01/15/2024
A venue manager asked me, a musician, how much it would cost for a three-hour live performance. I replied, "$500."
The manager was taken aback, "That seems pretty steep for a few hours of music, doesn't it? That's like $167 an hour!"
Curious, I asked, "How much do you think is a fair price?"
He thought for a moment, "Maybe $100 at most. That's over $33/hr. My waitresses make less, and they work hard. It's just playing songs, right?"
"Actually," I said, "I start loading my gear at about 5 PM, and I arrive at 6:30 to start setting up, and I'm ready to go by 8, then I play until 11, and then I break down the gear and I'm out the door around midnight, then I get home around 12:30 and I'm unloaded by 1 AM, so that's a full 8-hours.
So $100 is more like $12.50 an hour.
My rate is $62.50 per hour and at least a third of that goes to business expenses, so I keep about $43.75 as salary."
I offered, "As an alternative, for $250, I could teach you or one of your staff to play the set."
The manager was puzzled, "But... none of us are musicians."
"That's okay," I said. "For $250, I’ll teach you. Not only will you save $250, but you'll also have the skills for future events."
He considered this and agreed.
"Now, you'll need equipment," I reminded him. "Guitars, amps, microphones, mixers... about $5,000 - $6,000 all together."
He frowned, "I don't have all that, and buying it for one night doesn't make sense."
"Well, I can rent my equipment to you for an additional $100," I offered.
"That seems fair, but I don't know how to hook it all up."
"No problem," I said. "For $50 I'll explain it all to you. You're still saving $100 and you don't have to hire musicians anymore."
"Fine," he said, resigned.
"Great! I'm available to teach you on Tuesday."
"But I can only do it today, and I need the music tonight" he replied.
"Unfortunately, I'm booked with other gigs. Tuesday is the only day I can teach and lend the equipment."
He sighed, "That means I'll have to rearrange my whole schedule."
I added, "Also, doing it yourself means dealing with sound checks, setup, learning new music, potential equipment malfunctions..."
"What's all that?" he asked, puzzled.
"Setting up the stage, making sure the sound is right, covering any accidents with the equipment, keeping your audience happy, and more."
He grimaced, realizing the complexity, "That sounds like a lot of extra work and stress."
"You’ll need to come by Monday evening or Tuesday morning to pick up the equipment. And don't be late to avoid traffic."
..
After a pause, the manager finally said, "You know what, I think it's best if you handle the performance. I realize now there's a lot more to it than I thought. Your expertise, the quality of the performance, the hassle-free experience... I see why it's worth $500."
When you pay for a musician's performance, you're not just paying for the time they're on stage. You're paying for their:
- Talent and skill
- Years of practice and experience
- Quality equipment
- Time to prepare and set up
- Professionalism
- Reliability
- Sound quality
- Ability to engage and entertain an audience
- Handling of unexpected issues
- And ensuring a memorable experience for your guests.
The value of a professional's work goes beyond the surface, encompassing their expertise, effort, and the assurance of a quality outcome.
(I copied from someone else, total truth here!)
