Working as a freelance music leader
A freelancer works for different organisations, rather than working full-time
for a single organisation. Freelancers have a variety of jobs but this doesn't
necessarily mean a variety of roles. Being a freelancer impacts on every aspect
of working life, from your workplace and skills development, through to your financial
situation and lifestyle.
- Freelance job roles
- Workplace
- Equipment and transport
- Skill development
- Fees and finance
- Insurance and professional support
- Promotion
- Lifestyle
Advice from the field…
- The advantages of being freelance
- The drawbacks of being freelance
- Advice for freelancers
- Case study: Pete Moser on the freelance approach
As a freelancer you might be:
- A highly skilled instrumentalist, playing one instrument to a high standard in
a variety of different settings from performance to recording.
- A teacher of groups or individuals who works regularly for a number of clients
in the formal education sector.
- A composer/song writer who works on commission for individuals, theatre, film
and dance companies.
- A workshop leader leading groups in a particular genre of music, in creative
work or skills development.
- A project manager/administrator who can conceive projects and carry out strategic
management from fundraising to marketing.
- A person with a portfolio career involving a variety of different roles and activities.
Your office is usually in your home. This is where people write to you and contact you. Try to create a separation between your personal admin and your professional life so that you can escape when you need to. Make sure that your work is not ever-present. Create a simple but efficient filing system for projects, invoices, archives, music, lyrics etc. You will need somewhere to play music, to practice by yourself and rehearse with other people. This might be in your home, but it’s a good idea to find rehearsal space which you can regularly use.
Everyone needs different equipment for their work. Differentiate between your own instruments and those that you allow workshop participants to use. You need to be able to feel free to let people play with equipment that you give out without worrying. Try to create a good storage place (ideally close to the ground floor!) and use light and solid carrying cases for instruments and equipment.
Budget for new instruments and equipment, to replace ones that have been worn out and/or broken during projects you've been delivering. If you are regularly transporting equipment, make sure that your vehicle is reliable and suitable. It may sound obvious, but don't leave things on display - it's not worth taking the risk.
Pay attention to this. Keep up to date with what is happening. Create a library of books and CD's and allocate time to specific skills development whether this is creative, musical, business or social. In addition to formal training visit some other musician's sessions to see how they may be doing things differently.
- Draw up a range of fees that you are happy to work for. These will change according
to the project. Have a daily rate, a session rate and consider charging extra
when there is a great deal of preparation involved. For more information on professional
rates and fees, ISM's website (Incorporated Society of Muscians) has a comprehensive
list of fees for concert performances, workshops, private and school tuition etc
up to 2004:
http://www.ism.org/publications/info/
- Make sure that you work the cost of mileage and equipment hire into your fee,
as both your transport and equipment will depreciate over time. For example £5
per £500 of equipment to a maximum of £40 per session.
- Negotiate an overdraft agreement with your bank for when fees are late in arriving.
- Keep every receipt in a purse or wallet, and then a file in your 'home office'.
There is a great deal you can count against tax: CD's, entertainment tickets and
books can be counted as research; all transport costs; a percentage of home costs
for your office; phone costs (including mobile costs); equipment purchases; professional
services.
- Find an accountant who can help you minimise your tax payments.
Insurance and Professional support
There are a range of networks that can support you:
- The Musicians Union membership brings with it networking and promotion. Membership
also provides you with public liability insurance up to £3,000,000 and some instrumental
insurance.
- Membership of Sound Sense provides you with a quarterly magazine and monthly
updates, entry to numerous training/networking events and a sense of being part
of a working community.
- On a local level find your Arts Development Officer (most councils have one), and connect with any local arts organisations.
Define your unique selling point. You may carry out a range of activities, but try to have a particular selling point!
- Create a simple leaflet, postcard or business card.
- If you use email check it every day and respond promptly to enquiries, as they
could be future contracts.
- Keep your eyes open for new opportunities, enjoy selling yourself, network and
talk to people at events.
- Keep a good address/contacts book, and make sure that you have two copies (paper or electronic). The contacts that you build up will be vital to your future work as a freelancer and mislaying your address book could mean losing out on a contract.
As a freelancer you are responsible for managing your own workload and you will need to decide what kind of balance you want or need to strike between life and work. Unless you want to work 24 hours a day, planning workload is key to ensure that you are firstly happy with your own schedule and secondly able to deliver what is being asked of you.
Advice from the field
What are the advantages of being a freelancer?
- You can choose your own work and hours, you have no boss and you are free to play.
- You can take on projects that inspire you whilst being able to continue doing your own creative work.
- The very nature of freelancing means that your workload is often varied and rarely routine.
- You don't have to do anything that you don't agree with.
- You can always change what you do if you don’t feel you’re good at it or stop enjoying it.
- You can control your own life to an extent. You do in fact answer to many people and/or organisations as a freelancer, but you get to choose what work you undertake and often when and how you do so.
What are the drawbacks of being a freelancer?
- You can find yourself unable to refuse work.
- The nature of freelance work can be erratic, leaving you feeling insecure about finances.
- You have to fill in self-assessment tax forms!
- Holidays sometimes have to take a back seat, as you either cannot afford them, or don’t have enough time because of heavy workloads and/or commitments.
- Your earnings are erratic and you can spend too much time away from home.
- Work can become an obsession. You think that if you aren't working, you should be, or that you can’t afford not to.
- Use your freedom and try only to do things that inspire you.
- Be prepared to haggle. When you negotiate fees, always ask for a little more!
- Try and develop good long-term relationships with all the people you work with, so that they think of you when new projects or ideas come up.
- Plan your diary to include space for administration, holidays, making choices and decisions. A year planner is essential and a three year plan a good idea.
- Be shameless and charming when seeking work.
- Stick at it for at least a year.
- Relish the freedom, risk the time and energy, and believe in what you do or stop.
- Eat in more often and save as many receipts as possible.
- Learn to say 'No' - politely of course, and in a way that leaves the door open should you wish it to be.
Case study: Pete Moser on the freelancer approach. Click here