tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post4698397612977717896..comments2024-01-12T04:00:31.812-05:00Comments on Cincinnati Pianist: Freelancing in the “New” Economy (Part 2)Joshua Nemithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03716708105044893303noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post-59269255101594663632011-09-01T01:10:06.707-05:002011-09-01T01:10:06.707-05:00Excellent two part series on supplemental income f...Excellent two part series on supplemental income for music teachers! You got me thinking on a new blog post for my own blog, where I can lay out ideas for music teachers to supplement their incomes besides just teaching. Nice articles!Free music theory worksheetshttp://www.opusmusicworksheets.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post-45061650077753940982011-06-06T20:26:57.645-05:002011-06-06T20:26:57.645-05:00Congratulations for this great post. I am a freela...Congratulations for this great post. I am a freelance musician and found it really helpful!Peterhttp://musicianstips.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post-86208601334734945182010-01-13T07:15:36.548-05:002010-01-13T07:15:36.548-05:00Cash Making Opportunities - The Beginning The work...Cash Making Opportunities - The Beginning The working life is already tough enough, but the worries of being out of work was even tougher. The unsecured working environment have prompted me to search the internet for an alternative source of extra income so that I could learn how to Make Money Work for me and be Financially Independent. I listed down a number of Free Internet Business Opportunity Ideas while researching ways how people earn money online while working-from-home.......<br /><br />www.onlineuniversalwork.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post-37306684691575537532009-03-19T21:34:00.000-05:002009-03-19T21:34:00.000-05:00Teaching musical instrument such as playing the pi...Teaching musical instrument such as playing the piano is also a good way to earn some cash.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post-32518852659211655372009-01-21T04:02:00.000-05:002009-01-21T04:02:00.000-05:00Its interesting... a friend of mine who passed awa...Its interesting... a friend of mine who passed away some years back switched from engineering to music during the depression era. Between the symphony and lessons, he was able to keep his family afloat, something near impossible in engineering when the markets did a major crash and burn back then. <BR/><BR/>Now it seems I'm following in his footsteps, I'm finding there is a lot more customer interest in the music side of my offerings, as contrasted with custom engineering and design. Its interesting how history has an odd way of repeating itself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post-77312713197814891162009-01-05T00:06:00.000-05:002009-01-05T00:06:00.000-05:00a most interesting post . . . here is another sugg...a most interesting post . . . here is another suggestion, for what it is worth-- <B>scare up your own untraditional gigs</B>. I have converted from being a bass player to being an author/ speaker, and there are many opportunities if one is willing to do some imagineering to come up with a program. I know some people who do a single instrument interactive kiddie presentation for kindergarteners. i am off to foreign shores next week to give a series of talks to kids about music. <BR/><BR/>Musicians tend to think of their work opportunities as a finite circle of gigs-- orchestras, ballets, shows, etc . . . that are put together by someone else. But if you think in terms of offering a small musical program you might start to come up with ideas and possibilities to sell your services to people who traditionally have not bought live music directly. remember, all the money that left the stock market went <I>somewhere</I>, and people won't know they can have a string quartet at their dinner party unless you suggest it to them. to promote, just $40 buys 100 full-olor flyers from staples (you have to design it of course). libraries have small budgets for programs, and you would be amazed at how interested non-musicians are at hearing you play close up. more money: make a CD of yourself to sell at the end of the show. I am always being asked if i can "bring my bass" (fortunately i sold them all, otherwise i would be schlepping it all over). time share hotels, assisted living complexes, are often looking for low budget programs for their guests. it's not automatic, but it's there. <BR/><BR/>Music school taught you to be precise in your playing and then either take auditions or wait for the phone to ring, and little else. go look at some books on marketing (Peter Drucker is a good one to start). www.webinknow.com and seth godin have ideas too. your competitors are passive about the sale of their product. you don't have to be. -- justin locke www.justinlocke.com ps i am available to speak at your school for a nominal fee :-) (see how easy it is? ;-) --jlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post-56117984122061552862008-11-17T16:57:00.000-05:002008-11-17T16:57:00.000-05:00Thanks for the interesting posts. I want to go ba...Thanks for the interesting posts. I want to go back to Part 1 #1 where you say it like it is: don't be lazy. I know you are writing from the point of view and experience of a freelancer, but am curious on your thoughts on those who have professional orchestra gigs, then during the summer or "down" time apply for unemployment instead of finding other work either in the music field or *gasp* outside music.<BR/><BR/>Thanks again for giving us all something to consider during these economically questionable days to come.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post-30468668865592645722008-11-10T10:48:00.000-05:002008-11-10T10:48:00.000-05:00Josh,Thanks for the enlightening advice. I totally...Josh,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the enlightening advice. I totally agree about becoming versatile on the other instruments in your instrument family. I myself earned my undergraduate degree in woodwinds (specializing in clarinet, flute, and saxophone) and it has paid off in several important ways:<BR/><BR/>1. I feel it really allowed me to explore a lot of repertoire that I probably wouldn't have been exposed to- music of the baroque (which I love, but sadly, does not really exist for the clarinet), and more modern pieces (which make up a large part of the repertoire for the saxophone).