—by Brandee Younger

The notes we play are only the beginning of our work.

"The notes we play are only the beginning of our work," says freelancer Brandee Younger.

“The notes we play are only the beginning of our work,” says freelancer Brandee Younger.

Early in my career I received the following call for a gig:

Client: “I need a harpist to play four hours of background music at the Waldorf Astoria. It will be amazing exposure—far beyond anything you’ve ever done or will do.”

Me: “Sounds great! What are the additional details? Is there a budget?”

Client: “We will do your makeup, dress you in the newest Tom Ford design for the night, and, oh yeah, Brad Pitt may show up.”

Me: “So you’re looking for someone to play for free?”

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We all get calls like this—the promise of future work, exposure, connections, good will, or celebrity sightings in lieu of actual money for the work we do. There are times gigs like these are worth it, but the problems created by continually undervaluing our services can be huge.

As in any profession, we’re often eager to work straight out of school, and will also take undesirable jobs at times, just to get going. As freelance musicians, our work consists of a variety of gigs—from orchestras to weddings, private parties to jazz combos. Whatever the gig is, it can’t hurt to try it, right?  After all, each experience teaches us musical and business lessons that help us decide which avenue to take in our careers.

But once we’ve played enough orchestra rehearsals for cartage alone, recording sessions for points, benefits for small honorariums, and weddings for as low as the brides could barter, what do we do next? When do we approach what we do with the harp as business and what we do behind the harp as art?

When we finish college, our goal may be to play in an orchestra or to run a successful wedding business. It may be to play chamber music and solo concerts or to become a studio harpist. No matter our goal, I think it’s important to consider the path from where we are to where we would like to be. If we want to have a long-term career that sustains us from college to retirement, it’s critical for us to take the long view. We have to think in terms of building a business that is financially viable. You may be thinking, “But I am an artist, I just want to make music any way I can,” or “I’m just doing this because I love it, I’m not doing it to get rich.” Any young harpist who embarks on a career as a musician and also wants to retire a musician can’t afford to take this kind of idealistic approach. We simply must be practical.

Crunch the numbers. How much is my cost of living? What are my business expenses? A newly-minted college graduate working an entry-level nine-to-five job has a steady paycheck accompanied by a 401K and probably even health benefits. A new college graduate working as a freelance musician has neither a steady paycheck nor benefits. As freelancers, we have to consider these aspects when setting our rates. How much can I contribute each month to a Roth IRA? How much can I contribute to a flexible life insurance policy? How much is health insurance going to cost?  I can’t imagine that I was thinking very hard about these things directly out of college—no one is. But if we ignore these difficult questions as we build our business, we eventually put ourselves out of business.

Time is money. Everything takes time. I can recall when I was a teenager and young undergraduate student, spending a lot of time on the phone and in person with brides. At some point it just felt like I was giving, giving, giving and in turn, people would just take, take, take.  I was young, enthusiastic and very happy to be able to earn money in my chosen field but after a few years, I just felt worn both mentally and physically. I had to first, assess the amount of time I was spending with each client to see if it was actually necessary, and second, set limits. I began to view my time for what it is: a valuable, finite business resource. I began to take into account everything that was involved with a gig—preparing the music, arranging a special request, loading the harp in and out, commuting, maintaining my instrument, phone calls and emails with the client—the list extends far beyond the notes played in the music. Now my fees reflect everything that goes into a performance. Not only am I happier and more satisfied with my day-to-day work, but I have a viable business plan that allows me to do what I love for a living for the long haul.

So the next time a client calls saying, “I just need you to come and play two songs,  that’s it,” remember that isn’t “it.” In fact, it’s only a fraction of it. •

Brandee Younger is a New York-based performing and recording harpist. 

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