Tag Archives: working musician

Recent News

How Accessible Are You?

You’re a professional musician. You belong to the AFM. As a working musician, you probably compete against others who will play for the door, or bands who will pay club owners to let them play for a piece of the door. Don’t play their game. There are a lot of wannabe, has been, and never-will be musicians out there who want to work, fight for radio airplay, and deal with recording and contractual issues where sometimes money is secondary. You not only want to compete, you want to excel. You want people to know about you, and for them to be able to reach you quickly and effortlessly.

Most musicians have their own websites and downloadable demo tracks. Everyone has PR kits and demo CDs. You need business cards, and you need to be readily accessible. Every promo piece I’ve seen has an email address. It’s good that someone can email you, but what if they need to get a hold of you right now? Maybe it’s a corporate gig that a committee is meeting on. Maybe it’s a group that has a job starting at 9:00 p.m. tonight and needs a replacement for someone who can’t make it. Make sure your cell phone number is listed. Email is not going to do it.

In Nashville recently, an artist at the NAMM Show gave me her CD, along with a business card and asked if I would give her my opinion on it. There was no phone number on her card, just an email address. I asked how I could call her, if there is no phone number on her card. She said to email her. She told me she doesn’t list her phone number because she travels constantly and she didn’t want to get a lot of weird calls from guys who were interested in something other than booking her. I could understand that, but no phone number can hurt a career. The easiest thing would be to list a cell phone number, not a land line (even if you have one). Cell phones give you caller ID. A caller doesn’t know where you are when they are calling.

How easy is it for someone to reach you? Here’s a little checklist for things you need to make yourself accessible to someone who wants to book you:

  1.     A phone number where you can be reached. The more numbers (cell, home, agent, etc.) the easier it is to be found when someone needs you to play.
  2.     A voice mail message with your name, group’s name, and best time to reach you.
  3.     An address—street or PO box/city/state, so people know if you are local and where you are travelling from.
  4.     An email address set up with auto email response for when you can’t check frequently, but want to get a message to people to let them know when you will get back to them, and other ways to reach you.
  5.     Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media handles that are clever, simple, and easy to remember.
  6.     A professional website with contact information, demo tracks, a calendar of appearances that is updated regularly, and links to you on social media.
  7.     A decent business card with all of the contact information listed above and social media handles.
  8.     A postcard-size handout with info on your upcoming gigs that you can give to anyone interested in you or your group. (It should contain all the contact information listed previously, as well as social media links.)
  9.     A PR kit with a YouTube link to your band and/or a demo CD or DVD. Each piece of your PR kit should contain contact information and social media handles. Make sure it defines your act and makes you stand out from the competition.

Okay, there are nine things to make you more accessible when someone wants to book you. How many of them do you have? As a professional AFM musician, you don’t want to hide your light under a bushel. Let yourself shine out there. Make yourself easy to find.

senza sordino
Recent News

A Look at Both Sides of the Audition Process

by Nathan Kahn, Negotiator, AFM Symphonic Services Division

All orchestral audition candidates are looking for the same thing in the audition circuit: a fair chance to compete for a symphonic position, and to be treated as a professional in the process. On the other side of the process, audition committee members and orchestra management encounter their own set of challenges. An understanding of the issues each side faces will promote a more fair and enjoyable audition process for everyone.

Challenges for Candidates:

Expenses—Whereas job candidates in other professions are often reimbursed for their interview travel expenses, that is certainly not the case with symphonic auditions. I have yet to hear of any symphonic orchestra who pays the expenses of preliminary round candidates. However, many orchestras do pay the travel expenses for finalists called back to audition in final rounds.

Orchestras may even require audition candidates to send a deposit check. As long as the candidate shows up on audition day, the check will be returned or destroyed.

Audition scheduling—Suppose you open your copy of International Musician and find that there are five forthcoming and very desirable orchestra violin vacancy auditions, and all of them are scheduled for the exact same day. This happens more often than you might think. To minimize this problem, the AFM Symphonic Services Division maintains an audition scheduling website for AFM orchestra personnel managers. This service is free of charge and benefits both the candidates and the orchestras. If your AFM orchestra’s personnel manager has not yet availed themselves of this service, please have him/her contact me at nkahn@afm.org.

Just getting in the front door—Getting admitted to an audition can be almost as challenging as the audition itself. While there is no AFM bylaw that requires any orchestra to grant a live audition to union members, the AFM can sometimes assist candidates who are seeking acceptance to an audition by convincing personnel managers and audition committees to hear “just one more.” Appearing at an audition without having been invited, although some candidates still insist on doing this, will get you nowhere and is strongly discouraged.

Audition conditions and requirements— Audition candidates have the right to warm-up and audition in an environment that is sufficiently comfortable and that is free of any considerable distractions. Candidates should not be expected to put their instruments in any type of weather-related danger, or to spend excessive amounts of money on difficult-to-acquire music.

