I'm willing to hear how it goes for you guys.. I'm thinking in terms of "number of jobs" and not in amount of money earned.

Here are my approximate personal percentages (take in consideration that I'm more a "week-end musician" than a true professional):

1) Bars/Clubs/Lounge: 10%
2) Nursing Home: 0%
3) Medium Size (dinner-dancing; 50-80 people): 25%
4) Big Wedding/Corporate parties (100-300 people): 65%

Type 2 gigs just don't have a market around here (Portugal). In the rather low populated area where I live, there is also an extremely limited market for bar/club/lounge live gigs.

Another question: did you, professional friends, feel the difficult economic times we are presently living? I'm asking this because this summer (the time when the professional portuguese musicians get most of their jobs) seemed to be extremely hard for the pros... Recession is a really around here.

-- José.

Olá José

Question 1:

Period 06/2001 06/2002
A-Bar/Clubs/Lounge : 5%
B-Nursing Home/Beneficent gigs : 5%
C-Medium Size( <200 people) : 10%
D-Big parties( >200 people) : 80%

Question 2:

My first occupation is the music classes (+- 50 students)

Brasilian regards,
Chico

An average year is:

200 bar/clubdates ($150 ea)
25 nursing homes ($100 ea)
40 small/med dinner/dances ($400 ea)
60 large scale dance parties ($600 ea)

The large parties are the most expensive, so I don't mind doing a few less on the weekends. It all washes out at the end of the year.

Hey Dave ,that's $91,000....You'r buying breakfast tomorrow...

Raising girls is expensive !
(You've seen what I drive ... you know where it all goes !)

Fran ..... I think it's ONLY $84,500 ..... if UD had the other $6,500, he might get a better car!!!
t.

Yeah .. what HE said !
Anyway - those figures are an avarage ... not the actual totals. I consistantly make about 10% less than what I need each year! It's amazing how fast it goes .....
I'm gonna be driving this 95 Ford Windstar for a loooong time !

I gotta 96 Aerostar! Only 134,000 miles.
DonM

I had a few Aerostars ! I actually PREfer some things on that model. I like the way you can move the rear seat into the middle position and vice/versa. On the Windstar - the middle seat ONLY fits in the middle.

Hi Uncle Dave

How do you manage to get paid for nursing homes? I figured it would be freebies? Or is this a union gig?

Scott Langholff

Union? Perish the thought!

The union in Philadelphia only handles the theater circuit, and can't (and SHOULDN'T) touch anything else. They do nothing for the performer, and politics is the bottom line - all the contractor's friend's get the seats .... and not the best players.

Nursing homes are a very lucrative market here on the East coast, due to the increasing number of older citizens that are living in assisted care facilities. We even have a few agencies that handle ONLY the senior market. Check out: www.jerysam.com
It'll give you an overview of the market. On average, the going rate is between $100 and $175. Most of mine fall into the $100-125 range.

Many of my friends do 1 or 2 a day and make a nice chunk of change doing it. I don't take that many because it really takes a lot out of me. A 1 hr show is the same work load as three sets in a club. My vocal output is more intense, and there are virtually NO breaks in the action. You slow down, and you LOOSE the crowd. Remember ..... you're just a "filler" till Jeopardy comes on!

A couple of other ideas for where to play where I've made a few bucks....the veterans hospitals and the colleges especially the junior colleges. The JC's usually don't pop for big name, but have activity days 1 or 2 x's a month. Usually a student lounge gig.
Terry