Klarinet Archive - Posting 000225.txt from 1998/06

From: "David C. Blumberg" <reedman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] re:pit rate
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 07:59:25 -0400

I have students who play in polka bands who only get $60-80 for that much
playing. Look at it this way - if you had a 5 day week job that paid you
$1000 a week (your $200 x 5), and you only worked 3 hours a day. Would you
complain?
The rate varies from city to city. In New York city , maybe it's on the low
side. In Phila. it's probably a bit more then scale (I don't do show's -
only Orchestral stuff). I know of concert band jobs that players in Va.
Beach, Va. only get $50-60 a service!

David Blumberg

Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 03:03:03 EDT
From: <JLamie1867@-----.com>
Subject: The going rate for pit
This is a touchy subject but can anyone provide any input?
Through two local unions, I often play in the pit for travelling performances
and the usual going rate is $200 for each performance. My question is: Is
that the average going rate for anyone else who does this. It seems low to
me. I play clarinet, flute, and saxes for about three hours. Sometimes they
even request I do brass as well. I get the score about twoo weeks before the
show and often do two or three performances at $200 per show. Is that the
going rate where you perform? Sometimes after putting on that damn tux and
dragging all those horns to the shows it just doesn't seem worth it. I also
suspect by the number of gigs that I am requested to play for that I am the
only one willing to do this. The other performers are never willing to talk
about this subject. Am I crazy to do this for this money?
Jerry

David Blumberg
reedman@-----.com
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Music/Blumberg.html
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Sponsors/

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