{"id":54942,"date":"2018-08-09T11:32:40","date_gmt":"2018-08-09T15:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=54942"},"modified":"2018-09-04T13:39:10","modified_gmt":"2018-09-04T17:39:10","slug":"feature-how-much-does-it-really-cost-to-be-a-classical-musician","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2018\/08\/09\/feature-how-much-does-it-really-cost-to-be-a-classical-musician\/","title":{"rendered":"FEATURE | How Much Does It REALLY Cost To Be A Classical Musician?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Three
Three professional classical musicians walk us through how much money it takes to make it in this business.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

S<\/span>o, you want to be a classical musician. The fun, the glamour \u2014 and the big bucks, right? What\u2019s not to like?<\/p>\n

From the start, those big bucks can be elusive. How much you can make as a classical musician varies wildly. According to the American Federation of Musicians or AFM, Toronto branch, hourly rates for orchestral musicians start at $106 for the leader and $53 per hour for what they call side players, with a three-hour minimum. That\u2019s scale for a freelance gig. As a member of the Canadian Federation of Musicians in Newfoundland, chamber musicians earn a minimum of $150 for up to two hours, with an additional $35 for each additional hour, and rehearsals paid at $40 an hour. If you work on a film produced by the National Film Board, you\u2019ll be paid a minimum of $317.80 for three hours.<\/p>\n

The question becomes, how many such gigs would you get as your average oboist with a B. Mus? The hard figures are sobering. According to Statistics Canada, using 2011 data (the last year for which detailed figures are available,) musicians and singers made an average of $10,402 a year from employment, and $16,061 from gross wages and salaries. StatsCan defines employment as including both salaried jobs and income from professional practice, and it should be noted the figures include everyone in the country who declared income as a musician or vocalist.<\/p>\n

The amount you can make with a regular gig playing with an orchestra depends on the nature of the position, your level of experience, and the orchestra itself as an organization. Some positions include a regular wage with paid vacation, fees for the Musician\u2019s Pension Fund of Canada, group insurance, and other benefits, while others pay a simple hourly fee.\u00a0 A perusal of current want ads gives a glimpse at those rates.<\/p>\n

The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, for instance, is looking for a principal oboe for $205.08 + 10.5% (for union fees,) with a season from September to May. The Orchestre symphonique de Montr\u00e9al is looking for two section violins for a 31 week season paid at $1101.29 per week. Annual incomes for players at Tafelmusik range between $46,000 and $51,000. The principal bass trombone gig with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra will get you just under $50,000 as a minimum for a 38 week season. As principal viola with the Kingston Symphony, you\u2019ll earn $12,000 for 65 performances. Remember \u2014 you need to pass the audition first.<\/p>\n

Once you reach the point in your career where you are regularly playing for larger orchestras like the TSO as a soloist, you can typically count on more substantial fees. According to Orchestras Canada, overall, the orchestras in Toronto spent a combined $12,109,306 on the orchestra\u2019s regular players, and another $3,866,165 went to fees for the conductors and soloists. A soloist with an international reputation can command fees of $50,000 or more per performance.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the good part. Now, how much does it cost to be a musician? The fees start before you ever hit the stage. Not to besmirch other musical genres, but it\u2019s not like a few violinists can get together in somebody\u2019s garage and start performing Bach at bars on the weekend after a few practices. Classical training is itself a significant expense.<\/p>\n

\"Kathleen
Kathleen Kajioka<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kathleen Kajioka is an accomplished violinist and violist with a long list of performance credits, including with Tafelmusik, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the COC, Opera Atelier, and Pacific Baroque, along with a gig as guest concertmaster of the Reykjav\u00edk Chamber Orchestra and the Sk\u00e1lholt Bach Consort in Iceland. She\u2019s also a radio DJ, hosting A Little Night Music, Dinner Classics. Sunday Night at the TSO, and By Request on 96.3FM.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like Olympic training,\u201d she emphasizes. \u201cIt\u2019s rigorous. You\u2019re learning an elite sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

After studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Banff Centre for the Arts, she attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. \u201cI had a full tuition scholarship,\u201d recalls Kathleen, \u201cbut I had to pay living expenses.\u201d Going to school in Rochester, that amounted to about $14,000USD per year. Along with the basics, there\u2019s pressure to go to the best schools available, which again pushes the costs upwards. \u201cThe sky\u2019s the limit.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a point of reference, fees for the performance diplomas and the graduate program at the University of Toronto School of Music run over $11,000 annually. Lessons at the RCM start at $1,050 per term for toddlers, up to over $4,500 per term at advanced levels. Growing up in a supportive household is often crucial. Kathleen studied piano and then violin from an early age. For an instrumentalist, there comes a push to join a good youth orchestra for the experience and training.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve reached the point of being performance ready, the kinds of expenses and logistical challenges you\u2019ll meet depend on the kind of career you end up with. As Kathleen pursued her studies, certain musical avenues opened up. \u201cI was a straight viola player,\u201d she says, \u201cthen I got into early music.\u201d It ignited a passion, but performing it proved costly. Along with her regular instruments, Kathleen owns a 17th-century violin. \u201cIt needed special set up,\u201d she recalls, along with special maintenance to the tune of thousands of dollars. Keeping it in the right environment can also add to the expense. \u201cIn a drier climate, like Alberta, it\u2019s a nightmare,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Travelling with valuable instruments can be stressful, but for violins and violas, luckily, there have been recent improvements. \u201cAirlines are getting better,\u201d she says.\u00a0 Nowadays, smaller string instruments can usually go in the overhead bins. \u201cIf I were a cellist, it would drive me crazy,\u201d she admits.<\/p>\n

Along with maintenance, period instruments require special bows, and genuine gut strings, which cost more, and don\u2019t last as long as the modern versions. And naturally, there is special insurance for instruments that are hundreds of years old.<\/p>\n

Kathleen supplements her performing career with a broadcasting role hosting on 96.3 The New Classical FM. \u201cI got into it by accident,\u201d she says. After starting out with one show, once a week, it\u2019s grown into a steady gig. \u201cIt has grown into a bigger part of my life. It\u2019s a perfect fit for me. This is part of my career too \u2013 communicating music and making it accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mark
Mark Steven Doss (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone Mark Steven Doss has a busy career that has seen him perform with orchestras all over North America, including San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Toronto, as well as internationally at the great opera companies of the world, such as Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Vienna State Opera, and London\u2019s Covent Garden. He’s taken on 95 roles with more than 60 companies. He\u2019s based both in Toronto and Erie, Pennsylvania, but doesn\u2019t spend as much time in either home as he\u2019d like.<\/p>\n

Doss says he travels between about 140 and 250 days out of the year, with the average being about 200. In the next nine months or so, he\u2019ll be in Spain, Dallas, Paris, and then back to Dallas. In other words, travel expenses form a significant chunk of his budget.\u00a0 \u201cMy ideal is to stay under a month,\u201d he says. \u201cI know I won\u2019t be terribly homesick.\u201d Most productions involve rehearsal time, but not necessarily extra compensation. \u201cRehearsal fees have tended to disappear,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n

Travel and housing for the duration of rehearsals and performances are also expenses picked up by the artist. Everything now depends on a single performance fee, in other words. \u201cThey now pay very late,\u201d he notes dryly. \u201cNow you\u2019re back at home paying the interest on your credit cards.\u201d He reports that some companies pay months after the fact, making budgeting a crucial part of a successful career.<\/p>\n

An experienced artist with a reputation can ask for some of the fee upfront to help defray costs, but younger artists just starting out in their careers will be at a disadvantage. Doss calls for collective action to help remedy the situation. (Opera singers are not represented by the musician\u2019s union.)<\/p>\n

When it comes to housing, Airbnb and similar services are a godsend. \u201cYou have to start researching,\u201d he says, but also notes that the fees are paid in advance rather than after the fact. Some larger opera companies have standing arrangements with nearby hotels, and may even pay the hotel directly \u2014 taken out of the performance fee, of course.<\/p>\n

Doss notes that in his experience, many opera companies in North America will reimburse you for travel within a city, from your hotel to the venue, but that it is extremely rare in Europe. On a recent trip to Wales, he had to rent a car, and then pay extra when he got a flat tire.<\/p>\n

Life on the road can turn into something of a nightmare when illness strikes. Doss recalls performing in Spain recently while feeling unwell. \u201cPossibly because you\u2019re in fatigue mode,\u201d he says. \u201cYou go into 911 mode.\u201d He spent his spare time rushing around a strange city trying to source organic food and medicines to feel better. \u201cIt\u2019s your body \u2013 you have to keep it in prime shape.\u201d Air travel is notorious for drying out the throat, another bane to singers, who have to compensate by purchasing lubricating sprays to counteract the effect.<\/p>\n

