Getting into the biz: take everything or be selective?

[tbdana]

Probably only freelance trombonists will be interested in this. I see two philosophies out there:

1. The first one holds that if you're available you should take every opportunity to play. High pay, low pay, or free. Get yourself out there being heard everywhere you can. Meet as many people as possible, let as many hear you as possible. Become part of the fabric of the business so people are used to seeing you at rehearsals and gigs. Take last minute sub requests so that you're solving someone's problem. All this makes people think of you when they're looking for a trombone player.

2. The second one holds that our talent is a valuable commodity that should not be given away or sold for less than good value. Of course we want to be out there and be heard. But by taking work beneath our value -- cheap gigs or freebies -- we're actually killing our value and the value of all trombonists everywhere. Our time is valuable, and we don't need to be wasting it giving our performances away. We could better spend that time practicing or with our loved ones. By working for free or cheap, we cheapen ourselves, and when we will work for cheap, music contractors learn that they can get away with paying less. If we want to have value, we need to protect our value.

Personally, I think both approaches have merit and both are flawed. And I've seen people say they take the first approach early in their careers and the second approach later on when they are fully established.

And there are other approaches, too. Like an approach that says start your own groups, develop a unique identity, and make your own gigs and pay yourself before you pay anyone else. I'm sure there are more.

Where are you on this philosophy of developing a career?

[tbdana]

Sorry, I just realized I probably should have posted this in the Music Biz forum. If the mods need to migrate it there I'm fine with that.

[Burgerbob]

Be as picky as you can afford.

[BGuttman]

Moved.

[AtomicClock]

Be as picky as you can afford.

Works with us amateur hacks as well.

[EriKon]

There's that bespoke gig triangle for freelance musicians:

Music
People
Money

If two out of those are good, give it a go. If it's just one, it depends. Is it good money and do you desperately need it? Probably say yes as well.

Every point of that can have different aspects. People can be folks that you always wanted to play with or folks you already know and will have a great time with or folks that might be worth to connect with for more gig opportunities. Music can be music that you really love or music that you strive to be better in or an interesting part to play.

Meanwhile I mostly evaluate with this kind of method but also leaving room for exceptions to the rule every now and then. If you're new in the scene because you just moved to a new town or getting better in your studies, take as much as you can for a while but then learn to say no to gigs don't fulfill any of the criteria listed above.

[LeTromboniste]

For me it tends to be approach 1, with the caveat that I make a big effort to maintain life balance and spending enough time at home, which means I'll regularly refuse work that I could technically accept. And that tends to be work that hits only one of the points of the "triangle". Which I guess is pretty much the same in practice, just phrased the opposite way, as Aidan's "be as picky as you can afford"

[AndrewMeronek]

I think it depends on where you are in your career. If you're young and don't have tons of experience, definitely take EVERYTHING. You'll need that experience for a basis on which to form judgements on which gigs you really want later.

[WilliamLang]

If you're privileged be picky, if not take everything, and salt to taste.

[GabrielRice]

There was a great article by Dave Taylor in the ITA Journal years back about how be built his amazing career. The message was essentially "show up," and he described how he played absolutely everywhere and for everybody he could for years.

My freelancing career in Boston started because I jumped on an opportunity to play a benefit concert in Symphony Hall that the other graduate students passed on because it was unpaid. The timpanist came up to me during the break and said "you play well in tune and I like the way you sound...are you a union member?" and then started hiring me for gigs. Turned out he was one of the best contractors in the area and later VP of the AFM local. At the first gig I did for him I sat next to a guy who then hired me for more gigs. And so on and so on.

And then years later I was trying to recover from an arm injury and taking time off to let it heal. I was offered a couple of days subbing with a summer opera festival where the principal trombonist is a good friend. As I was discussing it with another freelancer my age and saying I could get myself in shape in time but I really wanted the rest and didn't want to do all that driving, etc...he said to me: "that's it, man, you made it! You can turn down a gig just because you don't want to do it!"

I still take many of the gigs I'm offered if I'm free (though there are definitely some I pass on and recommend my students for), and I do it for a lot of reasons. Some of it is simply to put money in the bank, but a lot of it is that I like playing with many different people, and sometimes, on a low-paying gig that probably won't be the best musical experience, I'm going to meet an excellent young player who will keep me on my toes.