The Audition Committee View:

The process of filling a vacant seat varies widely among orchestras, but these are some factors that management takes into consideration:

Whether to hold an audition—The audition committee must first decide whether or not to hold an audition. In lieu of a live audition, some orchestras may decide to appoint a certain musician who, for example, may have performed successfully with the orchestra in the past. They can do this through a previously negotiated “appointment” procedure within the orchestra’s collective bargaining agreement, or by some other mutual agreement between the audition/orchestra committees in conjunction with their local union and the management.

I often get complaints from audition candidates demanding that the AFM should “force” the orchestra to have a competitive audition for a position. There is no requirement that any orchestra hold a live audition for any vacancy, unless otherwise specified in the orchestra’s collective bargaining agreement. Even then, the audition/orchestra committees in conjunction with their local union and the management could agree to waive that requirement.

In some instances, a group or an individual will try to force the local orchestra to hold a competitive live audition when the prevailing sentiment was to appoint a certain person. This only results in the orchestra going through a farce of an audition where no one is hired and the original appointment proceeds regardless, wasting the time, energy, talent, and money of audition candidates.

How to screen the candidates—If the audition committee does decide to hold an audition, they must also decide how large a field of candidates to seek. Some orchestras want to hear every candidate who applies, while others may specify in their advertisement that they will only hear “a limited group of highly qualified candidates.” In such circumstances, it is much less likely that the AFM can assist in getting someone admitted to the audition if the audition committee has refused to grant them a live audition.

Some orchestra vacancy advertisements include the following language: “The Audition Committee reserves the right to immediately dismiss from the audition any candidates who do not exhibit the highest professional performance level at these auditions.” These orchestras want to hear as many candidates as possible, but their time is limited. A candidate will often complain that he/she was cut off one minute or less into the audition. I refer the candidate back to that statement in the advertisement; it means what it says.

Scheduling auditions times for candidates—One method for audition scheduling is to assign a window of time to an entire group of candidates, and then have the candidates draw lots to determine the order in which they audition. While this tends to alleviate the problem of time flexibility for the audition committee, it has the opposite effect on the candidates. Some candidates may have to perform their audition with little or no warm-up time, while others may be forced to wait around for hours.

The other method is to assign specific audition times for each candidate. There are, at least, two problems with this approach. First, audition committees complain that such a tight schedule prevents them from hearing as much as they would like in order to be able to make an informed decision. Second, is the problem of no-shows: musicians who have been assigned an audition time, and for whatever reason, fail to appear. When multiple no-shows occur, personnel managers must either round up other candidates to fill in the empty time slots or require the audition committee to wait for extended periods of time for the next group of candidates to appear.

Recurring auditions for the same position— Sometimes an audition is inconclusive. Perhaps the voting procedure in the audition process failed to produce enough votes to select a winning candidate, or perhaps no candidate was deemed qualified for the orchestra. In these cases, the orchestra reserves the right to continue to hold auditions until a successful candidate is engaged.

Use or non-use of screens—In the 1970s, the Saint Louis Symphony and the Boston Symphony started using screens to protect the identity of the candidates, and many other orchestras followed suit. Now, it seems that more orchestras are reversing course and removing screens in the audition process, since some audition committees and music directors have expressed that they feel the need to see, as well as hear, the candidates. Neither the AFM, nor the Code of Ethical Audition Practices, takes any position on the use of screens. That determination is made on the local level; often through the collective bargaining process.

Fixed auditions—Proving that an audition outcome was predetermined is extremely difficult, and investigations are often inconclusive or show that the orchestra’s collective bargaining agreement, in fact, allows for what may appear to be a “fixed” result. For example, some collective bargaining agreements automatically advance musicians who have successfully subbed with the orchestra, who have reached a certain level of professional experience on their résumés, or who may have been in the finals of a previous audition in this or some other orchestra.

When it can be demonstrated that a predetermined audition did occur, the local union, combined with the AFM, works to get candidates reimbursed for at least their travel expenses.

Playing Fair
As competition for some orchestral positions increases, so should vigilance on the part of local unions and their audition committees to uphold the highest standards of ethics and integrity in the conduct of auditions. At the same time, candidates should be aware of the difficulties in taking auditions and should understand that not every orchestra is willing and able to grant a live audition to all who may apply, even with the AFM’s assistance to candidates who may request it.

Musicians who have symphony audition complaints should contact the AFM Symphony Audition Complaint Hotline at 330-322-2265. All complaints are handled anonymously unless the nature of the complaint requires identity.

Memorable Gigs
Health

Don’t Sweat It: Your Guide to Managing Stress

Memorable GigsProfessional musicians all deal with varying levels of stress. National and international tours, performance anxiety, a hectic schedule, and separation from friends and family for long periods of time are just some of the unique challenges musicians face.

