AFM Local 400 in action - September 9, 2015

This is a piece that I had hoped to write last summer at the prompting of music director friend I was playing a show for. But summer turns into fall, and a string of shows followed that gave me pause. And now, with all of the financial turmoil that’s on the horizon, it seems that any effort for encouraging a pay raise is a futile one. Theater groups were on the edge after Covid, but now? I’m having my doubts as to my own ‘for-profit’ business model. My friend had originally wanted my input on what the going rate for pit players was. But in 2024, the ‘going rate’ wasn’t really a set standard. Further, the ‘going rate’, wherever you got it, wasn’t enough. Moreover, there’s an instrument out there that might help give perspective, but few know about it. So, for my music director friends out there, and the other folks who set rates for pit orchestras, let me make the case for equitable pay for pit orchestras.

My friend, let’s call her Bubbles, values my opinion and expertise since she knows my history in the field of music:

-Hartt School of Music Bachelor’s degree in classical guitar performance (’97);

-self-employed musician and owner of Highland Guitar Studio, a for-profit arts business;

-occasional American Federation of Musicians (AFM) member (Local 400),

-board member and secretary of Connecticut Guitar Society, a 501(c)3 non-profit presenting arts organization (2014-18)

-active freelance musical theater pit player.

During the course of my career, I’ve been that guy who was in the right place at the right time. My first union gig was the 30th anniversary revival of Man of La Mancha at Goodspeed Opera House (East Haddam CT). I knew flamenco guitar technique that the regular chair didn’t, AND the guy orchestrating the show was a housemate of mine at the time. So, I got the gig. A good paying, union gig. At that level, it seems a bit overwhelming to be the noob with all of the other seasoned pit players, NYC actors who have been imported to the bucolic countryside of central CT, other members from the facets of theater-making, costumers, electricians, carpenters, audio techs, light techs, stage managers, orchestrators, assistant music directors (!). But after a deep breath, you play, and then you know why you’re there. It’s to make an equation with a thousand variables end up with the same answer each night: a show that moves people. For some, it’s a life changing moment. For those in the show, it can be home, maybe the first home they’ve ever known.

But make no mistake, this is still a business. The light bill needs to be paid, taxes on the theater, retirement contributions for union members, 6-figure salaries for the executive bunch. Yet they make it work. A big part of that is the periodic negotiation between the unions and the theater. AFM fought hard to get the wages right, but also too, protocols as to the responsibilities of the musicians and presenters, to how rehearsals and shows run, overtime pay, playing conditions, and more. Organized labor has done wonders for working Americans, this is just that but at the theater.

After that landmark La Mancha gig, I paid dues hoping for more work to justify them. The reality is that there’s lots of players ahead of you with seniority. The regular guitarist at Goodspeed didn’t always play every show either. That pit only fits 8 players. The core being: percussion, 2 keys, 2 winds, 2 brass. This leaves the orchestrator a choice: frets (guitar, banjo, etc.), cello, or violin. I’ve been lucky to get a call because the regular players all took other gigs or tours. Doing a run of 12-14 weeks of 8 shows/week is a great gig but comes at a cost. Did all those years of dues make good business sense? My ‘inner Suze Orman’, that tough-talking, reality-wielding persona of good business decisions, told me this isn’t the path for you. AFM is welcoming and allows you to rejoin, play the gig, then resign in good standing. Thus, dues get paid, gigs get played, and everybody is happy. I’ve done this a few times, though it’s been a while now since the last one.

So fast forward to 2023, I’m playing everyone’s fave: Mamma Mia. As it happens, one of my pitmates is not only an instructor at this particular high school, but also an AFM member from way back. All of whom will regale you with stories about how ‘you could work 7 days a week back then’. We’re talking shop about playing shows, different gear we like, wondering why we’re still not getting the right cue, etc. As we start bemoaning the low wages, he responds that AFM-Local 400 has just released a new fee schedule. At first, I figured it would be just for the major venues that have contracts with AFM. After all, these are the venues that keep union members employed, and the dues flowing to AFM keeping it financially viable. But to my surprise, there was an entire secondary tier for ‘ Community theater (high schools, colleges & religious’) and a corresponding fee schedule. (See Wage Scales below).

