Klarinet Archive - Posting 000119.txt from 2007/06

From: "Geoff & Sherryl-Lee Secomb" <gsecomb@-----.au>
Subj: Re: [kl] Community groups - membership fee?
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:12:35 -0400


Curtis Bennett wrote:

> What would the purpose of such a fee be? I've been in numerous
> community bands, and there's never been a fee. Most of them take
> donations from the public, and are declared as non-profit
> organizations.

Curtis (and others who need to ask)

Our orchestra (Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra www.bpo.org.au ) has to pay
for:
1. Weekly hire of a rehearsal venue
2. Conductors fees
3. Hire of all music
4. Soloists fees
5. Concert venue hire
6. Promotional material and advertising
7. Occasional hire of instruments we don't own (although we now own most of
the percussion gear we need)
8. Insurance
9. Transport of gear to and from venues
10. Hire of truck for same
11. We are buying our own chairs so we can sit on something which doesn't
hurt your back
12. Website construction and maintenance.
13. There's bound to be something else .......

Our concerts are generally well attended, but income from concerts simply
doesn't cover everything. We operate in a city with several community
orchestra, several concert bands, several youth orchestras, and our states
professional orchestra as well. This is, to say the least, a competitive
environment in which to pull audiences.

I am happy to pay an annual fee because without it I wouldn't have the
opportunity to play at this level any more. While it would be good to be
paid, or to be able to do it without "demeaning .. my time and talent" the
reality is there are plenty of other players who love to play as well, and
if 100 bucks a year gives me the chance to hold on to my position (principal
clarinet) and keep my skill levels and performance up, doing something I
love doing, then it's cheap. I am a double degreed tertiary trained
musician, who now runs a woodwind and brass repair and sales business, and
performing music is now my hobby. I'm not too proud to pay for the
privilege.

Geoff.

Geoff Secomb Music
65 Sibley Road
Wynnum West 4178
Queensland, Australia
p/f: +61 7 3893 0983
email: gsecomb@-----.au

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