Like they say, “people can die from ‘exposure’.” As for musicians, we all find ourselves in situations from time to time where we have to weigh whether it's ok to play for free, perhaps with the hope of making an impact that will lead to paid work, against another, also very real and unintended potential result - gaining the reputation that we don't need be paid (or even worse, that musicians in general don't need to be paid...). Yikes! How do we navigate these "we can't pay you anything, but a lot of people will be there..." inquiries that pop up from time to time?
At this point in my own career, I don't play for free. Even for a fundraiser, there is usually enough to give performers an honorarium to cover gas etc. If it was a cause I'm really passionate about, for the memorial of a local community member, especially someone I personally knew, I might very well donate my services, but in that case, I'd probably be the one reaching out with the offer. When someone reaches out to me, I don't feel it is unreasonable to expect some sort of compensation and therefore, I steer clear of freebies. It really makes these decisions easy. I especially would say no if rehearsals are involved!
Of course, sometimes, especially when we're just starting out, we just want to play, gain some experience, and network for potential future opportunities. I've rarely played for free at an event or venue, besides a curated showcase, that ever turned into much. It could always happen, but I think most of the time it doesn't. Honestly, flexing our negotiation muscles and seeing if the host or promoter can't rustle up a bit of money is likely to pay a lot more toward our future.
Unfortunately, musicians increasingly need to have other jobs to pay the bills, which leads to more musicians being open to playing for free, or low pay, or some food or drinks, which leads to more opportunities that don't pay well, which leads to more musicians needing to have "day-jobs"... we are totally complicit in perpetuating the cycle.
Non-career musicians surely have the right to perform too, but I personally feel like those doing it as a hobby need to do right by their fellow musicians and also turn down gigs if the pay is less than a career musician should be making. I can imagine a hobbyist, or someone in music school, being excited at the opportunity to play for a festival, record on someone's album, or teach someone's child, even unpaid, but I feel like they really should negotiate some form of payment.
Orienting our performance approach My partner and I, both full-time musicians, came up with some rules several years ago that have proven very useful in navigating which opportunities to take and which ones to leave. First off, we reserve Saturdays (and secondarily, Fridays and Sundays) for well paying opportunities. The bulk of our performances, and the best paying performances, happen on Saturdays, hands down. If we book them up we can feel a bit freer to mix and match types of performances and pay situations on other days and everything still seems to balance out, year after year.
On other days, we make sure that an opportunity offers at least TWO of the "3 Fs”: it has to be FINANCIALLY rewarding, FURTHERING, and/or FUN. For example, if an opportunity doesn’t pay well, it at least has to be both a situation where we could network, sell CDs, hand out business cards, etc. AND a really enjoyable experience. For instance, we once performed for an artist fair at a world renowned hot springs retreat against the backdrop of the gorgeous, sparkling Pacific, soaking in the hot springs after our set, taking in the views, enjoying a gourmet lunch and dinner with produce grown on site, while also receiving a voucher to come back and stay a night and enjoy the hot springs at a later date. No actual money was exchanged, but because it fit our other requirements, we actually felt more than compensated!
How to turn down opportunities without burning bridges Finally, even when we do have to say no, it's important to do it in a professional, kind way. Usually, just keeping it simple is best. It took me a long time to realize that I don't have to explain myself. Just an "I'm sorry, but unfortunately I won't be able to perform at your event this time around. Thanks for thinking of me!" is all it takes. They will virtually never ask why. If they do and it's pay related, perhaps say: "I need to reserve that day for a paid opportunity. I hope you understand. If your budget changes, feel free to reach out again. If I'm still available, I'd be happy to consider it."
At this point they may ask for a referral, which can be tricky. The best case scenario might be if you have a more advanced student who might need the performance practice, but I'd personally never recommend hobbyists I might know. I've seen music scenes quickly overwhelmed by amateurs willing to play for free. Suddenly, musicians are everywhere, no one can recognize the good players from the great ones, and everyone's pay gets cut. Better to just say: "Unfortunately I don't have a referral. Best of luck!"