For the uninitiated, the term doubling is when a player is required to play an additional instrument, or instruments, as indicated by their part. In a union contract, the player is paid an additional percentage of the base fee for doing so. Some productions have orchestra parts requiring more than one double, and a scale for those has been established as well (Wage scales, Appendix A). The scale in this schedule suggests that the player be paid an additional 25% for the first double; 15% for the second double; and 10% for each additional double, respectively. Thinking back to productions I’ve played at Goodspeed, the reed players always seemed to have at least 5 instruments under their arms. The wisdom in the additional monies goes towards instrument acquisition and maintenance, as well as having to schlep these daily. Imagine you’re one of them. You have to carry: a clarinet, flute, alto sax, and tenor sax. But that’s just for this gig. You might need to own: soprano sax, bari sax, English horn, oboe, recorder(s) and more, for future shows. As a guitarist, or more appropriately: a fretted instrumentalist, I’ve seen the compliment of instruments go from something simplistic as a Stratocaster guitar and tube amp for a show like Grease from1972, to most of the modern shows that are asking for 3 fretted instruments, and some up to 7.

10 popular shows, guitar doubles & rates.

At the major venues, those with an AFM-negotiated contract, paid doubles is the norm. In the Community Theater tier, it’s unheard of. Oh, the reed players are still bringing those instruments as their parts call for, but they’re not being properly compensated. Likewise, I try meet the demands of my part but have found technology to remedy some of those demands. I can play a guitar that ‘models’ the sound of some instruments like a 12-string guitar, a banjo, acoustic guitar, ‘jazz box’ and others. But it requires a specific guitar with it’s companion effects unit to make it possible. Additionally, the sounds it can’t make need to be supplied by those actual instruments, which need to be routed so they can be heard through my amplification system. As you might imagine, all of this sophisticated equipment is expensive and requires expertise to run, troubleshoot and maintain.

Keyboard players seem to suffer more in my opinion. They don’t get doubling in this fee schedule but face a steep buy-in to fulfill their obligations. Back in the Goodspeed pit, Keys 1 does most of the piano sounds, no big deal. But Keys 2 could be just about anything they can program that computer to sound like. It could be a telephone ring sound cue, siren, a fart (in the case of Shrek), or anything but a legit musical instrument. To do that though, the player needs a quality electronic keyboard AND a laptop computer. But not just any laptop but a Mac Book Pro. Most modern shows require Mainstage, a proprietary Apple application that ONLY runs on a Mac. It contains all of the sounds you’ll need for the show, and is arranged in order so you can toggle through sequentially. Other shows use something similar (RMS) that can run on a less expensive PC laptop, but if you only had this, you couldn’t play the shows requiring Mainstage. When playing the show Spongebob: The Musical, I’d joke that the keyboardist is like our hero, except she has to bring her own deep-fryer to her minimum wage job as a fry cook. Kidding aside, the combined cost (including peripherals) is about the same as a used, if not new, deep-fryer. Check my math.

Without the doubling, or the minimum per service fee, other union-negotiated items can be non-existent. Regular breaks, for example, aren’t a guarantee. Adequate space in the pit can be challenging. The theater might be a high school that isn’t equipped to stage a production and will lean even further on its pit players. Simple things that a theater company should have like stand lights, music stands, safe and proper electrical supply, can fall on the musicians. Ample rehearsal time is also thing of the past. A union gig might have 5-6 rehearsals with ONLY the musicians, no actors, no crew, or staging, etc. This is preparing to succeed by allowing the musicians to hear and perfect their part within the context of the whole. For a community theater production these days, there might be one pit rehearsal before tech week. Some college productions often don’t even have a pit rehearsal. Tech week is the few days before the show opens where lights, microphones, orchestra, blocking, props, dialogue are brought together for the first time. Lots of things to adjust here, and seasoned players are familiar with the process. This doesn’t make up for the fact that the duration can be 4-5 hours. The fee schedule will cap the duration and show a fee for overtime, if it’s being honored. But the reality is that there is generally no overtime, and some theater companies will even pay less than the regular show fee for a rehearsal. I’m not really sure of the thinking behind this. As a player, my skill set involves expertise during rehearsals that is different from a performance but no less valuable.