<BR/><BR/>2. It has exposed me to a lot of different pedagogical techniques from different instruments which has been very beneficial in my own teaching.<BR/><BR/>3. It pays to be versatile! While I'm not asked often to do shows, I was hired to play the run of "The Producers" in Dayton. The book I played included clarinet, Eb, clarinet, tenor saxophone, and flute. While I had to dust the cobwebs on my sax and remember which end of the flute to blow into, it allowed me to participate (and earn a good deal of money) from studying these additional instruments.<BR/><BR/>Thanks again for an excellent article!<BR/><BR/>JohnAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post-38190466234943729442008-11-07T02:41:00.000-05:002008-11-07T02:41:00.000-05:00Excellent posts. I must say, I agree with you mor...Excellent posts. I must say, I agree with you more than 100% about the short comings of conservatory's and art schools in general in preparing there students for making a living in the real world.<BR/>Would a marketing course or some business courses make the students worse musicians?<BR/>The whole snobbery factor in the art world of all or nothing or being the best or not being at all is a real killer and should be dealt with and eliminated.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15067376934226559383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post-1369784434360674352008-10-31T03:08:00.000-05:002008-10-31T03:08:00.000-05:00Hi Joshua,That's a detailed description and would ...Hi Joshua,<BR/><BR/>That's a detailed description and would convince any reader to become a freelance pianist!<BR/><BR/>I was actually curious to know about Steinway and restoration processes, and landed on this blog. <BR/><BR/>I am sure most people would still want to work on their Steinway and even if it gets damaged some way or another. <BR/><BR/>If I owned a Steinway I would want to have it repaired because Steinway is one of the finest instruments built by hand. <BR/><BR/>The difficulty that most of the owners of antique Steinway Grand Piano face is lack of adequate after-service for Steinway. <BR/><BR/>I understand that expert services for piano restoration are available at: http://www.lindebladpiano.com./ <BR/><BR/>I was also interested in knowing how piano restoration work is done, and found an impressive video at: <BR/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7YPCwb72eo <BR/><BR/>Thanks again for the wonderful site that you have here, keep up the good work!! <BR/><BR/>Regards, <BR/><BR/>Bhaskar KarampudiUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04541343160370568092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post-20001774779070061592008-10-16T13:08:00.000-05:002008-10-16T13:08:00.000-05:00You provide some excellent additions to my example...You provide some excellent additions to my examples - thanks for sharing your thoughts on your own church work and private school teaching. <BR/><BR/>It's true that private lesson students can vary widely. I would argue that over time (a scale of years rather than months) one can begin to "filter" the student pool towards what fits best with a given teaching style. Smaller communities within larger urban centers (like where I live) can also vary a great deal. It's amazing to me how things can be so different between south and north, east and west. Work ethic is one area where things can be vastly different depending on locality. I'm not sure why this is, but I do have some ideas. Perhaps it is something researchers could explore...it's an interesting phenomenon.Joshua Nemithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03716708105044893303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351040947440598477.post-50809008300270855052008-10-15T12:56:00.000-05:002008-10-15T12:56:00.000-05:00I'd like to note that church work is also a staple...I'd like to note that church work is also a staple for singers. In most cities I have lived in there are plenty of paid section leader or cantor positions available. This work by itself can be a good addition to your income, but also, can lead to other jobs, such as singing weddings and funerals, which is good money and you actually get to sing solos! Also, while singing for Trinity church in Boston, I had the opportunity to sing the soprano solos in their yearly performance of the Messiah, which was a very popular Boston event with a packed house.<BR/><BR/>It always upset me that conservatory voice teachers / voice programs discouraged us students from singing in choirs. I agree that conservatories are poor at training musicians for realistic careers (perhaps I am putting words in your mouth). Every singer should have the musicianship skills to sight read choral music if s/he wants to make a decent living. Also, s/he should work on her/his acting skills so s/he can take opera and musical theatre work as well. I love art song and would probably rather sing recitals of lieder, melodie, and contemporary american song than anything else, but honestly, giving recitals is NOT a realistic way to make a living -- or really ANY money, so why do we spend SO much time working on that repertoire? <BR/><BR/>In terms of teaching work, I have to say that some of the private school teaching work I've done has been more enjoyable than the college teaching I've done -- classroom teaching, that is. It depends on the level you're teaching, I suppose. When you're teaching an introductory music class to freshmen for one credit, you're much less likely to get serious students than if you're teaching a class that is part of the required curriculum to smart middle school students. Just a thought... Private lesson students are another issue. They vary so widely, you never know where the best students will be.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for another interesting post, Josh!Pamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16632245438511998562noreply@blogger.com