When traveling from venue to venue, the body must constantly adapt to new settings, which can disrupt sleep patterns, aggravating the body’s stress response. The more stress a musician feels, the more harm that could occur to his or her playing, since inappropriate muscle tension can hinder performance.

Stress is something everyone experiences and is the normal physical response to events or changes in the environment that make people feel threatened, upset, or off-balance. The body’s stress response, in small doses, can actually be helpful in an important performance or recording session, since it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. But chronic stress can cause serious damage to one’s health, mood, productivity, and quality of life, if it isn’t managed properly. Since a musician’s bread and butter is the ability to play an instrument, keeping the body in good shape and maintaining overall health is essential. Long-term exposure to stress can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and can leave musicians more susceptible to anxiety and depression.

Dr. Stephen Sideroff, clinical director at Moonview Treatment and Optimal Performance Center in Santa Monica, California, and assistant clinical professor in the psychiatry department at UCLA, works with musicians, athletes, and other members of the entertainment industry on overcoming and coping with stress and pressures related to career burnouts. “One of the issues musicians deal with is the performance anxiety of getting up in front of audiences and having to perform perfectly,” says Sideroff. “In other areas of life we don’t have to be that perfect; 90% is pretty good. With a musician and a performance, the mistakes are even more magnified and there is a lot of pressure to be perfect.”

How to Deal with Stress

If you are starting to feel some of the mental, physical, and emotional side effects of stress, there are things you can do on your own to cope better. Sideroff suggests training yourself to relax using exercises like deep breathing, meditation, or yoga. Physical exercise is another way to relieve stress. If you don’t have access to a gym or dislike the traditional ways of working out, something as simple as a walk around the block can help ease the stress response. “If muscle tension builds from that ‘fight or flight’ response to stress, the heart rate goes up,” says

Sideroff. “Physical exercise provides the opportunity to release that built-up energy and tension in the body.” Sideroff also recommends learning to practice self-appreciation to curb performance related anxiety and stress. “If you have success and have done well, own that success and appreciate the abilities and skills you have in order to build confidence,” he says. “The more you do that, the less those situations are perceived as dangerous or uncertain.”

Making a point to take vacations and regular breaks during practice is another way a musician can recuperate from job stress. While gigs at night are unavoidable, Sideroff suggests avoiding unnecessary job-related tasks late at night. Most things can wait until the morning when you are more alert and rested.

Building and maintaining a strong network of friends and family is one of the greatest protectors against stress. If you have people in your life that you can turn to with problems and depend on for support, pressures from work don’t seem as bad. If you are in a situation where you travel and tour frequently, make sure you always have phone and e-mail access to keep in touch with your family and friends.

There are plenty of other resources to help musicians cope with stress and related health concerns. Contact your primary care physician or visit artsmed.org to find a doctor or treatment facility that specializes in performing artists and musicians.

Symptoms and Signals that Stress Is Taking a Toll Look out for these chronic stress warning signs:

Cognitive

• Memory problems
• Difficulty concentrating
• Poor judgment
• Negative thoughts
• Constant worrying
• Anxiety

Emotional

• Moodiness
• Short temper
• Agitation
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Sense of loneliness and isolation
• Depression

Physical

• Aches and pains
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Nausea or dizziness
• Rapid heartbeat and chest pain
• Loss of sex drive
• Frequent colds

Behavioral

• Changes in eating patterns
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Isolating oneself from others
• Neglecting responsibilities
• Nervous habits (nail-biting)
• Using drugs/alcohol to relax

Some of the information in this article came from the HelpGuide.org.

Recent News

Getting Your Promo Kit Together

by Mike King, author and instructor for Berkleemusic.com

The music industry tends to be a jaded group to start with, and nothing raises the ire of these folks more than a poorly planned and executed promo kit. A poor promo kit is sure to keep your demo or finished CD unopened and not listened to, and the rest of your kit is sure to be sent to the circular bin “with a bullet,” as they say. The good news is, the elements that make up an effective press kit are straightforward, and the essentials will not change much from band to band.

You should create a press kit with several folks in mind—club bookers, radio DJs, and the media—and while the details may change very slightly, there is one thing that you have to keep in mind:

When putting together your promo kit, the first rule of thumb is to put yourself in the shoes of the people that receive these things on a daily basis. The music writers at major US and Canadian local papers, like The Boston Globe and the Chicago Tribune, receive dozens of promo kits per day, and the same thing goes for the popular clubs in your area.

These people have seen it all, and while you may have the urge to create a leather-bound CD wallet, monogrammed with your band’s name, that really stands out from the crowd, I urge you to reconsider and instead let your music, bio, and press clippings do the talking for you.

