Sooner or later every musician is going to be asked to do a gig for free. For nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero. Each artist will have to decide for themselves if they want to do this, how often, for whom and so forth. If you asked 100 artists you probably would get maybe as many different opinions as responders.
My take is this: there are good reasons to do freebies -- charity benefits and fundraisers, etc. Or if I want to make inroads with a new venue that I REALLY want to get in with (maybe a prestigious museum?), I might do it for free or lowered fee. If it really will give me great (not just good) "exposure" (but remember, folks can die from exposure!) in front of a constituency that might get me work later, then also "yes," like in front of other bookers, producers, industry people, etc., kind of like an extended showcase. For example, I just performed one song in front of 200-300 child care providers and teachers before the keynote speaker at a big conference for free (plus they played my "Power of One" video after she spoke), but I was able to negotiate a free exhibit table, lunch and the opportunity to sell products. WELL! It was a huge success; I may get bookings from it and I sold more product that probably I ever did at one place and time.
So if you choose to donate your services try to get a promise for something in return. I don't think musicians should ever simply give away our art, as it devalues it (except for charity or a good cause). How much do you value your relationship with someone who asks you to perform for free, and/or the venue you'd be performing in? Could you sell CDs? Could they try to block book you with another paying venue? I am giving a free mini-concert to an organization but I asked them to find me two more full-fee bookings on the same day, in the same town.
Remember to firmly state that they are to keep your donation confidential! And remember to still draw up a contract with your regular fee with "discounted to ____" in the appropriate spot so they know how much you normally charge, and the tremendous bargain they are getting. It's an odd fact that if they pay you nothing, they often treat you terribly. When they pay you a lot, you are therefore worth "more" and are treated with more respect. So let them know what a favor you are doing and what you normally are worth. You'll be treated so much better!
Lastly, to put a final point on this topic, once we played at a local festival for free in the worst possible conditions, in front of maybe 12 people outdoors in a field. One of those 12 people ended up being the anchor for the local TV news program who recommended me to audition for a new kids' show under production, and I ended up getting the host position which put me on TV four times daily for a year! So, you just never know where opportunity will come from, or what other benefit you might get. Not everything is measured in dollars.
Not that I'm trying to talk you into playing for free, but sometimes there are good reasons and situations for it and that can come from it.
Then again, sometimes it's just a wasted day.
My take is this: there are good reasons to do freebies -- charity benefits and fundraisers, etc. Or if I want to make inroads with a new venue that I REALLY want to get in with (maybe a prestigious museum?), I might do it for free or lowered fee. If it really will give me great (not just good) "exposure" (but remember, folks can die from exposure!) in front of a constituency that might get me work later, then also "yes," like in front of other bookers, producers, industry people, etc., kind of like an extended showcase. For example, I just performed one song in front of 200-300 child care providers and teachers before the keynote speaker at a big conference for free (plus they played my "Power of One" video after she spoke), but I was able to negotiate a free exhibit table, lunch and the opportunity to sell products. WELL! It was a huge success; I may get bookings from it and I sold more product that probably I ever did at one place and time.
So if you choose to donate your services try to get a promise for something in return. I don't think musicians should ever simply give away our art, as it devalues it (except for charity or a good cause). How much do you value your relationship with someone who asks you to perform for free, and/or the venue you'd be performing in? Could you sell CDs? Could they try to block book you with another paying venue? I am giving a free mini-concert to an organization but I asked them to find me two more full-fee bookings on the same day, in the same town.
Remember to firmly state that they are to keep your donation confidential! And remember to still draw up a contract with your regular fee with "discounted to ____" in the appropriate spot so they know how much you normally charge, and the tremendous bargain they are getting. It's an odd fact that if they pay you nothing, they often treat you terribly. When they pay you a lot, you are therefore worth "more" and are treated with more respect. So let them know what a favor you are doing and what you normally are worth. You'll be treated so much better!
Lastly, to put a final point on this topic, once we played at a local festival for free in the worst possible conditions, in front of maybe 12 people outdoors in a field. One of those 12 people ended up being the anchor for the local TV news program who recommended me to audition for a new kids' show under production, and I ended up getting the host position which put me on TV four times daily for a year! So, you just never know where opportunity will come from, or what other benefit you might get. Not everything is measured in dollars.
Not that I'm trying to talk you into playing for free, but sometimes there are good reasons and situations for it and that can come from it.
Then again, sometimes it's just a wasted day.
____________________________________________
Ms. Shih plays 6 and 12 string guitars, piano, Marxophone, Chinese flower drum, and soprano recorder. She has six albums to her credit and is the author of two books about music: Gigging: A Practical Guide for Musicians (Allworth Press, NYC) and Truly Rotten Gigs from Hell: The Funny, The Sad, The Unbelievably Bad True Tales from the Music Trenches (Uncommon Publishing, Xlibris). For more information visit http://www.patriciashih.com/
Wise advice and should be followed not matter what the service or talent . Just an opinion
ReplyDelete