Re: Programs for Senior Citizens

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June 28, 2012 at 5:20 pm #145878

barbara-brundage

Participant

There are usually two different entities, and sometimes three, at retirement facilities:

1. Marketing. This is where the money is. They have a budget and they will spend it on things like background music for luncheons to attract potential residents. I charge my regular fee and get it.

2. Activities. The Activities Director usually has a very small budget and can’t afford to pay much. You will be lucky to get as much as $100, and often closer to $50, depending on the facility.

3. Concert series. Only a few of the really large communities have these, but they usually pay regular market price for touring artists and reasonable fees for local ones.

The problem you need to balance out is this: If you agree to do a program for a token fee for the activities division you have set your price, and you can be sure that marketing will call you for their activities too, but they aren’t going to pay your regular rate now, since they know you can be got for less. It’s a thorny situation sometimes.

(BTW, I don’t really see what difference it makes which harp you play.)