Common Promo Kit Problems

I worked at an independent record label for a while, and saw more than my share of press kits. And I’m telling you straight up that spending a day in the water of the river Styx in Dante’s Fifth Circle of Hell may be only slightly less preferable than going through amateurish, unsolicited promo kits. Bad promo kits may make you mad, but really bad promo kits make you sad, too. Before we get to the ingredients of a killer promo kit, I want there to be no confusion on what makes up a bad one. For everyone’s sake, please avoid the following:

Too much information—Unless you are in the superstar category, there is no reason to have a dozen pages describing the conditions under which you recorded the record, your political leanings, what the songs are about, etc. The biographical information in your press kit should be informational and concise.

Poor grammar—Misspelling the recipient’s name on your package or cover letter is a big problem. And while it may be cool to avoid punctuation and capitalization in your e-mails and My Space page, it is definitely not cool when you are writing to someone asking them to play your record or book you a gig. You may be an artist, but this is one place where you are going to have to exhibit some professionalism.

An overreaching package—Again, unless you are on a major label or have the dough to send program directors promo items (even then, it doesn’t really matter unless the promo items you’re sending are American Express checks), there is no need to create some grand package to really “wow” the recipient. The truth is, if the music isn’t any good, it really doesn’t matter that you enclosed cookies with your package (true story).

Not enough information—You covered all your bases, your demo is hot, you addressed it to the right person, you’ve got some momentum, and the writer/booker is interested in finding out more. But wait, who are you? Always be sure to put your contact info all over the package. Writers and bookers may not be the most organized bunch and things can easily get separated. Clearly mark your name on the CD, on the cover letter, on your bio—and if you can, make up some cards and drop a few in the package.

Poor research/no prior contact—It’s fundamental that you send your kit to the right person. Never address your promo kit: “To whom it may concern,” or “ A&R.” This is a sure-fire way to get your kit into the trash since many folks don’t take unsolicited kits. Find out who the right person is through a phone call. Also, be aware of what kind of music the organization you’re sending your kit to is into. If you are sending your package to a hard rock label, it’s pretty unlikely they would put out a collection of classical accordion covers. (Unless they rocked, of course!)

Bad tone—Another big turn off is a demanding promo kit. Remember, the goal of the kit is to present your band and your music in the best possible light, and the language you use is important. Be nice. I recall, in particular, one promo kit that came in from what looked like twin sisters who sang folk music. Not only was the cover letter off-putting in tone, but they demanded we send the kit back after we reviewed it! Bad form.

What Makes a Good Promo Kit?

Like many things in life, simple really is better. An effective press kit contains five or six key things: cover letter, bio, your demo or finished product, photo, press clippings, and sometimes a tour schedule.

1) Cover letter—Your cover letter should be addressed to the proper recipient, and attached to the outside of your kit with a paper clip. Tone, content, spelling, and grammar should all be checked. You want this letter to be warm and relatively formal, quick, and to the point. Explain what you are looking for from the recipient as concisely as possible.

2) Biography—In my opinion, the bio is not a place to get cute or overly creative. Present the facts: the history of the band, interesting individual background and/ or accomplishments of the members, the band’s highlights so far, and perhaps some key press quotes.

3) Your demo or finished product—This is the most important part of your kit. No matter how good the rest of your kit reads and looks, if the music is not good or presented incorrectly, you’re sunk. If you’ve got a finished CD together, include a copy in your package. If not, you should prepare a three- or foursong demo.

Song order is very important. You should absolutely lead off with the song that you feel kicks the most ass. And that song needs to kick ass immediately. No one has time to listen to a two-minute intro before the song gets moving. For example, if you are a rock band, you want “Black Dog” as an opener, not “Stairway to Heaven.” And as I mentioned above, it is incredibly important to have your contact info all over your kit, especially the CD.

4) Photo(s)—This is the visual representation of your band. Again, be a bit careful about how artsy it is. The photo should try to capture what one might expect from listening to the music.

5) Press clippings—If you’ve had some past success with the press, your promo kit should include a “Paste-Up” of this media coverage. Format is important here. Any editorial your band gets should be cut out from whatever else surrounds it in the paper. Cut out the masthead of the publication, affix it on a piece of paper with the article below, and be sure to format it all so it looks nice on an 8.5 x 11-inch piece of paper.

6) Tour schedule is optional—If you have an amazing tour schedule, it may make sense to include an itinerary of upcoming shows as well. If the recipient of your kit is not all that familiar with your band and they see you’re playing places like the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., or Yoshi’s in San Francisco, they’ll know you are the real deal.

Package all these items up in a straightforward folder and you’re all set. Again, no need for oversized glossy kits. Keep it simple, baby. It’s easier for you, and I guarantee that, even if they don’t say it, the folks that receive your kit will thank you as well.

