Dear Susan,

    Margaret and I have had some experience with community events where the person doing the booking has not done much with performers. We have generally been treated as professionals if we've been paid well. Not treated very well at all if we haven't been. I've found it helps to be very clear about what they want from us and I try to be as clear with what we can actually do. If it turns out that what they want is not something we can provide, I tell them. Be clear about sound systems. If they say they have one, make sure it's not a crappy one. If they don't know, offer to bring one. Make sure they understand the concept of set up and take down time, if you are setting up your own sound. If they ask about how much money you want. Ask about who is the sponsoring organization and figure out how deep their pockets are (if you're splitting the bill with a string quartet, you can bet that they aren't working for free, and neither should you). Sometimes community events are run by folks who have no concept of stage managing, so be prepared if there are other acts on the bill for the time to be a little flexible. If you are under some time constraint, spell it out. If you want more specifics, please pm me, or send me an email (I still have the same email address that you have written to me before). Not liking surprises when playing, I try to find out as much as I can in advance.

--Phil