Another, particularly irksome, part of non-union shows is the all too common frequency of not paying the musicians at the conclusion of the show. On a union gig, it’s almost like a ‘real job’. Around 2012, I had the good fortune of playing another Goodspeed run. This time, they offered direct deposit! This might seem to be an over-amplified point, but not to musicians. Our business plan of the tributaries of revenue include private lesson instruction where people forget their checkbooks, miss the lesson when payment was due, etc. This is one of the good reasons why a bank won’t give a musician a mortgage. It’s because they can’t demonstrate reliable income. So when the theater company says: ‘we’re still getting the paperwork together’, a week after the show’s conclusion, I’m left wondering ‘did they have the money to begin with?’. Not to mention that the bill I needed to pay, now has a late fee attached to it. It’s hard to blame them though. Non-profits have to produce all on their own through fundraising, fees and donations. However, when it’s a municipality-funded high school, or CT state university production late on paying, it’s inexcusable. Performance rights need to be secured months in advance, rental materials need to be paid for, rehearsal facilities reserved, musicians retained. With this much forethought, how does the musicians’ compensation take weeks to disburse? On my side, I can’t fathom the answer to this question. But as someone who pays subcontractors for my other gigs, it’s unconscionable. If you’re on the production side, ask yourself the same question and see if you can do something about it.

At this point, if you’re on the production side, you’re probably doing the math and realizing that this fee schedule is a comparative ‘pipe dream’. But this is really the point of the discussion. The ‘going rate’ my friend Bubbles was inquiring about hasn’t risen in over 20 years. But in the past 10 years, my apartment rent has doubled, electric rates are higher than ever, and the repercussions of Covid has driven costs up for everyone. It was during this time that we started to recognize the value of the work people were doing, and wages increased. In the realm of theater, we recognize the value of each person intrinsically and accept them for who they are. This is the DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) that is under attack in our politics. The equity part remains unfulfilled for paid, pit musicians.

Another aspect of this collective, is the role unions play in our respective occupations. High school productions are almost always run by school faculty. Most, if not all of them, are union members. Unions have always supported other unions. When union members of the Hartford Symphony were facing a strike, other unions from different sectors showed up with their signs, chants and support. This is the solidarity that has, and will continue to create needed change. So my brothers and sisters, have a look at the Wage Scales and use it. Change won’t be easy, but it needs to happen.

The heavy-handed nature of Suze Orman’s counsel would suggest to theater companies, ‘you can’t afford it, put it back’. Perhaps doing a show that costs less to rent, has less production costs would be a start. While with the CT Guitar Society, we did more fundraising when we wanted a concert artist who charged more. We raised ticket prices, and were creative with obtaining grants, and finding different sources of revenue. The first step, though, is to recognize that musicians aren’t being paid what they’re worth, and aren’t being paid enough to live on. Just remember, these folks still have to pay taxes on the meager fees they earn. So take 15-20% off of that per service fee. Does this still seem like a reasonable wage for a highly-trained person, possessing a skill-set acquired through years of education and experience, and brings all of their own specialized equipment? It should go without saying that most companies schedule rehearsals after the regular work day. This also coincides with the time in which most private lessons these musicians would normally be teaching. Maybe those lessons can be rescheduled, but that isn’t always the case. My ‘inner-Suze’ has convinced me that I can’t take a show that doesn’t at least cover the wages lost to attending rehearsals and shows. That’s a shame. There’s something about being a part of the leviathan that is a show and having it ALL come together. But when margins are this tight, something has to give.