Mike King is the associate director of marketing at Berkleemusic. Prior to working at Berklee, he was the marketing/product manager at Rykodisc, where he oversaw all marketing efforts for label artists including Mickey Hart, Jeb Loy Nichols, Morphine, Jess Klein, Voices On The Verge, Bill Hicks, The Slip, Pork Tornado (Phish), Kelly Joe Phelps, and Frank Zappa’s estate. King is also the course author/ instructor of several online marketing courses at www.berkleemusic.com, as well as the author of the book Music Marketing: Press, Promotion, Distribution, and Retail (Berklee Press, 2009).

Traveling Musician

Central Withholding Agreements in the US

If you are a nonresident alien (non US citizen) entertainer performing in the US, you are subject to 30% tax withholding from gross income. There are situations in which the withholding requirement does not apply (certain corporations, nonprofit organizations, and certain treaty provisions), but generally most artists should take advantage of central withholding agreements (CWA) with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to reduce this withholding amount.

A CWA is an agreement entered into by the entertainer, a designated withholding agent, and an authorized representative of the IRS. The agreement can cover one event or a tour and the withholding percentage required will be based on an income/expense budget provided by the artist, indicating net profit/loss. In order to access a CWA, your previous US income tax returns must be filed and US taxes paid (or you have arrangements to pay). You also must file a US tax return for the year in which the CWA is granted.

A designated withholding agent must be a completely independent third party (often, it is a venue, agent, manager, accountant, attorney, etc.). The agent is required to withhold and forward to the IRS withholding tax according to the terms of the CWA and provide a final accounting of the artist’s income and expenses.

The advantages of a CWA is that it allows for one withholding agent (rather than several, as on a tour) and the withholding percentage is based on the estimated ultimate tax liability, rather than the blanket 30% withholding required by law. Only individuals may apply for a CWA and for groups of artists in a band or other ensemble, each artist must apply separately.

Filing a CWA application should include:

  • Application form 13930
  • Itinerary of events to be covered by the CWA
  • Income/expense budget with contracts, deal memos, projected merchandise sales, etc.
  • Power of Attorney or Appointment of Representative form

The regulations for applying are extremely strict in regard to the application date. If the application is received less than 45 days prior to the first event on the CWA application, it will be rejected. The optimum time to apply for a CWA is 90 days before the first event. If you cannot meet these deadlines and the 30% is withheld, you can always apply for a refund (if one is applicable) by filing a US tax return for the year in which you had monies withheld.

When a CWA has been fully executed and signed by the entertainer, the designated withholding agent, and the representative of the IRS, the designated withholding agent assumes responsibility for withholding and reporting tax on the entire tour or event, relieving all other withholding agents from withholding, and eliminating the chances of over-withholding.

Sometimes a foreign entertainer will try to rely on the submission of W-9 or W-8BEN forms or assume that they can rely on a tax treaty provision that allows a certain level of tax-free income. Strictly speaking, the W-9 or W-8BEN form does not negate the withholding because the income is treated as flowing directly to the artist (unless an arm’s-length corporation is involved). Any treaty provisions cannot be considered since the amount of income earned will not be determined until the year’s end. There are, however, certain countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) with a treaty-based provision that exempts all US earned income from taxation.

A CWA is a something every foreign artist coming to perform in the US should consider.

—I welcome your questions and concerns.
Please write to me at: robert@bairdartists.com. While I cannot answer every question I receive in this column, I will feature as many as I can and I promise to answer every e-mail I receive.

teaching private lessons on bass
Recent News

How to Get Started with Teaching Private Lessons

Musicians with years of experience, and even those new to professional music, often find it rewarding to spread their experience and knowledge. Offering private lessons can help make connections in the community and foster personal musical development, and by introducing new people to the joys of performance, you can make a difference in your students’ lives. So as summer comes to an end and school starts up again, think about ramping up efforts in education and really making an impact through private instruction.

Back to Basics

You must first decide what age group to teach. The age of your students will not only determine what and how you will be teaching, but it will also determine your weekly teaching hours. High school and grade school aged students, along with working professionals, require afternoon, evening, or weekend hours and college students or retirees may have more flexible schedules. Try to think about your daily routines and how you will balance teaching with your rehearsal and performance schedule. You must also set aside time for setting up a curriculum and a system for evaluating student progress.

It’s important to research which books and teaching materials will be effective for your students. Resources are available through national organizations including the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) at www.mtna.org and National Association for Music Education (MENC) at www.nafme http://www.nafme.org/.org, as well as their local chapters. For a mix of new-and-innovative and tried-and-true, the best teachers combine methods from their own musical beginnings with more recent innovative techniques.

