This month I am going to address the business end of the music business. We all, (or at least most of us) became totally devoted to music because of our love for it. And what a devotion it is! No one would spend all the time, hard work and money to be involved in music, unless they REALLY loved it! To be a professional guitarist takes an incredible amount of discipline and dedication involving years of practicing, studying, and listening in addition to purchasing and learning to become facile with lots of very expensive equipment. The only thing that makes this a reasonable career choice is that we LOVE PLAYING GUITAR. Just because we love what we do, however, doesn't mean that we shouldn't be paid well to do it!

I have lots of friends who are not in the music business, but play music as a hobby. They will often say, "You've got it made playing guitar for a living!" I can't disagree, but they have no idea of what's involved. We can't just go sit under a tree and play what we want when we want! When the session starts, we are expected to play anything required of us, and we had better be ready!

There is no room for "I can't play that" or "I don't play that style" or "I don't have the equipment for that." As there is too much money involved to waste time, we can only deliver!

So, how do we get paid? Well, the first thing I recommend to any up-and-coming guitarist who is ready to take the next step to turn pro is to join the American Federation of Musicians Union. Just about every major city has a local AF of M (American Federation of Musicians) office, and I highly recommend joining. Virtually all of the high-end musical jobs are "union" jobs. From live performances and musicals, TV shows and jingles to movies and records, the vast majority of well-paid gigs are union jobs. Another element of the AFM is the RMA (Recording Musicians of America). This organization looks after the needs of recording musicians and has several chapters throughout the country.

The AFM has established pay scales for each different performance category. When I accept a job, I don't have to negotiate my wage. The AFM has already done that for me. Here is a general breakdown of the pay scales for movies, TV and records:

3-Hour Session - MOTION PICTURE/TELEVISION

35 or more musicians--- $246.90
30 to 34 musicians ------ $259.24
24 to 29 musicians -------$271.58
23 or fewer musicians ---$283.96

Leaders, contractors (the person that hires the orchestra) or musicians performing alone get double the above rates. Overtime is calculated in 15-minute intervals from $20.57 to $23.66 per quarter hour, depending on the number of players in the ensemble. In addition a 10-minute rest period is required each hour.

Doubling (playing different instruments such as 12-string, steel-string, banjo, etc.) pays 50% of basic scale for the first double, and 20% for each double thereafter.

A few other necessary considerations enter into the picture:

A call for TV or movie work cannot be canceled less than 96 hours before the session.

Pension contributions are to be 10% of all wages.

There is premium pay (double scale) on holidays, and other pay increases based on Saturday and Sunday sessions, and overtime beyond 6 hours or after midnight ranging from 120% to 200% of scale.

Record sessions have a different pay schedule. A 3-hour record date pays $322.00 with $107.10 for a half-hour overtime, and $53.54 for quarter-hour overtime.

TV and Radio commercials pay from $100 to $200 for an hour session, with $34.00 per 20 minutes of overtime, plus there are formulas for calculating new-use and re-use payments. In all of these different categories, the other significant factor in the wage breakdown is the payment we receive for "new use." A sizable chunk of change can result from the use of our work in other media- like music from a record being used in a film, for example.

Many players in the business are in demand enough to command premium pay, such as double scale for records or "time and a half" for motion pictures. In the guitar chair, these precedents have been established by various players over the years- like Tom Tedesco, Larry Carlton, and Dennis Budimir.

As I said, one of the first steps to becoming a professional musician is to join to the Musicians Union. Most of us are more into playing music than negotiating payment for every job, and the Musicians Union takes some of the heat off having to do that. Without a union contract, we have no way of receiving any of the new-use and re-use payments, nor the pension contributions we are entitled to. When I was starting out in the business, my pension was the last thing on my mind, but in the big picture- it is very important! The cost of belonging to the American Federation of Musicians Union is negligible compared to the benefits a musician can receive by being a member. I highly recommend that any professionally-minded players join!

Until next time,
Tim May