Bon Journal

No play, no pay

My evening is free tonight, not by choice. Yesterday the events manager introduced himself and asked if anyone had told me that my services weren't required the next evening. The piano had been hired for a private function.

At first I was annoyed. This means one night of unexpected loss of income. It was too late for me to fit another piano playing session in place of tonight. Should I go ahead and invoice the hotel anyway?

I could use a free night, to work on my web site, Le Bon Journal, and catch up other bits of my portfolio career. How I cherish my free evenings now that I have committed several nights a week away from home!

It's standard for musicians to charge a lot more for ad hoc, once off private functions than regular longer term work. What I need to do is to make myself available to play at these private functions. Then I would get three times what I get, at the same hotel, on the same piano!

No, I won't complain. I'll just give a stack of my business cards to the events manager. This reminds me of my teenage days of playing the organ. Private services such as weddings always much paid more than regular Sunday services. And there was always a perk of getting invited to the dinner reception and dance afterwards!

25 January 2003 Saturday