Out of pocket expenses begin long before he\u2019s even in rehearsals. Once he\u2019s landed a part, the first step is prepping for the role. In the past, that routinely meant paying $60 to $100 per hour (for a five hour day) for a coach who would lead him through the piece. Nowadays, he\u2019s found technological solutions that allow him to record his progress. \u201cI\u2019m constantly monitoring myself,\u201d he says. Software apps like PocketCoach can perform the same functions for an experienced artist like Mark Steven. Skype auditions are also now an option, saving on some travel expenses.<\/p>\n

He also uses technology to train in different languages so that his pronunciation is impeccable in performance. For a brand new role, he may work with a vocal coach, a diction coach, and a dramatic coach. \u201cDo I have the resources to do that?\u201d he asks. \u201cNot always.\u201d<\/p>\n

Immersive language lessons in the country of origin can cost $800 per day or more. \u201cEarly in your career, you might have money from grants or competitions to spend,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s a long term expense.\u201d<\/p>\n

But is it worthwhile? Absolutely. \u201cThe audience is paying for tickets. They should get the best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nowadays, his performance schedule keeps him busy, but Mark Steven previously taught full-time at Michigan State University for one year, then another two years part-time. The constant travel and dual demands on his time were stressful. \u201cI found I was being stretched really thin,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Still, the combination of teaching at the college or university level and professional performance is common. Doss recalls a recent performance where one of the other singers had brought students along for the ride, and then flew back and forth between Milan and Chicago every week to fulfill her teaching commitments.<\/p>\n

Doss does hold master classes occasionally, but they most often involve travel too. \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of money to be had,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s more about connecting.\u201d He\u2019s thankful a Canadian born wife keeps his medical expenses covered. Naturally, books and scores are also a big expense. \u201cI\u2019m always underestimating that,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Add to that the services of a publicist and manager, and you have to hope those performance fees are nothing short of astronomical. Fees for publicists start at about $1,000 a month for full service, which includes media relations and hopefully placement in a published review or profile, among other things. Their services may be contracted for a specific event like a concert or album release, for a season, or on an ongoing basis. A manager books gigs and generally guides your career, typically for 15 to 25 percent of what you earn from performances, albums sales, and other deals they have been involved in. Other professionals like accountants, intellectual property and entertainment lawyers, and others may also come into the picture. The more successful you are, and the higher the fees you command, your expenses rise accordingly.<\/p>\n

As a performing classical musician, you also need the right wardrobe. Gowns can run between hundreds for off the rack to thousands for a bespoke design, with a good suit and tux in the same ballpark.<\/p>\n

\"Terry
Terry Lim (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Terry Lim is a flutist, a working musician who\u2019s managed to carve out a living without usually travelling outside Ontario. Teaching is a mainstay, and Terry has students throughout the GTA and into Aurora. To fill in any gaps, Terry does arts promotion and PR for individual artists and groups. Sometimes that involves promoting a single concert, or a whole season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can only do part-time,\u201d Terry says of his performing career. The other work keeps him in the field, while helping to support his own work as an artist. Still, even finding non-performing work in the arts can prove a challenge. \u201cA lot of arts admin jobs, they don\u2019t pay so well,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n

Terry performs regularly with Charm of Finches, a flute quintet, and the Thin Edge New Music Collective in and around Toronto. Terry also subs in with orchestras all over Ontario, along with playing chamber music gigs, with occasional forays into other genres. \u201cLast year, I did a TV commercial for a contact lens,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Instrument repairs to his four flutes rack up a big chunk of his expenses. \u201cEvery year I spend about $1,200 to $1,400 in repairs on the flute and piccolo only.\u201d Add to that, the unplanned nature of the expense. \u201cIt\u2019s usually unexpected,\u201d he notes ruefully. Instrument insurance is another big-ticket item.<\/p>\n

The cyclical nature of the performing season poses its own set of challenges. The concert season runs from autumn to spring, leaving summer as the slow season. That\u2019s when Terry typically takes on more administrative and PR work. Conventions and conferences are necessary, and sometimes costly too. \u201cEven if you don\u2019t make money, it\u2019s networking,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

In addition to the cost of commuting to all his students, Terry performs all over the province. Travelling means making decisions about the best use of time. \u201cTouring means I lose money, because I don\u2019t teach,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s my dog \u2013 I have to find a sitter. Last year, I did a Canadian tour, and I lost more money than I made,\u201d he laughs. In most cases, he says he can manage to come out even.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all part of the musician\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

[Correction. September 4, 2018. A previous version incorrectly stated Mark Steven Doss is from\u00a0Pennsylvania when he is from Cleveland, Ohio.]<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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