In the decades that I’ve been in this business, I’ve met people from all walks of life. In my town of Manchester, we’ve got a great theater company in The Little Theater of Manchester. Great productions, full houses, and a non-profit that pays their musicians, without fail, at the end of the run. Still, their regular rate of $75 is below fair compensation. From what I’ve been told by folks interested in seeing my career as an art professional thrive, the word on the street is that: as long as they can get players for the amount their paying, the rates won’t go up. It’s analogous to the inflation that we’ve all experienced and learned so much about. The cure for high prices is high prices. That is, consumers stop buying because they consider the price too high for the value received. In this case, the inverse dares to be proven: how low can pay go before the players stop playing? Some of the regulars, (and make no mistake, we all know each other and look forward to who is on the gig, and getting to make magic with them yet again), are retired. They did well and have their needs met. These folks, as much as I love them, help enforce low rates. Or, maybe it’s the younger, less experienced college student, or recent graduate trying to make their way into the scene. If they’re still having their parents meet their needs (eligible until age 26), they’ll take that gig that pays $50/service, or $40, or even less! In a reality where musicians’ union contracts are the norm, these players might be seen as scabs taking good paying jobs for lower than market rates. So to my colleagues I’d say this: when you take the low paying gig, no matter your altruistic intentions, taking the low paying gig has a negative impact on all of us. First, you’re not being fairly compensated for your talent, experience and expertise. Further, it reinforces the notion stated above that there isn’t a perceived need to raise rates because of player availability.

There’s no question, we are in a totally different time. Consumer confidence is plunging. Tariffs in global markets will likely spur on inflation again. Economic pressure felt by arts organizations and artists during Covid wiped out some businesses and led others to leave the profession. Funds that were made available during that time through grants are now spent. Last year, I had several show runs booked through the Spring. This year, I’ve only had the opportunity to turn down two shows that didn’t appease my ‘inner-Suze’. Another one of the groups I played with last year, didn’t hire an orchestra and instead went with ‘tracks’. A friend who played that gig last year, at least got hired back as the music director to start, stop and rubato the tracks from the computer. So while the playback has options to make it sound like a live orchestra, it’s not. It’s only less expensive. Artistically, it won’t be as good. Educationally, students miss out on the opportunity to perform and learn from professionals. It begs the question: how much less can you make do with, and still call it theater?

So, Bubbles, in my usual long-winded way of sharing my point-of-view, here’s where we are with the ‘going rate’. It’s all over the place. Some shows might get close to what a union gig pays, but most don’t. The union, with their expertise, has done the service of calculating a fee schedule that takes into account lower revenues the non-profits and schools receive, and the skills and equipment of the players who play for their livelihoods. And I applaud them for doing so, as presenters don’t have to listen to musicians like me who carp about not making enough. We all know this to be the case, but where would you start? These Wage Scales seem to be an independent, vetted, negotiated starting point. But you wouldn’t have known about it if you didn’t find your way here for me to tell you about it. I’ve reached out to Local 400 about posting it on their website (https://afmlocal400.org/ ). As of this writing, they haven’t. But they answer emails, and sent me another copy which I’ve posted here. About the same time that I was with the CT Guitar Society, I had joined Local 400 for a gig. One main difference between these two arts organizations is that Local 400 does no recruiting. They’ve created a tier for gigs they’ll never see any dues revenue from, sponsored by dues paid by musicians and presenters. And the presenters in this tier, Community Theater (high school, college, religious), have no idea that such a fee schedule, or AFM for that matter, even exists. There isn’t outreach that allows one to inform the other.

So now what? I honestly don’t know. I know I can’t do as many shows per year as I’ve done. Last year, I played 12 different productions. This year? It’s mid-April and I have no theater on the books. The climate already appears to be shifting as presenters are cutting back on their costs: using pre-recorded tracks, doing shows with smaller orchestras, doing older shows that are less modern but cheaper to rent, cutting players out of the pit, or combining books intended for two players into a composite book only one player plays. Each diminution measure has it’s cost making the show less than intended. When do the cuts go too deep?

I’ve spent my adult working life fulfilling a dream as a working musician. I knew that I’d never make a ton of money, but that’s not the reward with this job, just the perceived one. The reward is to explore the craft of music, and have the power to move people without a word. But I also subscribe to the power of math and economics. The reality now is that we’re all in a bind. I can look for different kinds of performing opportunities, teach more and gig less when they’re in conflict. But I sure will miss playing shows though, and will have to learn to live with less magic in my life.

The Case for Equitable Pay for Pit Orchestras

for Tom