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What is freelancing?

Life in general: I've heard about it and not too sure what exactly it involves. What can you tell me?

From Michael Divino
Posted October 28, 2009 at 02:18 AM

My question is straight forward enough I guess.  I am a high school senior about to embark on auditions soon (ack!)

I know that unless you are in the top five orcestras (NY, Boston, Philly, Chicago, Cleveland, etc) you will not make as much money as possible as there is to earn as an orchestral musician.  There are a few regional orchestras in my area, like the Fairfax Symphony, and Annapolis Symphonies.  (I'm not counting the NSO).  I know that the salaries are probably not (I remember reading a blog of Laurie Niles when she was first in the Colorado Springs and making $13000 per year) even in the same league as the "Big Five", but I am also aware that getting a spot in any regional orchestra is tough in a job climate as it exists today.  I have read that many people (or almost all?) of these musicians "freelance".  I have not been satisfied with the definitions I have found either on this website or through google.

So, what can y'all tell me about freelancing?  What exactly does it involve?  What are your experiences with it?  I know I would like to be a musician or in an orchestra on a regional level, but one cannot raise a family on $30,000 a year. 

Thanks in advance v.commies,

Michael.

Having freelanced in NYC I can tell you that this can be very exciting, but generally not too lucrative. You wait for the phone to ring to be asked to do various pick up orchestra jobs, weddings, etc. On the high end area you may get some calls for commercial work like jingles if you are politically in the right circles. Most of the commercial stuff at this point has gone to eastern Europe, though. You really have to have connections though in order to get good stuff. A successful freelancer in NYC at this point gets Broadway shows, or subbing opportunities. It's not a good way to make a living. You have to be able to do almost anything for money. I remember one day carrying around a modern violin, a baroque violin, a viola, and a viola d'amore on the subway because I had a modern orchestra rehearsal, a baroque St. John Passion, and a chamber rehearsal on which I doubled on viola.

Union/contractor politics can get pretty weird.   On bad days, people do mutter about the casting couch.

Another option would be to start your own musical enterprise.  Something like this:  http://riverviewchamberplayers.com/.  The director also teaches and does various orchestras around town.  But getting somewhat above the pressure to be the "first call" on a gig would be a relief.

When I (well, we, as it generally takes two) were married some decades ago, we arranged for some freelance music; a flute & harpshichord. We contacted the local university, who directed us to the union, wo gave us a list of current musicians interested in such things. We received an audition cassette (this was pre-CD days), and we decided on the music.
We paid scale, and a small fee for the transport of the harpsichord.
We only selected two songs, the wedding march and one other (I can't remember which one). The only other instruction was 'we prefer baroque'.

It turned out great.

However, I also remember once trying to arrange some music for another event, and the manager?!?!?! requested a bit of pocket money to accept a cut rate for the music (stealing from the musicians). I ended up having the event without music.

I have not freelanced, but I know folks who have.  To see the underside of freelancing clearly, you might want to read Blair Tindall's book about her experiences, "Mozart in the Jungle."  You probably need to join the musician's union and think about ways to make yourself known.  Unless you are very, very good, or like Tindall, play an instrument like the oboe which is always in demand, you will probably have to have some form of day job like teaching, and you will need to think of ways of marketing yourself aggressively. 

The good news is that you will have your college years to try to figure these things out and get some experience.  You might want to give it a try on the side while you are in college and see where it gets you and what you learn.  Good luck!

Bruce -

How did you drag all those instruments around?  I have a hard enough time lugging a violin and viola.

---Ann Marie

So for those who have majored in performance and graduated  within the past five years, what has your job situation been like?

 Michael,

"Freelancing" simply means doing whatever you have to do to put food on the table. For most of us this is usually some combination of:

Playing in part-time orchestras

Teaching private students

Teaching as an adjunct at a college

Play wedding and party gigs

Conducting

I do all of the above, and also coach the local youth orchestra and perform in an educational quintet that tours the schools. And building a photography business (scottcolephotography.com).

Being a musician today means being flexible, and having multiple skills. It means sight-reading a studio recording on short notice, and it means filling in at a high school for a maternity leave.

The amount of freelance work is related to the population of the geographic area. There's more work in Chicago than South Bend. However, the expenses are also higher. So if you get out of school and are looking for work, you need to chose your location carefully so you can get lots of work but be able to afford to live there. A place like the Bay area (SF) has lots of orchestras within driving distance, but is very expensive to live in. The I-95 corridor in South FL has generally had lots of work, but you'll spend all your time in the car, and your back seat will fill with Arby's wrappers and Yoo-Hoo bottles. While many aspire to the holy grail of a full-time orchestra job, the math dictates that most will not achieve this.

Scott

Freelancing has to do with developing professional relationships with contractors and other musicians, who will recommend you.  It can be more lucrative the more international you go, and the more contacts you develop.  There is a relationship between studio work and freelancing.  I would say some of the following requirements will be helpful:

 1.  You need to be free to travel, which can put a strain on family;

 2.  You need to be very flexible in terms of music you can or are willing to perform;

 3.  You must have very high level skills, especially ensemble and sightreading skills;

 4.  You must have the very best of equipment;

 5.  You must be in good health with a lot of energy and strength;

 6.  You must have the appropriate clothes;

 7.  You must practice every day, pretty much, and be prepared with audition materials and samples of your work;

 8.  It helps if you have a portfolio with business cards, head shots and brief recordings.  Don't offer too much recorded music, or the client might use the recording, rather than you!

