mcgoo Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Hey Allan (& others) You might periodically check this site: http://www.churchstaffing.com/ Custom Music, Audio Post Production, Location Audio www.gmma.biz https://www.facebook.com/gmmamusic/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Benhamou Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Also I'm finding, more and more, that I'm earning less of my income behind the keys, and more of it in supportive roles. Making a living as a performing musician is no small task, especially in a new city where you don't know anyone and no one knows you. Thumbs up for being able to take the plunge and ive up all your contacts and students at home to help your wife advance her career. May I suggest getting out to local jam sessions or going to see live acts on the weekend. Get to know the local talent, young and old. Musicians need to know you exist if you want them to hire you. Or put up an ad to start your own band. A good keyboard player with gear isn't easy to find so chances are if you get one gig, you'll be able to keep it. Ian Benhamou Keyboards/Guitar/Vocals [url:https://www.facebook.com/OfficialTheMusicalBox/]The Musical Box[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovernorSilver Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 That's it, I'm going to work on my French some more and move to Montreal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 May I suggest getting out to local jam sessions or going to see live acts on the weekend. Get to know the local talent, young and old. Musicians need to know you exist if you want them to hire you. Or put up an ad to start your own band. A good keyboard player with gear isn't easy to find so chances are if you get one gig, you'll be able to keep it. Almost prophetic, Ian: A guitar player, who sat in on a gig with me a few weeks back, just offered me a gig this afternoon with his 3 piece cover band. Apparently, they've been getting a lot of calls for 4 piece that they've had to turn down; so they decided to add keys. Brief practice/meeting this Sat., then we hit the ground running for several gigs in Feb. Kinda wild, in that the americana band I'd been with for about a year just gave me notice this AM. Their old, longtime keyboard player/2nd lead singer just moved back to the States, so they want to give it a shot w/him again. 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
playstation Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Hi Allan! Your students are stalking you on the interwebz. Peace, Dave Moog Model D re-issue, Kurzweil Artis SE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Hi Allan! Your students are stalking you on the interwebz. Peace, Dave Awesome.... KC gang: Dave is a fellow Colorado front range dude, creates some very cool arrangements in his home studio, and does piano technique lessons with me. Our discussions often lead to severe bouts of GAS...Which then leads to: " How Full Time Musicians Spend Their Living" 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Hey Allan (& others) You might periodically check this site: http://www.churchstaffing.com/ Thanks, Greg ! 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yannis D Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Thing are hard here as well - so i took the opportunity to get a job as a radio producer. Gigs pay an average 100-150 euros for cover bands and even less if you play your own material which is not well known. Some people are well connected, but there are too many musicians to have a descent job. I try to gig 3-4 times a month with my group and other artists. Some times i make 100 some times i make 500 e. but it's not stable and gigs are getting less and less... Speaking of touring musician life: six years ago i had the chance to get a keyboardist job with a well known world music artist. I've been since in many countries and gave many concerts with him, and i came to realize that -big rock groups and hip hop artists apart- every artist, even the ones with discography and audience, face problems and have a hard time with money... Be grateful for what you've got - a Nord, a laptop and two hands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Posted January 26, 2010 Author Share Posted January 26, 2010 Can anyone offer input on the jingle business and doing ring tones as part of earning a living in music? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gd1 Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Can anyone offer input on the jingle business and doing ring tones as part of earning a living in music? I sold my Source a few years ago to a guy from Newport Beach who did this mainly for radio stations. He had quite a few clients but was still struggling to make a decent living doing this. He was always looking for ways to bring in a few extra $ to pay the rent. My father was a jazz musician, kybd, who's close friends included Bill Evans, and Oscar Peterson. We were also a rarity as in '58 my parent's bought a house. I remember waking up many a Sunday morning with some of the great jazz players of yesteryear in our bsmt. jamming after the clubs had closed - never appreciated it as from age 4 and up I thought this was just normal for all kids. Most gigging musicians in the 50's and 60's worked in music stores to keep a steady income stream coming in. I spent most saturdays in these places visiting my dad's friends who either worked in the stores or owned them. Looking back it was difficult for the vast majority of f/t musicians then and it is worse today as there are fewer clubs/bars etc that are willing to pay or take a chance on live acts. My heart goes out to you all, trying hard to make a living at this. I can only hope that the worm will turn and ppl will be demanding live acts vs dj's again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Jx Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Can anyone offer input on the jingle business and doing ring tones as part of earning a living in music? I have a friend from high school who owns the one of the largest jingle houses in New York City. I'll contact him and see if he can offer any advice on this topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Posted January 27, 2010 Author Share Posted January 27, 2010 Eric, Thank you! This forum is a great community of musicians willing to share information. Here is a link to some very useful music business links: http://www.musicianslifecoach.com/Musicians_Life_Coach.5.8/Links.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Force Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 Eric, Thank you! This forum is a great community of musicians willing to share information. This forum rocks. Steve Force, Durham, North Carolina -------- My Professional Websites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Jx Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Eric, Thank you! This forum is a great community of musicians willing to share information. Here is a link to some very useful music business links: http://www.musicianslifecoach.com/Musicians_Life_Coach.5.8/Links.html Are there any specific questions that you would like answered? I will forward them to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluMunk Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 To answer the OP. I make my living doing musical theater. I work regularly in four schools music directing their musicals. I play occasionally for a rather large community theater organization in town. In the summer I do a number of theater camps. And, in the past year I've started MDing for some regional theaters. Plus, the random gig when I can get it. However, I turn 30 tomorrow, I work just about every day of the week (though not always long hours), and I have yet to break $20,000 a year income, though this year I think I came mighty close. And, for the past few years I've been adding maybe 10-15% to my annual income, so if I can maintain that I might actually be able to save some money down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I turn 30 tomorrow Happy birthday! "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I don't know if I count because I'm not a full time musician anymore. Awhile back to supplement my income I took on a job as a karaoke host, and it's kind of taken over. It originally started out as a favor to an old friend who was running a bar. I had no experience at it and had no idea what I was doing at first. The only thing I had going for me was mic experience - both singing and gabbing away like an idiot up there. It was nothing short of astonishing to me when the gig kept growing from one night to three, and they were usually packed even on Thursday nights. This past month I've only done two music jobs. It's hard to believe that at one time I was consistently playing five and six nights a week, and making more money than my roommates were working for Boeing. But that was a l-o-o-o-o-n-g time ago. The club landscape has changed dramatically since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 At a recent seminar on work for musicians that I was a part of, the discussion addressed the idea that there are many professional musicians as well as music enthusiasts. What would happen if we suppported our own grass roots movements by going out to see live music at least four times a month and encouraging others to join us with the intent to enjoy the music (not criticize it) and support live music? (We have consultants and teachers as part of our network that do just that..) We are waiting for others to do what many of us are not willing to do ourselves. Guitar Hero and Rock Band prove that music is not dead. Other industries simply market us better than we market ourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Posted January 29, 2010 Author Share Posted January 29, 2010 Eric, Thank you again! Here are some questions that I will address on the radio: 1. How to break into the jingle industry 2. The opportunities available 3. Acceptable pay scales for jingles for local businesses, major advertising companies, radio stations.. Anyone successful with the ringtone part of the business? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgoo Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Regarding he jingle business: Breaking in can be tough. I broke in by getting hired at a production facility that was already established as a jingle house. But I had to prove I could write jingles. Before dropping off a resume I had made a demo of 3 jingles of fictitious businesses, each being in a totally different style / tempo / feel etc. That showed them I could write, engineer and produce in a variety of styles. Prices are across the board. Things that factor in are how many talents you need to hire for the project, how complex is the arrangement (translate- how long will it take to do), is this just local, regional or national, will the singer be asked to be exclusive to this business in a particular market or markets, etc. Custom Music, Audio Post Production, Location Audio www.gmma.biz https://www.facebook.com/gmmamusic/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Hey Greg - post a you tube of your Colts song! "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linwood Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I got into the jingle biz just like Greg did. I ran into a jingle house online from MN and they were looking to add someone. I did a demo of three jingles of just made up clients, sent it in and got the gig. I've done a few thousand jingles now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgoo Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I got into the jingle biz just like Greg did. I ran into a jingle house online from MN and they were looking to add someone. I did a demo of three jingles of just made up clients, sent it in and got the gig. I've done a few thousand jingles now. A few thousand? Dang- jingles are pretty scarce around here. I do a handful a year. Most of what keeps me employed are scores for corporate videos, tv spots & such. Custom Music, Audio Post Production, Location Audio www.gmma.biz https://www.facebook.com/gmmamusic/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgoo Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Hey Greg - post a you tube of your Colts song! I did already (although it was probably a stupid thread title): https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2158572/OT_This_thread_will_expire_in_#Post2158572 How did you hear about it? There's now also a music video of the song on the site. Custom Music, Audio Post Production, Location Audio www.gmma.biz https://www.facebook.com/gmmamusic/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linwood Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I do 125-150+ a year of them, usually. It slowed down the past year, but work's been pickin' up since the week after Xmas. I've got a pretty full load right now. Maybe close to 25 on my desk. I have to work by myself on this stuff. The budgets don't allow for full sections or group sings.It's down and dirty work. Blank page to out the door in an afternoon...next. This type stuff. As bad as it is, I enjoy it and make a pretty good living at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zephonic Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 As bad as it is, I enjoy it and make a pretty good living at it. First of all, I would not call that bad by any standard, Linwood And I agree, commercials are fun to do, as I have a pretty short attention span and like to move on to something new quickly. gear list.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linwood Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 ...and getting into the jing biz...it's not the music, it's how you handle yourself with people, how you are to work with,how well you listen and do what they ask, how you talk on the phone,etc. Musically anyone on this forum could do the gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus64 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 . Musically anyone on this forum could do the gig. I would highly disagree. You are a very talented fella and it shows in your work. It takes considerable skill to do. it's how you handle yourself with people, how you are to work with,how well you listen and do what they ask, how you talk on the phone,etc. This is true of 90% of freelance music work. Some musicians are just pains in the ass! Nobody needs that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Jx Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 I'm still waiting on a response from my friend in the jingle business. However I'll share one of his secrets. He built up his business by offering his clients a cut of the residuals. The residuals for big spots can be huge. I have a friend (not th e guy mentioned above) who did percussion on a simple piece of music that was used in a bounty commercial. So far he's received $8000 in checks from the musician's union. And he claims his involvement was really minor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Posted February 5, 2010 Author Share Posted February 5, 2010 Nice link about the jingle business: http://www.jpfolks.com/Mentors/Articles/twainninja.html Anyone on the forum concert promoters? agents? music contractors? Can you offer any information in those categories? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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