I'm a musician because I love to play, period.

[Doug Elliott]

Today I will spend more on gas to a big band gig in NJ than I will make.
And "pay yourself before you pay anyone else?"
It's usually the other way around. I have sometimes paid everyone else and left nothing for myself.
I'm not sure what version of "success" I'm living.

[tbdana]

There was a great article by Dave Taylor in the ITA Journal years back about how be built his amazing career. The message was essentially "show up," and he described how he played absolutely everywhere and for everybody he could for years.

My freelancing career in Boston started because I jumped on an opportunity to play a benefit concert in Symphony Hall that the other graduate students passed on because it was unpaid. The timpanist came up to me during the break and said "you play well in tune and I like the way you sound...are you a union member?" and then started hiring me for gigs. Turned out he was one of the best contractors in the area and later VP of the AFM local. At the first gig I did for him I sat next to a guy who then hired me for more gigs. And so on and so on.

And then years later I was trying to recover from an arm injury and taking time off to let it heal. I was offered a couple of days subbing with a summer opera festival where the principal trombonist is a good friend. As I was discussing it with another freelancer my age and saying I could get myself in shape in time but I really wanted the rest and didn't want to do all that driving, etc...he said to me: "that's it, man, you made it! You can turn down a gig just because you don't want to do it!"

I still take many of the gigs I'm offered if I'm free (though there are definitely some I pass on and recommend my students for), and I do it for a lot of reasons. Some of it is simply to put money in the bank, but a lot of it is that I like playing with many different people, and sometimes, on a low-paying gig that probably won't be the best musical experience, I'm going to meet an excellent young player who will keep me on my toes.

I'm a musician because I love to play, period.

Gabe, what a great story! And I love your last sentence. Yeah!

Your story mirrors my experience getting started freelancing. Some of my biggest, most life-changing moments came from the most unlikely events. A last-minute freebie. Something I did just for fun. Or a random encounter at a gig. I can trace lines to the very best gigs I ever had from such unexpected moments.

[tbdana]

Today I will spend more on gas to a big band gig in NJ than I will make.
And "pay yourself before you pay anyone else?"
It's usually the other way around. I have sometimes paid everyone else and left nothing for myself.
I'm not sure what version of "success" I'm living.

You're livin' the dream, baby!

Some of my favorite gigs ever have been big band gigs that actually cost me money.

[Floridatrombonekenneth]

There was a great article by Dave Taylor in the ITA Journal years back about how be built his amazing career. The message was essentially "show up," and he described how he played absolutely everywhere and for everybody he could for years.

That article was extremely helpful when I read it as an undergrad. I actually referenced it this week with a student who had switched to a non-music major, but wanted to continue working towards a freelancing career. I think it still holds true, and I still think about it when I am on the fence about a gig.

Just like you, when I moved to Green Bay, my first gig was a free big band concert, and I felt pretty lucky to get it. I still rely on the connections I made that night. There are so many factors that go into having a busy freelance career, and one of them is just being seen playing your instrument. The people I hear saying a gig isn't worth their time, are usually the ones I don't see on gigs that would be.

[EriKon]

There was a great article by Dave Taylor in the ITA Journal years back about how be built his amazing career. The message was essentially "show up," and he described how he played absolutely everywhere and for everybody he could for years.

That article was extremely helpful when I read it as an undergrad. I actually referenced it this week with a student who had switched to a non-music major, but wanted to continue working towards a freelancing career. I think it still holds true, and I still think about it when I am on the fence about a gig.

Just like you, when I moved to Green Bay, my first gig was a free big band concert, and I felt pretty lucky to get it. I still rely on the connections I made that night. There are so many factors that go into having a busy freelance career, and one of them is just being seen playing your instrument. The people I hear saying a gig isn't worth their time, are usually the ones I don't see on gigs that would be.

Is that article still available somewhere?

[GabrielRice]

It was in an ITA Journal. The digital archives are available to members online, but I don't see a way to search them.

[WilliamLang]

Either one of these articles might be the one Gabe is talking about - I know the Risk article in particular basically changed my life.

https://www.davetaylor.net/articles

[EriKon]

Awesome! Thank you so much, Will and Gabe!