26 Mar
2016
26 Mar
'16
8:16 p.m.
It would be good if, as you reply, you say where you’re from. Quite clearly the cost of a
wedding in NYC or the SF Bay Area might be more than in Missoula, MT. Still:
Musicians tend to undercharge. I’m no exception. I love what I do, and can be a pushover
on price. With that said: we tend to underrate our business. This is probably because most
of us don’t do it as a business, but as a vocation for which we at times get paid.
If you’ve ever booked Wild Asparagus, you know that George books dances as a business. You
might think he’s trying to wring every last dollar out of you, but, this is their primary
source of income, and they’ve done a fantastic job of building they’re reputation—their
“brand”—and now ask for what they know they deserve.
Jay Ungar once told me that he knows all the caterers in the Hudson Valley. When he
negotiates a price he tries to find out who the caterer is. If it’s a $500 a plate
business, he charges accordingly. If it’s a point-person organizing the pot-luck, again,
if he wants the gig, he suggest a much lower fee.
Right after I moved to the Bay Area, I got a call about gig, a fund-raiser for a school.
Every school I’d ever done such an event for was scrounging for any extra money they could
make. I said, “we like to make $200 a person.” “OK, that’s fine,” was the immediate
response. That seemed strange. It wasn’t until after the gig that I understood the Head
Royce School in Oakland is a private school for the CEO types. It was one of the more
interesting gigs—though it was also one where it was clear we were the servants, and
should keep to our little corner, play music, and, perhaps get a few people dancing… The
interest was just in watching the uber-rich of the 90s in Oakland do their thing.
So this note is a strong suggestion: don’t undercharge. You may feel (as I do) that
charging $1500 for three of us to play music is a lot, as I do. But often it’s still one
of the least expensive thing on the budget. Well, hall rent might be only $500 to $1000,
but the rest of many of these types of things can run into the thousands. And, don’t be
afraid to compare to other types of service performers: Call a wedding band and ask what
they charge—it’s usually a lot more than what we charge. If you’re doing it solo with
recordings, call a wedding DJ and find out what they charge.
~erik Hoffman
oakland, ca
I charge $150 for a wedding and $50 more if alcohol is served.
JoLaine
On Mar 26, 2016 5:29 PM, "Dave Casserly via Callers"
<callers@lists.sharedweight.net<mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>>
wrote:
I've only called weddings for good friends, and I do that for free. But I've
played a lot of weddings, and I generally would not take a wedding gig unless it paid at
least 2-3x what a normal dance would pay.
For a single caller, assuming you're NOT bringing sound or being in charge of the
band, you'll probably have some MC duties, at least. It's been that way at pretty
much all of the weddings where I've played for a dance. As Alan and Jeff said, it
doesn't matter how much time there will be actual dancing; you'll end up being
there for quite a while in any event with setup, etc. Keeping your time to a minimum
isn't going to be a priority; I've played weddings where the band sets up and
finishes sound check literally three hours before going on.
I recommend getting the couple on the phone immediately so you can gauge what they're
looking for. Generally, I think about it in terms of how long I need to be there. If
it's a local gig, I'd start with something like $150 for the first hour I'd be
there, and $50/hr after that, plus travel. But I'd ask for more if I had any duties
other than playing (or calling), such as setting up sound, providing recorded music, etc.
Typically, you won't be at a wedding for less than three or four hours, at least, so
you're looking at $250-500. I live in DC, which is not quite as expensive as NY, so
adjust accordingly.
I am generally willing to play or call for dances for community events and other one night
stands at a much lower rate. With weddings, though, the couple's paying LOTS of money
for stuff that isn't as valuable as the music, and I'm unlikely to move much off
the initial ask, unless it's a very close friend, in which case I'd do it for
free.
-Dave
On Sat, Mar 26, 2016 at 4:36 PM, Alan Winston via Callers
<callers@lists.sharedweight.net<mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>>
wrote:
First off, you're not charging for the number of minutes of dancing. You're
charging for your experience, expertise, and skill, showing up on time and being ready to
do it, waiting around as necessary, traveling if needed, being mellow if (when) things go
over and your time is cut, etc.
What are you being asked to deliver for your fee? Are they booking their own band and
arranging their own sound?
For the wedding dance I just did in Berkeley - probably a comparable market to NYC - they
provided sound, I organized a band for them, each band member and I were promised $300 for
playing for the dance (and then a more for playing in the ceremony and some incidental
music). They actually paid me more than the agreed-upon amount, so I don't think they
thought I was gouging.,
For a friend's wedding I might work free.
If you want to be paid appropriately, state your price and don't waver. If you want
to get the gig regardless, ask them their budget and quote less than that.
When asked to arrange musicians I make it clear that I can't quote before I know
who's available but state a range ($1000-$1500) and I also ask their budget and then
adjust the number of musicians (two good ones is fine, three better) so we all get paid
enough within their budget.
-- Alan