Work With Me

If you’re an organization or venue working on a small budget who gets excited at the thought of staging a classical music event but can’t afford to hire professional players, I have some good news for you…

I don’t ask you to pay me a fixed fee.

Here’s how it works:

1. You decide whether my style of delivery is what you’re looking for to meet your needs
2. You invite me to use your venue to perform suitable repertoire
3. We come to a mutually acceptable agreement on a % split of ticket sales and that’s how you meet your costs and I earn my living as a classical clarinetist

Rather than you taking all the risk, we both shoulder the responsibility of the gig being a success. It’s a win-win situation all round.

What’s In It for You

• The only upfront costs that you have to worry about are a $100 deposit and a cheap return flight if applicable.
• Free access to my business expertise and specialist contacts worldwide in the areas of marketing, social media and audience development.
• The highest standards of classical music performance and delivery tailor made to suit you and your target audience

Am I a Good Match?

Availability

I’ve deliberately chosen a “location independent” lifestyle which means I’m available to travel freely worldwide as engagements dictate without the restriction of being tied to any particular country.

Provided I have your proposed date free with a minimum of 6 weeks prior to performance date once contracts have been drawn up and signed, we can start working together on getting your show on the road.

Venue Types

I’m particularly interested in performing at unusual and non-traditional classical music venues e.g., municipal sports centers, shopping malls, night clubs (although obviously not at the same time as when a DJ is in residence!), “sound and light” shows at historical sites, etc.

It doesn’t matter to me whether you’re looking to fill a church hall or a space the size of the Cincinnati Opera House but I do ask that you can seat a minimum audience of 100.

As you would expect, I can turn my embouchure, tone and technique to suit to the majority of musical styles encompassing the entire history of the clarinet although I confess to having a special bias towards the French and British composers, Mozart, Weber and Brahms.

However, please note that my skill set does not include jazz or Klezmer styles and I’m not a great fan of serial composition.

The repertoire for each event is unique, following discussion between me and the organizer.

Ticket Prices

It’s important to me that ticket prices for events are kept at a level that will ensure easy accessibility for all who wish to attend.

The majority of people seem to be prepared to spend $10/€10/£10 for a night out but depending on your venue costs, I’ll help you to work out what you need to charge not only to cover your expenses but also make a profit.

My Expenses

Most initial conversations can be had using Skype and email although this does depend on the business practice in any particular country.

For final rehearsals and performance, I do ask any flight costs are paid to me “up front” when the contract is exchanged and this is reflected in the agreed split on ticket sales.

So far as accommodation is concerned, I’m far happier staying with you or somebody you know well – a fellow musician or classical music aficionado in your area perhaps – than being stuck in an anonymous hotel!

My Style of Classical Music Delivery

I can be whatever you want me to be although having burned my penguin suit back in 2008, I’d struggle to find any ball gowns lurking at the back of my closet these days!

Informal ethnic clothing is my preference.

I like to chat between pieces but don’t expect a dry academic lecture! I aim to help audiences relate the music to what’s going on in their own lives – to understand the present day relevance of a work which may have been written hundreds of years ago.

Sounds Intriguing? What To Do Now…

Let’s talk.

Drop me an email outlining what sort of event you have in mind and we can start a conversation.

If you’d like some examples of my playing, let me know and I’ll send you links to the most appropriate material.

My email address is on the Contact page.

Free Up More of Your Time for the Things That Really Matter

Busy musicians, especially freelancers, often find they are constantly racing against the clock, juggling gigs, family commitments, practice, rehearsals and maintaining a credible Internet presence.

If you are struggling to maintain your own blog or need an editor for your upcoming ebook, I’m happy to help whether it’s on a regular, ad-hoc or one-off basis.

Writing or Editing Packages

Individual Blog Post (per 500 words)

$30

Series of Four Blog Posts (per 500 words)

$100

(Marion) has offered valuable advice and professional support in my efforts as an independent musician seeking to establish a presence on-line. She has also become a trusted colleague in the music world.

I hired Marion to copy-write several articles for me. She uses effective and approachable language in reworking my ideas, which are quite abstract and difficult to communicate.

Her ability to understand and translate my ideas into a more accessible format has made her indispensable to me”

David Thomas – Principal Clarinet Columbus Symphony Orchestra and author of The Buzzing Reed October 2010

EBook (per 500 words)

$25

“Marion edited my book “Advanced Contemporary Clarinet Techniques: A Guide to Mastery in 4 Key Areas”. She did an amazing job from start to finish.

