Several of our esteemed members have retired from the work world and now play music for a living. This has always been a dream of mine. I have many questions on how to do this??

Have you actually "Retired" meaning are you getting a Social Security Check, Pension, etc. and supplementing your income with music? Are you able to survive with $100-$200 a gig income? How many gigs a week must you play to make a decent weekly income? Are you living comfortably?

So the big question is the business of being a Solo Arranger Player; is it worth it and can it work?

Al-

There have been many similar questions asked over the last several years. I'd suggest doing a search and review the posts from the older threads. I remember there was a lot of good info in them.

I'm not retired. I'm 50 years old and began playing solo keyboard & vocals 16 years ago. I added the Tyros 1 shortly after it came out in 02/03 and haven't strayed from an arranger since.

Based out of a smaller (25K) size town just north of Dayton, OH, I've averaged over 400 gigs per year for the last ten years or so. Most of these are at retirement communities. The rest are a mix of private parties (retirement, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) Corporate functions, Civic events, Military base this, animal club work and memorials.

No single client generates more than 3-4% of my total revenue stream, which (I think) is desirable as it protects you from a sudden, major loss of sales if a client decides to drop you. I average 35-40 gigs per month. The low end gigs all pay about $100/ea. The high end private stuff I do usually brings me $300+ a night. On average I have 3-5 days off a month, less during the Holidays.

Adding the "retired" element thing to it changes it. If a person is retired and has no financial needs for this music project to make significant cash, that's one thing. If a person does need it to make X amount of money each month, that's another. The answer will effect what your pricing turns out to be.

Some issues I'd suggest a newcomer to consider would be:

1) How much do you want to work?

2) Portability of equipment

3) How large of a geographical range do you want to seek work in?

4) How do you plan on getting gigs/clients?

5) Quality of equipment

6) Repertoire

7) Instrumental or with vocals?

...There's a lot more to it, of course but those are some of the basic things to consider.

Finally, I would make a special mention regarding working in nursing homes. Its not "just another" gig and requires a certain attitude and outlook for it to really work. Likewise, there have been very good threads on working in NH's over time that you'd benefit from digging up.

Good luck...

Al, you have the want-to and if you think you have the repertoire, I'd say go for it. I think there is a lot of opportunity out there for someone who is hungry, organized, dedicated, enthusiastic, personable. Especially for you, in Florida.

One of the top priorities, seems to me, is getting your rig down as small, portable and quick to set up as is possible. Plus, learn a lot of popular songs from the 1950s-1970s and even more recent if they were big hits. It never hurts to have a few "old" standards, but to me, focusing on moving the decades forward is apropos if you are going to do senior citizen gigs.

Bill From Dayton and Bill (SemiLiveMusic)pretty much nailed it. The only thing I might add is the rate structure will vary depending upon region. Some areas command a significantly higher pay rate than others, particularly on the NH circuit. The same holds true for private parties, animal clubs, military organizations, American Legions, VFWs, etc... This will have a significant impact on your total income.

On top of it all, you must treat the entertainment business like any other business. Despite the fact that you'll paid in cash by some clients, just putting that money in your pocket and not claiming it as income is a huge mistake. Same goes for paying for small items such as tolls, lunch, etc.., all those expenses count. Essentially, you have to discipline yourself to keeping impeccable records, and managing the business like any major corporation. Use programs such as Quick-Books and Quicken to keep track of income and expenses and you can't go wrong. You also need to be a sales person and advertising manager. You'll need to create brochures, fliers, and a potential client list to send those items to. You'll need to be a telephone solicitor to set up meetings with those potential clients and present your self to them in a professional manner by dressing accordingly for that first encounter--appearance makes a huge difference, both when establishing the account and while performing.

Once you've become established, then you must be able to retain those accounts. This can only be done by being professional in every way. Submit an appropriate invoice to the customer, look and act professional at all times, show up early for the job, and constantly update your performances by introducing new songs, while still retaining many of your old favorites that the clients always want to hear. If you have the goods, as DNJ always says, you'll have all the work you can handle.

How much can you make? That's entirely up to you. If you are aggressive and keep your nose to the grindstone, you can make a decent living. You'll probably never get rich, but only a very small percentage of people in this industry actually make their living on music alone. I can honestly tell you that this is the best job I've ever had, and if the today's technology existed when I first got out of the U.S. Navy in 1960, I would have become a full-time entertainer at a much younger age.

