Musicians: You Are Responsible for the Climate of Live Music
Though musicians' complaints about the pay received from many gigs are nothing new, I have recently heard more complaints from musician-friends than ever before. Sometimes, these musicians perform at commercial venues (e.g., restaurants-bars, clubs, and lounges) for little or no money. And these are excellent musicians, not second-rate players.
SHIRKING RESPONSIBILITY
The owner or managers are often the first to be damned by musicians for taking advantage of them and their fans who patronize the venues. Many want or, in some cases, expect the musician(s) to play for free or a pittance. But as much as some musicians place all responsibility on the owners, such a perspective is wildly inaccurate.
Most of the responsibility for these expectations is on the musician-yes, that's right, the musician. After all, the musician(s) is the one who ultimately accepts these conditions by accepting and performing the gig.
Is there a long line of plumbers ready to offer their skills and services for nothing or a few dollars if a club owner's place has a plumbing problem? Hardly. Is there an endless line of lawyers willing to give free advice if the club owner seeks legal counsel? I think not.
Yet when it comes to providing live musical entertainment, many owners know that plenty of musicians will perform for free. Sometimes the venue will offer the musicians free drinks and food instead of monetary payment, but this amounts to very little when considering the cost to the venue itself.
As incredible as it may sound to some people, there is an emerging trend among amateur musicians (i.e., play music on the side) who will pay the venue to perform there!
"Well, it's my right to play a free gig if I want!" No doubt. All I am asking is that you understand the repercussions of doing so are not limited to only you; they affect all working musicians.
If your livelihood does not depend on music in any way, take a moment to imagine what your job would be like if you had a slew of amateurs offering to do it for free. How would you feel about it?
PERCEPTION IS REALITY
Sadly, most Americans want someone to tell them what quality music is; they don't recognize it even when they walk right by it, as was the case with Joshua Bell. The famed violin virtuoso's experiment at a Washington D.C. subway station is evidence of this. (http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/bell.asp)
The monetary value of live music is based on an individual's perception. The fact that live music is intangible compounds the challenge of establishing a value.
Musicians I know prefer to be paid a reasonable amount when they perform for a commercial business. But if so many musicians are willing to give it away to a venue for nothing, how can the perception of the average venue owner change?
A person may pay $100 for a mediocre seat to attend a professional live sporting event. Do you know of any professional sporting events costing $5.00 for a decent seat? Who in their right mind would offer twenty times that if they were? The buyer perceives that the ticket is worth $100 not because it is a universal law; it is what experiencing the event live is worth to the person.
RESPECT
Love it or hate it, we live in a society in which most people correlate a person's fee with their level of expertise. As superficial and presumptuous as it may be, most will respect skilled professionals more who charge a higher fee. The same goes for how most people assess items in a store. (e.g., when comparing two televisions with identical screen sizes and features, most will assume the more expensive television is of superior quality.)
What does a musician say to the owner of a venue when performing for little or no pay is an option? Here are some likely considerations:
The possibility that your group might consist of unskilled musicians who can barely hold a tune together; however, if that is the case, you won't be performing at that venue again any time soon. The venue may even fire you on the gig if your music could be much better. On the other hand, if your band is good or excellent, your performances become a cash cow for the venue.
MUSICIANS: YOU CAN BRING ABOUT CHANGE
Musicians must first realize that they can bring about a change by not offering to play for free or food/tips. If musicians started to set a reasonable base fee that is not negotiable, the perception that these owners/managers have would change.
Yes, I know how fun and exciting it is to perform at a venue and have fans come out to support you; however, there are other routes. For example: play house parties or rent a space in a local community center and sell tickets. Just as long as you are not performing for a commercial business, you won't be perpetuating the current expectations of most commercial business owners.
ESTABLISHING A REASONABLE BASE FEE
So, what is a reasonable base price for live music for commercial venues? Over twenty years ago, the average three-hour restaurant gig in the Philadelphia area paid me, then a 17-year-old mediocre musician, at least $40. Weekend gigs (including Friday night) paid $50 or $60. In today's money, that is $75 and $85 or $105, respectively (http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm); this is about the absolute lowest that any commercial venue should be paying each musician.
BRINGING AN AWARENESS TO NON-MUSICIANS
Based on the interactions with non-musicians over the years, most patrons assume the band is getting paid, even when asking for tips. Patrons consider the tips as supplemental to whatever the musicians are getting paid. Non-musicians are often appalled when they hear that there are bands that play for nothing but tips. When these patrons pay a cover charge, they also assume the majority, if not all, of the cover goes to the band.
As much as musicians can bring about a change by turning down such gigs, the non-musicians who patronize such places can also have a tremendous impact by patronizing live music venues that pay their musicians a reasonable wage.
Two days ago, a guitar student, a senior at a prestigious business school, said he never thought about what live musicians make at a commercial venue. But, when he paused to think about it, he said, "I would think that each musician in a decent band receives at least $25 per hour with higher pay rates for better bands."
He was astounded when I told him that some venues pay nothing while others might pay $25 for the entire band for a three or four-hour gig. "No wonder musicians have difficulty getting paid when so many are willing to supply music to those places for free. Which club owner will pay a fair price for live music when they can get it for free or so little?"
UNDERCUTTING OTHER MUSICIANS
As musicians, we are our own worst enemies. One of the best examples is the musician who undercuts other musicians who are paid well by commercial venues.
Here is a common scenario: Band X plays a venue for $400 to perform from 6:00-9:00 pm. Band Y learns of this while trying to get a gig at the venue and offers to play the same gig for $200. One month later, Band Z enters the venue and says they will play for only $50. A few months later, every band plays the venue for free, and what was once a reasonably well-paying venue is no more.
While it is not always the case, the quality of the music often decreases as a lesser band undermines a more talented one; these venues either end up going bankrupt or dispensing with live music altogether. As satisfying as it may be to say that these places ultimately get what they pay for, it does nothing to address the root of the issue.
Such practices destroy well-paying venues and foul up every musician who wants a venue to pay a reasonable amount for their live music. Moreover, undercutting musicians sends a message to venue owners that live music is something they can pay little if anything.
CONCLUSION
Until more musicians accept responsibility for their actions, the live music climate will continue along the same deplorable route it has been traveling. Do not play free gigs for commercial venues, and stop the practice of undercutting fellow musicians at venues that do pay reasonably.
What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment below.
