Friday, October 24, 2008

10 Posts in 10 Hours #9: Freelancing Resources

How the economy is changing these days...here are some links to help you stay abreast and benefit from the shifting landscape:

-Cinncinnati-based pianist and teacher Joshua Nemith continues his series on how to retool your musical skill set with Freelancing in the "New" Economy series Part 2.  This time around, Joshua looks at getting a church job, pursuing a sessional faculty position, learning other keyboard instruments and musical styles, as well as the ever-present possibility of changing careers.  As an aside to Joshua's last point, I know an awful lot of musicians who have in the last year gone on to Teacher's College in order to pursue teaching at either elementary or secondary schools.  With K-12 positions (at least in Canada) offering better pay, benefits, job security, and satisfaction than most college positions, who can blame them?
-Worried about freelancing in a changing economic climate?  Why not simply become a better freelancer? Freelance Switch has a huge list of 50+ Ways to Improve Your Productivity as a Freelancer.  From having a clear set of objectives to cutting down distractions and utilizing better tools, there's something in Steven Snell's list for everyone.
-For a look at how arts organizations are navigating economic change, take a look at Chamber Music Today's Performing Arts, Free-Market Failure, and New Institutional Economics:
Should we change our ticket prices or booking fees this year? How much discounting or comping should we do to get more attendee butts in seats and, if we do more than we’ve done in the past, will that help or hurt sales of regular tickets or subscriptions? If our ensemble does pro bono or deeply-discounted performances in some cities, will that help or hurt our bookings for bigger-margin gigs elsewhere?
How have your freelancing experiences changed in the last few months, if at all?

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