Good luck,

Gary

I've been doing it for a long time. It's not easy to make a full-time living. There are times when everybody wants you and times when nobody does. You have to pay your own taxes, provide for your own insurance, etc.
My number one advice is to not price yourself too low.
If you are trying to support a family, you can't do it on 300 nursing homes a year at $100. a job. You have to, or at least I have to, make way more than that. In case you haven't noticed, gasoline if pretty high right now. And remember, a one-hour job is really at least three hours of your time, depending on distance and set-up, tear-down, socializing, etc. You must allow time in case some piece of gear malfunctions. You WILL have to go to the car and get a replacement for something now and then. (Of COURSE you have backup of every single item from the cheapest cable to the entire pa system). You are a pro and afford to blow one single job because it might cost you many more as a result.
I have done a lot of nursing homes and it is very rewarding. I love to to them. However I used them to supplement my income from night-time jobs. Nursing homes have a budget for entertainment and by law they have to provide it. If you do it free or very cheap, you aren't helping the residents, you are helping the owners! Too many nice people with good intentions are doing them way too cheap. As long as that happens the market is low for all of us.
I've been lucky to have a semi-steady job at a high-end establishment that pays fairly well. There are very few of those around here any more. After 25 years, mine is very shaky right now because of management changes, so I'm actively pursuing other venues (so far it's working out even better.)
Private parties such as holiday events and wedding receptions are the jobs that pay the most. A few years ago, I arbitrarily doubled my rate for those, and I have lost relatively few of them. In fact, I may get more because of the perceived value idea of "you get what you pay for".
I don't charge by the hour. I have a minimum of $400. for private affairs, more for big receptions, whether it's an hour or 4 hours. (Not saying you can't bend a little for special circumstances, but it's important to be consistent because the clients often consult with one another and know what you charged the other guy).
My second piece of advice is to keep careful records of every penny you spend, every piece of gear, clothing, car expense, phone bill, computer costs, office space--everything. You will need this to keep from giving back too much in taxes.
To get back to your original question, it would be much easier if the music job is supplemental income. I began receiving social security a few years ago. It is far from enough to live on but it helps.
You can do the math. Figure out how much you need to make each week or month. Figure out how many jobs and what rate you need to do. Then allow plenty of room for the slow times. Bank what extra you get during the good times.
Only you can decide if it's worth it.
I have done a lot of these things wrong and learned much of it the hard way. Without my wonderful wife, I would have done the same thing, but my standard of living would definitely be lower!
Hope this helps.
DonM

PS I just noticed Gary and I posted at the same time. Haven't read his yet, but I'll bet it's close to what I said.

Yep, great minds think alike!

Gary

You asked about making a living just with arranger play.

Lots of folks I know (me, included) are generalists (some call us "music whores").

I do 25% of my jobs on arranger, about 25% on solo guitar and the rest as on sessions, as a sideman or with the groups
I have (trio, 4 piece, 16 piece).

Just suggesting you evaluate your abilities and make the most of things (keeps things interesting, too)!

Everyone does things differently; this is what I do, and it has worked for me for over 55 years.

Also, music is one product/service offered by my company, which also includes a variety of communications services, so while music isn't the sole source of business and income, it it a "mainstay part of the product/services offering (think sound scores for films, broadcast jingles, corporate events, etc.

Good luck!

Russ

great advice guys...you are true gentlemen. I pretty much know the business side of music as I do quite a lot of the bookings now for the bands I'm in including the Wedding business. I do tend to price very high with my standard packages always thinking I can find an angle to give discounts; like if the Wedding is on a Tuesday! LOL I'm a former accountant so your advice regarding expenses truly rings loud and clear.

I make a great living with my current day job, but it is LOTS of hours and very stressful and I'm really burnt out. I currently supplement my income with music but the most I've made in a year is $15,000 which is nothing in today's economy. My concern with the NH events is they require daytime performances which I would have to quit my job to do. That would be very tough. I'd have to find a way to downsize my current job and fill that time with music gigs. Not very easy to do. I applaud you guys who have done it. Brilliant Move! I'm not really looking for Nirvana, I'm a realist, but I can't see suffering either. I'll have to carefully plot this strategy.

Good luck with it Al.

You are one of the fortunate ones in that you are familiar with the business side...there are many performers who are awesome musicians/entertainers/kareoke singers, but haven't a clue about how to run a business.

And, of course, you know that's the way it has to be done, if you want to make a decent profit, and minimize stress.

I did restaurant music for the past 20 years, mainly two to three nights a week, and carefully planned my repertoire and also all the details, which included the best type of speaker/amplification for that type of job, as well as a good sounding, and more importantly, reliable arranger.

In a way, I'm lucky I don't sing, and play all instrumental, because it is easy work...just have to keep adding new tunes, but always being ready to play favorites.

I made a very good living at it...enough to buy and pay off a house and several cars, as well as using the latest gear (only changed arrangers every so often...my speaker system was a one time buy).

Last year ,I decided to take the winter off, and now I'm considering taking this summer off as well...it really pays to put money aside so you can take a break if you wish, and not being forced to play makes a big difference in your attitude while you are working.

You are doing the right thing, Al...you are researching and asking questions, and most of the SZ'ers who are in the trenches can offer you much help and great support.

When you are doing what you love (i.e. playing music) it isn't work.

Ian