In a society that places economic value on services, what value do musicians have in a society where people are struggling to make ends meet and debt is a household word? Some people may almost be inclined to say, not very much. After all, shouldn’t any money be put toward poverty, core education, and other practical issues? In that case, the gift of music should be given freely, right?
Music really does have economic value in our society. After all, music has had the power to heal us on various levels.
Maybe. But before answering that question, think about this first. Music really does have economic value in our society. After all, music has had the power to heal us on various levels. Think about what music does for our minds, hearts, and souls when we are gathering together for a celebration or if we are walking through a cancer treatment center filled with the beautiful harmonies of Telemann rather than sterile silence. There is even an entire field, music therapy, devoted to the healing effects of music. People hire musicians to play for funerals, they spend hundreds of dollars on concert tickets, they reserve tickets for a musical or symphony performance. Clearly, people are willing to delegate their own hard-earned resources to music despite the seeming impracticality of it.
Given that people need music-makers to have these sought-after experiences, it is important to consider the practical economics on behalf of the music-makers. Hours of practice and rehearsals. Time spent setting up studios or performance spaces. Mental and emotional preparation for live performances. Thousands of dollars spent on lessons and other training. Time spent on commuting to various venues, festivals, and workshops. For instrumentalists, thousands of dollars spent on instruments, maintenance, and repairs. Being a great musician is a huge on-going investment. And too often, people seem to forget that when they request the services of a musician and expect them to provide their services freely or for next to nothing. As much as musicians love to share music with others, it is unfair to expect them to share that gift without proper compensation.
I’ve learned that it is, in that case, the job of the freelancer to set those compensation expectations clearly.
I have learned a handful of disheartening lessons during the past decade of my life as a freelance musician. One of them is that something you love doing can potentially bring unexpected anxiety and pressure if it is not checked. Dealing with client whims and the unexpected nature of events are some of the negative aspects I encountered as a freelance musician. Closely related to this lesson is learning that even if you go into a service wanting to give fully just to share joy with others, sometimes people and organizations do not know when to stop taking from you, or to compensate you for what is being taken from you. You yourself may not even realize it until you are suddenly grumpy and dissatisfied or suddenly just want to call it all quits. And sometimes people won’t even realize after-the-fact when they’ve left you at a pronounced disadvantage after requesting your services. It is not quite fair to blame them, because you can not expect everyone to understand everything about a musician’s experience, especially if they are not themselves freelance musicians. I’ve learned that it is, in that case, the job of the freelancer to set those compensation expectations clearly.
In the past, I have undoubtedly devoted hours to driving, rehearsals, and performances that did not benefit me but in fact ultimately took from me. Although I’d occasionally volunteer my services, I was more often than not approached by others. If one is volunteering, that is a clear example of giving freely without confusion from either party, unless otherwise noted. However, if others approach you about services (namely people you know well), that is when mutual understanding may become increasingly blurred. Some people who approached me about services seemed to be unaware that I was providing my time, my focus, my energy, my skill, my transportation money, etc., to help them meet their goals, all-the-while not comprehending how my involvement affected other areas of my life. Some people I freely helped did not think to pay me for any of my time and contribution to their goal or project. Other people understood very well that me taking the time to learn music, prepare pieces, commute to locations, rehearse, and perform is a service that should be soundly compensated. Those people went out of their way to compensate me justly, even though I oftentimes didn’t even ask.
As much as I’d love to believe that people will adequately gauge the worth of my services and fairly compensate me without me having to ask, the reality is that this only works if everyone has the same understanding that I do about what the work of a freelance musician entails.
Over time, I have gotten tired of wondering if the people I am working for are aware of what my work entails and how I should be compensated. With age, I have also developed a more protective attitude toward my time, financial health, and sanity. With time, I’ve slowly, shakily, and with great uncertainty, started taking a different approach to sharing music. As much as I’d love to believe that people will adequately gauge the worth of my services and fairly compensate me without me having to ask, the reality is that this only works if everyone has the same understanding that I do about what the work of a freelance musician entails. Stating monetary expectations may feel selfish and greedy. But you have to understand first and foremost that it is not. If the process is taking from you, be it through time, focus, or other areas, openly stating expected compensation up-front is the most effective solution for everyone involved.
Now that it is clear that compensation should be the baseline expectation, let’s go back to the original question. How do we know when to give freely? This is a deeply personal question. We are all at different points in our lives and have different obstacles. The most basic answer to this is that you have to look within yourself about your needs and wants. If you are barely able to meet your financial minimums each month and have thousands of dollars in debt, it just doesn’t make sense for you to give freely until you have taken care of yourself fully first. If you have a family to care for, a mortgage to pay off, and other personal priorities, no one should expect you to give freely. However, if you have reached a point in your life where you are free from such obligations, either temporarily or for the long-haul, then by all means, give freely! The key, however, is to do this only if you, yourself, are taken care of. Take care of yourself first!
As much as we’d love to help others freely, we have to acknowledge that were are human, and we must take care of ourselves first before reaching out to others.
A relationship in which only one party benefits does not contribute to the overall happiness of everyone involved. That should be the ultimate goal. If a service is making it harder for you to make a living or is adding to your obligations in a way that takes away from what you could be doing with that time, energy, and focus (opportunity costs), then your investment in that service should be fairly compensated. If you are providing services amidst bills, loans, and other daily responsibilities, then you should be fairly compensated. If you are expected to give freely but are struggling through your own daily obstacles, realize that this is a cruel, unfair expectation. In a perfect world, we’d have no bills to pay and simple lives to lead. But freelancers, just like everyone else, have to make ends meet in a complicated world with a seemingly endless list of competing priorities. As much as we’d love to help others freely, we have to acknowledge that were are human, and we must take care of ourselves first before reaching out to others.
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