Artists, say NonNeinNEE to ridiculous questions!

Why a fun house festival still haunts my mind weeks after the fact. Let me tell you:

OuiJaYes I felt like it. Fancy space. Freedom. So it made perfect sense that I went to Jazz in the Chamber Leiden went. I could choose from several routes with groups and musicians like Artvark, Jeroen van Vliet, Ruben Hein, Ntjam Rosie. I chose series V (Zapp4, Joris Roelofs & Karel Boehlee, Evensanne).

Zapp4 I have been following for years. The ensemble can usually charm me. That Wednesday night slightly less so. Of course, they couldn't help the fact that I was looking forward to jazz and improv. (Read: little to no pre-arranged musical arrangements. Instruments tuned, ears open and let's play). It turned out that very night a real premiere was taking place: Nirvana had gone through the Zapp4 filter. As they had already done with Radiohead.

Too bad, here speaks a Nirvana fan, but I missed the jazz and improv factor. Just that night. Comes perhaps when the repertoire really starts to sit down and improvise. My lust for listening was stimulated - and satisfied - by the only own work of the evening by Oene van Geel. There I heard my longed-for freedom. I would have liked to hear a mini-concert of that.

Own work did sound (except for one song) at the last concert of Even Sanne. Guitarist Eran Har Even plays inventively and creatively with colour, rhythm and melody. Takes his inspiration from many worlds and adds generously of his own. Vocalist Sanne Huijbrechts' voice is fine. Can do many things. Sweet, rarefied, clear, girlish and sweet . Likes the audience. I slightly less so.

I was curious about the space in her voice. More contrast. The ragged edges of that throat. Raw, coarse , black and pain are surely on Sanne's mind too. Maybe she'll show those sides during full concerts. I'll keep following them. Am curious about that darker side. I needed that. The expression of pain and frayed edges. Especially that night.

Pain and frayed edges

Because no matter how fun, fantastic and inspiring such a festival can be for audiences. How does the organisation do it? Such a low entrance fee? Fifteen euros I paid for three concerts. Concerts with fantastic musicians. Musicians who sometimes won awards like Oene van Geel, Jeroen van Vliet and Anton Goudsmit (all Boy Edgar award winners).

As an expert by experience (musician & creative entrepreneur), I know it can't actually be done. So cheap. And that someone, somewhere, is 'paying' for that low admission price. The only question is: by whom?

There were volunteers: guides who led audiences from place to place and hosts who had volunteered their living rooms. Volunteers with a heart for music (and for the organisation or the city) and most likely with a paid job.

There was sponsorship. Sponsorship money and subsidies often go on the organisation alone. Material things like rent for the premises, telephone costs, insurance, PR (and wages for the organisers) are paid from all sorts of pots.

So I'm afraid my cheap ticket ended up being paid for by the musicians. Musicians who, thanks to the overflowing ponds of willing pro and amateur musicians, come to play for ridiculously low fees. Because say it yourself, what (lauded) highly skilled freelance pro shows up for around €200-€250 for a minimum of 7 hours of work (not counting rehearsals, studying, acquisition, insurance, rent and so on). And that is currently well paid.

Experience expert

As an experiencer, I felt stuffy and negative that night. Niksnie freedom! I saw those living room walls closing in on me. I saw (benevolent but ignorant) audiences enjoying themselves in living rooms of (future) big spenders. I was in a Leiden corps ballroom with porn on the john, a living room with art, music and antiques and a catering establishment with slightly overpriced wine.

I watched my concert past where catering often cost more than my fee. Clubs where a distinction was made between sandwiches for the musicians (tacky, white, cheap) and sandwiches for the audience (plenty of choice and good). Organisations expecting a bag of money from you so that you can practice your profession (really happens). Like the baker saying: 'I have been chosen as the best baker. Here you have €3.50. Hungry for my bread?'

In my mind, I saw and heard stories of freelancing colleagues who cannot (or dare not) say NonNeinNo to ridiculous concert requests where you are expected to still chat with audiences before and after (unpaid) because 'it's so nice for listeners'.

In short. This evening suddenly symbolised that which is currently going on in arts & culture land: fantastic festivals, events and hotspots with creatives where audiences are welcome (for free or almost nothing), allowed to feast on often bad and expensive festival food, and where creators are paid little or nothing.

Below minimum

At the moment, I am diligently looking for ways to make the world aware of the financial situation of many musicians, creatives and artists. Because I have long realised that the public who are in the front row for a dime on these kinds of projects often really don't know about their beloved (often below minimum earning) musicians who sometimes have a thousand jobs during the day.

So I want openness. That is currently the job of musicians and creatives themselves. Someone has to do it. Know what peers (highly skilled, freelance) in other worlds charge per hour. Refer to that with clients. Give insight into what you do for the running of your band, ensemble or orchestra besides making music yourself. If I am with a client, the first appointment is an investment on my part. With more appointments, should the assignment not go ahead, I submit a meeting invoice. I get good responses. Gosh, I never thought you wouldn't get paid for this' was the first and confirmed my approach.
And say NonNeinNEE to ridiculous questions.

Skimming and eavesdropping, in other words. This is how I email the column by Ionica Smeets is often included in tenders. Sustainable, eco and fair trade are now well-known concepts that (part of) the world is quite willing to pay for so that the makers are at least paid normally. I recently read something about the ten commandments of better eating.

As mentioned, a quest for disclosure. Tips and suggestions are welcome. So that in the future everyone can make music truly frank and free and there can be (h)honest listening.
A suivre!