Not only did Marion enhance the language and style of the text, she created a cohesive structure throughout. As a professional musician I highly recommend her to anyone with a musical text they want to publish”

Adam Berkowitz - Teacher, Performer, Educator at Hartt School of Music Community Division, CT January 2011

You can see more examples of my work here:

• Freelance Switch
• Zero 2 Maestro

Get Started

Send me an email with the following information…

• Name
• Primary contact email
• A few paragraphs outlining what you have in mind and which package you think would best suit you

Treat Your Music Career as a Business

One of the most common questions freelance classical musicians have is this: how can I minimize the amount of tax that I pay and make sure I’m financially prepared for any negative event in the future?

That’s a great question but one that can’t easily be answered by an ebook – although reading such a volume could help get you started – since it requires in-depth knowledge of your own individual circumstances together with an excellent grasp of tax and financial affairs which seem to change on an almost weekly basis these days!

The problem is that consulting with a practicing professional tax lawyer or financial planner can be expensive either in fees or commissions – I know of people who have been quoted £250 per hour (about $400) for this sort of advice and I know that you, like me, probably can’t afford that sort of money.

I believe that for a comparatively affordable sum you should be able to avoid making any expensive or time costly mistakes which is one of the reasons I’ve decided to come out of the closet.

I confess that I spent the 8 years prior to 2008 as a licensed financial planner and I’m still riveted by anything tax or financial – especially in the midst of today’s economic chaos.

It seemed a pity to waste that knowledge and experience so unbeknown to most people, over on Location Independent, I’ve been quietly dealing with Personal Consults and Full Reviews since February 2010. The income has helped support my music career.

For any help to be to be truly valuable, it must be up-to-date, global and tailored to your personal circumstances. That’s exactly what you’ll get with Financial Planning for Musicians.

This is ideal if you’d like an affordable option to discuss your personal circumstances with somebody who really knows what they’re talking about and can point you in the right direction.

It’s a great place to start if you’re not sure whether your individual circumstances and available options warrant a more in-depth review or greater expertise.

Here’s what to expect:

#1.   An initial questionnaire for you to share your personal circumstances which I’ll then analyse

#2.   A 60-90 minute phone/skype consult to discuss your options with a set of my written working notes

Your Investment: $235, payable in advance.

“Indispensible, unrivalled advice…Marion does a great job of breaking down complex concepts and regulations into practical explanations and no nonsense advice (that is) simple, structured and targeted to your unique circumstances.

I lost over a year…looking for (someone) who would not cost the earth yet offered sound professional advice. Spare yourself the pain…”

Mar Higuera

Get Started

Send me an email me with the following information:

• Your name
• Your primary email address
• A couple of paragraphs outlining your current situation and anything specific that you’d particularly like me to solve.

THE VERY IMPORTANT SMALL PRINT

The information that I offer is for guidance and orientation only and is not intended to replace the licensed and regulated advice you will find on offer in individual countries.

Whilst every effort is taken to ensure that facts are correct at the time each case is processed, do remember that tax laws and individual plans/circumstances have a tendency to change very rapidly (on the whim of a government or the client!) and as such, no liability can be accepted for actions that you take as a result of following any of the suggestions made.

There is a good reason for this: with the aim of keeping the cost of these services as low as possible, I am not able to execute any suggestions that I give . That said, I do hold a worldwide list of very reasonably priced and personally recommended professionals at your disposal who do provide such services.

If you’re working on a tight budget, as most musicians, you might well find that a cost effective alternative to an a tax lawyer or financial planner – especially if you travel a lot –  is for you to take advantage of Financial Planning for Musicians and then engage the services of a trusted member of my network to action your plan.

If you’d like to take control of your own musical career and create your own sustainable income streams by using your musical talent in unconventional ways, that’s where Lea Woodward and I come in.

We created this site to help classical musicians who are struggling with decreasing audiences and a lack of mainstream jobs to create a more sustainable career path using a range of unconventional strategies and approaches.

We don’t believe in sitting back and watching while culture and arts are eroded within society – We argue that both they and us have a vital role to play…and none more so than classical music and its musicians.

To appeal to and continue to attract audiences, we have to move with the times and start playing our own game, following our own paths and attracting our own niche audiences.

It’s a brave new world for creative and talented musicians but you don’t have to face it alone. We’re here to provide support, motivation and inspiration. Would you like to join us?

If you want to get started straight away, head over to Zero 2 Maestro and have a browse through the latest mini guides and articles.