Prospective students or their parents will ask you about education, previous teaching experience, references, and the types of music that you teach. Tailor the information you have in your working bio to answer questions students may have about your background. It’s important to highlight diversity and variety in your skills, and experience in many different musical settings–band, orchestra, solo recitals, and work in various genres.

Keep enough free time in your schedule to allow flexibility when it comes to setting up lessons, especially when balancing private teaching with commitments to another job. Students and their parents keep busy school-year schedules as well.
Another important consideration is how much to charge for lessons. Factors in determining fees include income levels in your area, length and level of the lessons, and whether you’re teaching children, adults, or both.

Online and on Paper

There are a lot of online resources you can use to set up a successful teaching studio. The AFM’s GoProLessons.com is a directory of professional musicians offering lessons. Students looking for a teacher can search for a professional teaching musician in their area. As an AFM member you can post a profile with your bio and photo. A personal website or a profile on a social networking site like MySpace can include recording samples, along with a bio, photos, and other information.

The websites for MTNA and MENC offer listings to members according to instrument and location. MTNA also offers opportunities for professional development, including a national certification process. Once established, you should consider taking this step; it carries with it the possibility of awards and national recognition for your teaching work.

Designing a flyer to be placed at local music stores–even if it’s just a sheet with little tear-off strips at the bottom with your name, phone number, and e-mail address–is also a good starting point. Some music stores also house teaching studios; inquire if there’s an opening or a need for an additional teacher for your instrument.

Onward and Upward

To expand your teaching from a handful of students to your own studio, involvement and interaction in your community are crucial, and networking will be a valuable asset. Connections with classroom music teachers will help in seeking out budding talent. Friends and colleagues who teach in local schools can point out concerts and recitals to attend, and may recommend you to students and their parents, including those who wish to continue their study when school is not in session.

Always keep promotional materials updated and on hand; every trip to a school, rehearsal or performance site is another chance for further exposure. As music in public schools is gradually and tragically being phased out, private music instructors can fill the void in arts education.

Memorable Gigs
Music Business

Show Me The Money: More Examples of Memorable Gigs

We’ve been talking about memorable gigs recently and I received an e-mail from Bill Yeager of Local 174-496 (New Orleans, LA) in response to my column on interesting gigs. I thought I’d pass it along as a lesson to be learned about making sure you get paid. Sure you have a contract, and possibly an advance or deposit, but what happens when you play overtime? Do you put in an extra hour or two and just hope to get the extra revenue? Can you be sure the money will follow? Here’s what Yeager writes:

Years ago I was playing a gig with a 12-piece variety band at a big motel in Albuquerque for a veterinarians’ convention. Everyone had a great time; it was a good gig. But as we packed up to leave, one of the attendees who seemed to be a bit tipsy, started hollering about what a great band we were and urging everyone to put some money into a hat he was passing around to keep us there for another hour. He held $50 aloft and said he’d start it off right. He insisted everybody kick in and, if anyone was reluctant, he seemed tipsy enough to be excused for hassling the others and demanding big bills. It looked like that hat was going to have more money in it than what we were originally paid for the whole night! We began putting our stands back and getting our instruments out. 

At some point, we lost track of the guy collecting the money. Where’d he go?! Some of the musicians and a few of the conventioneers who’d noticed his absence began a search. But, too late! He was gone and so was the money! And that wasn’t the only problem. We had a room full of people who had contributed a lot of money to hear more music and they were getting mad because we hadn’t started playing. The smarter guys in the band, who figured out what would happen next, were already headed out the door—probably the same door the con man had disappeared through!

Maybe this is an isolated incident. Maybe not. But it is definitely something to be aware of.

Yeager also wrote about one of the weirder gigs he’s played. It didn’t involve overtime and he did get paid in full, but it was definitely strange. Yeager reports playing for a surgeons’ convention in a big room in one of the major hotels in New Orleans. He writes:

Our little traditional jazz band was set up in one corner of the large room. The other corners had either a bar or coffee service. The middle of the room was filled by a huge multi-level table of hors d’oeuvres, cheeses, fruits, and veggies, as well as ham, beef, turkey, etc. All the surgeons and their wives were milling about the room with a drink in one hand and food in the other. So far, standard convention fare, right? But here’s where it gets weird. They had combined their get-acquainted cocktail party with a demonstration of surgical equipment. And it included two actual operations! 

There was one on each side of the room with a doctor in a white smock at a surgical table. On each table, there was a heart and a pair of lungs! The heart was beating and the lungs were breathing! No, they weren’t human. They belonged to two pigs, but the pigs were not present. They were dead and gone—probably already on their way to someone’s breakfast table. But their hearts and lungs lived on—right there in the middle of the cocktail party! And the doctors operated on them! They were demonstrating how their equipment would keep the heart and lungs of a human patient functioning during an operation. 

