Should I Take That Gig?

Negotiating is only fun for certain people, of which I am not one. But whenever I’m asked to perform, musically or otherwise, I need to decide if and under what circumstances I want to accept.

 I did write a bit about this in my infamous blog post about playing with Amanda Palmer, so here’s a bit more: when I negotiate various offers, my interior dialog/checklist goes something like this (read more in detail about each point after the cut):

  1. What are the reasons, if any, I want to do this gig?

  2. If primarily for pay, what amount is sufficient for my efforts?

  3. If primarily for a non-monetary reason, am I clear what the effort cost to me is and am I willing to donate the relative time/financial difference between that and what, if anything, I will be paid?

  4.  Is there something other than money I can request as compensation?

  5.  Am I clear what the finances of the event are, so that I can be clear I’m not the only event supplier donating my time? (e.g., if they are paying a caterer and venue rental, they don’t get a discount from me)

  6. Am I comfortable that the person who wants my participation knows what they are doing, has the authority to do it, and has realistic expectations for the event and me?

  7. If the request is from someone I know personally, will anything about the above (esp. 5 & 6) or about our relationship make it difficult for me to have a proper business relationship with them, so I should just say I’m not available?

  8. Am I prepared to turn down a “better” offer if one arrives after accepting this one?

Read more about each point:  Continue reading

Rocking at Girls Rock Camp

My July was rather busy, hence the lack of blog posts. One activity was that I took a week’s vacation in order to volunteer at the July session of Girls Rock Camp Boston. I substituted 8-hour days at a computer for 10-hour days co-teaching drumming plus coaching a newly-created band of 8, 9 and 10-year-old girls who wrote an original song and performed it on stage at a major Boston nightclub in front of 300 people!

What is the girls rock camp movement and why might you be interested in supporting it whether or not you happen to have girl children?

Continue reading

General Business Gig Booking Considerations – Weddings

Some time ago I posted a tip about how to determine the going rate to charge for a GB (general business) gig, such as a wedding, party, etc. But there is more to being a successful GB musician than setting a price. Here are some questions to ask and elements to consider when requested to perform for a wedding or other ceremony – this is based on my reply to a recent wedding inquiry, but much of it is applicable to other events:

Continue reading