure he didn't actually make $1500, in which case he'd be shorting me? Not that this place seems sketchy or anything, but I've heard about this sort of thing happening a lot. 3) 4 hours, even with a couple breaks, is a long time to play solo. My style includes a lot of shouting, moaning, stomping, etc and it'll take a lot of energy (plus a few repeat songs) to play the full 4hrs. Anyone have experience with a long set like this? (sorry for the long post, thanks for reading! advice/opinions much appreciated) Lisa Brown on "Reading Versus Improv on Keys?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/reading-versus-improv-on-keys#post-1081 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:40:50 +0000 Lisa Brown 1081@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ I can't answer your question because it's not really the area of my expertise but I was just interested to ask you as one pianist to another - isn't improvisation something you would like to do? I can read music and easily learn a piece, though my sight reading isn't great. I work a lot on improvisation as I come from a jazz background and I love the way it works my harmony and creative skills. So I just wondered if you ever get bored of just reading dots? And if you are a great reader and the improv is stopping you from getting some gigs, don't you think that's worth working on? Bach was a great improviser, so was Mozart and I'm sure a lot of other classical composers. Anyway, I just wanted to say that improvisation is a great way of playing music and it's fun and it helps you to confront barriers within yourself. If you haven't already checked it out, try Kenny Werners book and DVD called "Effortless Mastery". He's a great teacher and really helps you to get a different perspective on things. Jana on "Reading Versus Improv on Keys?" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/reading-versus-improv-on-keys#post-1078 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:58:51 +0000 Jana 1078@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ I am a pianist and have interest in playing keyboard in the orchestra pit as part of a broadway show-type gig. i am an excellent sight reader and have subbed on keys for different performing groups, but all have been situations where the part was completely notated and all i had to do was play it. i'm not as confident in my improvisational skills. so my question is, is how much of the playing for a broadway show sort of thing is reading music and how much is improv? could i get away with being a good reader and not as good at improv or would i need to really work on my imrov skills to be able to even consider doing something like that? brianblanda on "Will mix for free" http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/topic/will-mix-for-free#post-972 Sun, 29 May 2011 11:58:38 +0000 brianblanda 972@http://www.musicianwages.com/forums/ Thanks for the reply guys. Glad I could help Andree-Ann! Best way to get ahold of me is by email (brianblanda@gmail.com). Protools files work fine (I have 8.0.4), I also have logic 8 if that helps. Best way to send files would either be through esessions.com (they have a file sharing service within the site) or through any file sharing method you use that i can surely adopt.