sir bengy! that sounds like a winning plan..does the orchestra company pay for your meals when you guys are away from home or do you have to pay for everything yourselves?
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sir bengy! that sounds like a winning plan..does the orchestra company pay for your meals when you guys are away from home or do you have to pay for everything yourselves?
Depends on the individual employer... Most of the groups I play for will have a food allowance (per diem) per day that is paid to you. I can never eat that much, so I get to pocket the leftover as extra pay!
hahaha! well it's good to hear that they are so generous with that, and it's makes a nice bonus when you have money left over. My gosh do they expect you to eat at the most exclusive places in town? With the very little time that you have?
Partly it is due to me not being able to eat three large meals a day! But also, with the limited time, we often don't have the time to shop around for a good deal on food... And the last, and perhaps the most important, some groups recognise the importance of happy workers!
Sadly, others don't...
sir bengy! so you are like a free lance musician or a contractor? In other words you don't work for the same company do you? I'm not sure how that works. do you belong to one orchestra and that orchestra gets hired out by different clients?
Yes, in early music (my specialisation) everyone is pretty much a freelancer... You can be fairly certain of being first asked for certain groups, but there is no ongoing contracts. As for the orchestra, they are booked by different festivals and concert venues... But I don't know much about that side of the business!
sir bengy! but you just work for your orchestra right? and it gets the engagements? They are the ones who pay you right?
Yes, I guess you would say that in subcontracted by the orchestra of which ever ensemble has me for the week. They get the concerts, and they get paid and eventually the money comes to me!