The doc would make a few deft slashes with his scalpel, blood would squirt, and the heart or lungs would be taken out of the little circle of life that was the dead pigs’ organs. Meanwhile, machines would send oxygen flowing to the lungs, blood would circulate through clear plastic tubes. TV cameras mounted overhead projected all this onto big screens above the party. And the surgeons ate their food and drank their drinks, chatted with one another, and watched the operation, either live or on the screens, oblivious to how bizarre and surreal it seemed to us non-surgeons! And the band? We just did what we hired to do—we played happy little Dixieland tunes and tried not to look at the screens! 

Thanks Bill. Not all gigs are easy. You’re perfect proof!

phone call
Music Business

Marketing 101: A Good Old-Fashion Phone Call

phone callIn the modern day many people will more readily send an email than physically call a person. Emails, social media, and other communication is great way to get in touch with people, but sometimes the most successful way is a good old-fashion phone call.  A well-developed telephone technique is crucial to the success of the client contact process. Potential clients can sense when you don’t feel confident, even when that conversation is over the phone.

If you lack confidence or if you are shy, you should consider getting advice on how to put forward a strong verbal presentation over the telephone. Many books have been written on the subject, and they are not just for telephone salespeople. Anyone who uses the telephone to drum up business must work on their technique.

Speaking slowly and clearly and learning a “script,” especially when you are cold-calling clients, are some of the techniques worth knowing. Another is how to follow up on cold calls. Yet another is how to leave a message on voice mail that will be memorable, which is a technique a little like a 30-second elevator pitch without the business card.

Some musicians don’t think it’s respectable to call a client themselves. They believe that clients have less respect for musicians who represent themselves than for musicians who are represented by an agent. Therefore, some musicians prefer to have an agent who will call clients on their behalf.

However, you should consider that TV commercials where the owner of the car dealership or mattress emporium represents him or herself are rated higher and more effective than commercials that don’t have an owner present. This was part of the secret behind the rise of the Wendy’s restaurant chain, under the charismatic leadership of Dave Thomas, who often appeared in national TV ads.

Following this logic, clients may well be more convinced of your skills as a musician and bandleader if they talk to you in person, rather than through an agent. Plus, one of the benefits of representing yourself is that you at least know how you are being presented.

Telephone calls are still one of the least expensive and most effective ways of self-promotion. If your phone technique is good, and you present yourself and your band in a memorable way, clients will recall you when you phone again.

For example, Hal Galper of Local 802 (New York City) remembers the time he sat on a panel at the International Association of Jazz Educators’ convention in Atlanta, Georgia. His name was mentioned often on the panel, and many of his clients were present. At one point the moderator asked, “Is there anyone here who has not received a phone call from Hal Galper?” Everyone laughed, and amazingly only one person said, “I haven’t.” Galper arranged to chat with this person after the panel was over. “It pays to have a good phone rap,” he reminds other working musicians.

Music Business, Resources

Solidarity and Arts: Know Your Rights!

by Laurence Hofmann, Contract Administrator, Communications & Data Coordinator, AFM Symphonic Services Division 

know-your-rightsKnow your rights! As obvious as it might sound, it can’t be overemphasized.

There is a type of question asked by symphonic musicians about the desired collaborative relationship with local representatives and the orchestra committee, and how to solve disagreements with management. Queries may include topics such as dismissal without “just cause,” too short of breaks between run-outs, arbitrary seating, hiring orders, discrimination, wages, etc. Other strictly union questions might pertain to membership dues, rights involved, grievances, benefits, etc.

Of course, this is just a sample of the specific questions  from symphonic musicians. The AFM handles a larger array of questions. Some of these are also common to other music genres, like: Can I fly with my instrument as carry-on? Is it banned under endangered species regulations? When will I receive payments for new use? And, why do film productions still go abroad to record soundtracks?

One of the sources of answers that is immediately available to you is your Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). You can also search the AFM document library, Opus 2012, Opus 2015, and/or watch the union educational video webcasts (covering healthcare, grievances, or many other important topics) in the SSD Resource Center on afm.org.

And don’t forget to check AFM Facebook and Twitter accounts for current information. Additionally, the AFM publication International Musician offers in-depth details. Your local bylaws and AFM Bylaws might provide guidance on a more general basis. AFM locals and symphonic player conferences publish their own newsletters. And, of course, there are other organizations with information for musicians like Content Creators Coalition and MusicFirst (my personal favorites).

To be your own best advocate, you should know the CBA for your orchestra. Your CBA alone gives directives to understand your rights (and obligations) within your orchestra. A comparative analysis of CBAs will help to put your situation in perspective with the national (and international) industry. For several decades, ICSOM, ROPA, and OCSM wage charts have provided an amazing tool to get a comparative look at CBAs. Data has been collected from CBAs and complemented by data from local unions (for example, dues) and orchestra managements (expenses, public and private funds, management salaries). At a glance, you can learn about the economics and working conditions in various orchestras. What kind of performances are guaranteed by the contract? What do they pay? What benefits are provided to musicians and at what cost to them? These are just a few examples.