 9.  You need to be in good standing with one or more AFM locals;

10.  You need a high level of work ethic and professionalism, and play pretty much flawlessly;

11.  Your level of personal maturity must be high such that you don't get into interpersonal conflicts with anyone, don't antagonize anyone by being overfriendly, and I'd keep my personal life and business life entirely separate;

12.  Know what's important and what's not:  your performance ability and business contacts are important;  most everything else is secondary.

You can make a lot more money freelancing than getting stuck with a small orchestra contract, IMO, but you have to be first rate.  Auditions are usually not the way these jobs are acquired, but rather, though experience and personal recommendation.

Good luck!

Freelancing is a state of being, rather than a job.  If you enjoy working during holidays and weekends, freelancing may be right for you.  If you enjoy sleeping in on Monday mornings and not going to work 9-5 then you might be a freelancer at heart.  If you don't know where your next paycheck is coming from then you might already be a freelancer!

Seriously though, freelancing is all about building relationships.  Knowing who the key people in the industry are and getting facetime with them.  Going out for drinks after a gig is an important part of the job because musicians consider drinking as part of networking.  You must be able to say yes to doing things you don't want to do for a very long time, until you feel secure in your spot.

I like to think of freelancing as a list.  Everybody who freelances is on a list, and where you fall on that list is of the upmost importance.  The more gigs you play the higher you are on the list.  When you arrive late or unprepared your place on the list drops.  On and on it goes climbing on this list.

There are a few who can survive solely on freelancing but most of us make ends meet through incorporating playing and teaching.  Some people are horrified by the life of a freelancer but I love it.  I love not knowing where I will be every Monday morning for the rest of my life.  I love not having a time card.  I love taking work when I want it, or passing it off to someone else I know (the key to networking).  I love seeing different people every week rather than the same old same old day to day.  I love playing orchestra, chamber music, studio work, solo stuff, and weddings.  I love making my own schedule.  I love having days off when others are scrambling to go to work.  Lawyers and business men get to wear suits to work.  We get to wear gowns and tuxedos.  I get to wear stiletto heels on stage and not even have to walk around in them lol!

Bravo, Marina!  I wouldn't work for anyone now, after all these years, if they gave me the whole ...school, business, whatever. 

And thank you (Michael) for this question;  I ended up putting it in the FAQ:

http://beststudentviolins.com/AuditionsGigs.html#9

Michael,

Good on you for looking forward, and for bringing up this great question. As musicians, our flexibility is so great that sometimes we struggle to define ourselves, so taking a second to step back and really think about how life works can be important. I graduated in 2008 and now do a lot of freelancing in the DC area, so I think I can speak from a point of view that may not be too far off from what you're looking for.

There were some really important things mentioned above, but I think that the most important was the concept of "relationships". In the end, there is no magic list that will get you a comfy life as a freelancer, nor an easy way to the top. You have to market yourself, and that starts from the moment you get the e-mail or phone call for a gig. Being prompt, courteous, and prepared are three things that I think sum up the requirements of being a freelancer. Every time you play in front of someone else, you are shaping their opinion of you, and whether or not they are going to want to call you for another gig. So always present your best side.

Don't be afraid to diversify. I mean that in three ways:
1) Part of the joy of freelancing is getting a chance to play lots of different kinds of music, with lots of different people. Take every chance you can to expand your repertoire list and "bag of tricks". I've personally been fortunate to do shows, orchestras, chamber music, solo work, Irish and bluegrass fiddling, jazz, and early music, to name a few. And I count myself lucky that I've had a chance to play such a wide array of music.
2) As it was mentioned above, being a musician means being able to allow that definition to be flexible. Especially here in DC, there are so many opportunities to contract, teach, workshop, and present ASIDE from the regular performing, there's really no excuse not to do it.
3) Don't be afraid to follow passions that are outside of music, especially if you aren't getting the gigs you need to survive. I'm not talking about a "back up" job (which I feel very strongly against). But think about it. As a kid, you probably wanted to be so many of those things growing up. Why must you decide on one thing now? For me, I always wanted to work with computers like my dad, even though my life's passion is violin. Now, I'm lucky to do some computer consulting on top of my freelancing. And I've never had the two conflict!

The other major issue that I remember encountering is breaking into the freelancing scene. It can be really tough, especially if you're new to the area. I encourage you to find people that can help you in your area, and play for them. As a contractor, I know that my lists are not all-encompassing, and everyone's always looking for new talent. When you do get that first gig, rock it, but rock it humbly. Bring cards, shake hands, and learn names. If you think it's appropriate, even use Facebook.

Freelancing is an incredibly rewarding profession (at least for me), and I consider myself blessed every day to be able to live such an exciting musical life. Good luck to you where ever you end up settling!

~AJ

P.S. Don't worry about raising a family on $30k a year. You're a high schooler, about to embark on the incredible journey that is college! Enjoy your youth, and worry about it when the time comes. By then, you'll probably be a seasoned freelancer and have all sorts of opportunities knocking down your door!

Thanks AJ. That's really in depth!

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