A Music buisness question

Subject: A Music buisness question
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 10:11 PM

I've finally taken the plunge. I've contacted a few folk festival to pitch a yodeling workshop. I haven't sent out any demos yet,but I have all of the material ready to send out. I'm left with one rather obvious question, however. Perhaps, one of you can help.

What does one charge to run a workshop? Is there some sort of going or average rate, or does on improvise festival by festival?

Please, help.

Stephen Lee

Subject: RE: A Music buisness question
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 11:33 PM

Stephan....I quasi-yodal based on "heriditory links".....where....when....will you hold the workshop? Do you offer private lessons?

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: A Music buisness question
From: Cluin
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 12:06 AM

Damn! You can charge more for workshops?

I thought they were just included in the pay for playing the festival and you could opt out if you really wanted to. I need to play more festivals, I guess.

Subject: RE: A Music buisness question
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 10:45 AM

Perhaps there was a misunderstanding. I'm just plugging the workshop for the time being as a way of making myself known to festival bookers.

Stephen Lee

Subject: RE: A Music buisness question
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 10:47 AM

Gargoyle -- I'm trying to do this around the American Upper Midwest at the moment. I had never actually given thought to private lessons.

Stephen Lee

Subject: RE: A Music buisness question
From: Cluin
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 11:23 AM

Maybe I garbled things a bit, but that brings up a similar question: Do you charge more if workshops are involved in a festival gig?

I have given private lessons on guitar, mandolin, and bodhran in the past, but the fee was negotiable each time, except when it was done through a music school.

Subject: RE: A Music buisness question
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 01:01 PM

I'm speaking as a festival AD. All of our workshops are by performers who are booked for the festival. Their fees include all concerts and workshops. We wouldn't hire anyone just to do a workshop. And we generally have yodelling workshops in the years that we hire Bill Staines.

Subject: RE: A Music buisness question
From: Willie-O
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 01:53 PM

Different festivals have different ways of doing the business. For a lot of them, I think that pitching a workshop is a good way to introduce yourself, GUEST AD notwithstanding. I think, though, like GUEST AD, most festivals have a standard way of booking their workshops. They will set the rate if they are interested in what you have to offer, and in some cases (if you're not also booked as a performer) it might just be a performer pass (and family comps, one would hope).

W-O

Subject: RE: A Music buisness question
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 04:16 PM

Willie-O,

Thank you. That is the sort of thing that I needed to know. Any other info which anyone else might have would also be useful.

Stephen Lee