The current 2014-2015 wage charts are now available to AFM musicians in an innovative format. The digital charts can be downloaded, saved, and/or printed, as needed, from our new website: wagechart.afm.org. In the coming months, this dedicated website will acquire new features to allow dynamic and interactive use of the charts, both current and past.

For example, the charts will soon be updated in real time with delegates able to change their data immediately after successful negotiations or upon receiving data for the tax year from the union local or management. Gradually, historical data will be made available, providing an opportunity to observe an orchestra’s progress. Furthermore, AFM members will be able to search, extrapolate, analyze, and compare several orchestras and report on specific subjects. Some searches will generate tables and graphs. Every single document (charts and reports) can be saved and printed.

One of the main advantages of up-to-date searchable data is that it empowers your arguments for wage increases and working condition improvements. These wage charts are essential negotiating tools. They will provide a look at past and current information to help you change the future.

The creation of this innovative, dynamic, and interactive website was made possible through the collaboration of ICSOM Chair Bruce Ridge, ROPA President Carla Lehmeier-Tatum, and a task force composed of ICSOM Secretary Laura Ross, ROPA Secretary Karen Sandene, Richard K. Jones, and OCSM President Robert Fraser. I thank all of them for their valuable input in support of this alternative to printing the charts, which was initially motivated as an environmentally friendly alternative. All the other benefits of a digital wage chart are value-added advantages that evolved from having made this decision.

Knowing your rights is the first step in being able to claim your rights. Communicating with local officers and/or consulting with the orchestra committee and union stewards are also key. United we have a stronger voice as evidenced in the Minnesota and Atlanta orchestras, which are coming back stronger than ever.

The AFM and its Symphonic Services Division (SSD) have been joining forces with other organizations and government representatives to tackle the issue of the ban on endangered species. This ban resulted in difficulties for musicians traveling with their instruments. In an attempt to ease the understanding of this complicated issue, I have edited various IM articles by AFM Political Director and Director of Diversity Alfonso Pollard into a specific guide for musicians who might have instruments containing components of endangered species—elephant ivory, tortoiseshell, pernambuco, and Brazilian rosewood. It is part of the AFM Complete Guide to Flying with Your Musical Instrument available on the AFM.org website Member’s section Documents Library, in the Legislative folder.

I’ll tirelessly keep my commitment to musician’s causes. If you have any questions contact me at (212) 869-1330 x211 or lhofmann@afm.org.

You are not alone. We all support each other. That’s why, together we are the union!

Strategies for Effective Negotiating Teams
Music Business, Resources

Strategies for Effective Negotiating Teams

by Barbara Owens, AFM International Representative Midwest Territory, and Negotiator

Strategies for Effective Negotiating TeamsBeing part of a negotiating team is time-consuming, challenging, exhausting, and rewarding. When the interpersonal dynamics work (both on our side and on management’s), the energy created as the team begins to reach agreement can be a tremendous catalyst for bringing the negotiations to completion.

A negotiating team is made up of diverse individuals coming together with the common goal of negotiating an agreement. It’s the responsibility of the group, and its leader(s), to bring out the best in each team member. In the orchestra world, we are already used to being a part of the group in our “day job” (playing in the orchestra), so it is familiar energy to be working within the group setting. Just as musicians each have a unique way of articulating a musical phrase, each negotiating team member has a unique way of expressing themselves. By listening and employing nonjudgmental feedback, we can use our familiarity with our colleagues to our advantage, even if we do not agree with them all the time.

Every team member brings unique strengths to the table. If you are a team leader—committee chair, sub-committee expert, or union leader—you have an additional opportunity to manage the strengths of individual team members and create an environment that supports effective communication and problem solving.

Listening is a critical part of what we do as musicians and also what we do as negotiating team members. In negotiations, people hearing the same information will often have different interpretations and memory retention. If you played the “telephone game” as a child, you will remember the confusion when the story was passed from one person to another, and then finally revealed at the end. Not only was the final story often completely different than the initial telling, but frequently, there were forgotten or even new details.

Your mind and imagination have a tendency to fill in the gaps when you hear information that is not clearly understood. It is critical that your team clarify every confusing detail in real-time, as the negotiations move along, both internally and with management, if necessary. Saving questions for late in the negotiations causes confusion, and may erode any goodwill that has been established between musicians and management.

Ultimately, an agreement is achieved through successful teamwork on both sides and across the table. Although we may naturally revert to our traditional musician/management roles at the conclusion of the negotiations, the lessons we learn from negotiation teamwork can establish a framework of effective communication and cooperation for the life of the agreement.