Paying the Orchestra
Wed, 26 Dec 2007, 05:49 pmfunklizard88828 posts in thread
Paying the Orchestra
Wed, 26 Dec 2007, 05:49 pmJust wondering what opinions are out there in regard to the payment (or lack of) for orchestra/band members involved in semi-professional, amateur and community productions of works of music theatre?
In particular I am interested in whether others think there is cause for distinction to be made between different levels of instrumental ability (particularly within a single production - ie. student or 'formally untrained' musicians being paid differently [or not at all] in comparison to professional musicians brought in to 'boost ranks' or cover more difficult parts - as for example happens in school productions)?
And whether distinction can be made by instrument? (as in my experience finding reliable string, harp, oboe, bassoon and 'woodwind' [multi-instrumental] players is quite difficult without serious funding).
If one member of the orchestra is paid, do all the musicians deserve to be paid?
If the Music Director is paid, should the musicians also be paid?
All relevant thoughts, anecdotes, experiences, and opinions are welcome.
This is all dependent on
Sat, 19 Jan 2008, 02:09 amThis is all dependent on how the venue is run, not the production. Ie. If I hire out a professional venue (one specifically used only for theatre), I will usually have to hire out a venue tech as well. This is for safety reasons. Some larger venues also insist on you hiring a FOH person as well, again for safety reasons.
I've worked for a community arts centre which was 100+ seater, where I was the only venue person there and FOH wasn't supplied. I can tell you that safety is the biggest issue, as local hirers do not understand all the issues of safety, fire hazards, emergency exits, etc.
Other venues, that are smaller, often hire out a tech person only for bump-in and/or tech runs. Still others have no tech support at all.
It's entirely dependent on which venue - and the venue's policies - the production hires. So the blame isn't all the production's. If you're not happy that a production will hire a program-seller and not pay you, don't work with that group.
... By the way... you're doing profit-share shows, where the company has enough money to pay for the venue (etc.), as well as a $600 program-seller? Maybe they should rethink how they spend their budget.
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