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Church Singer for a Wedding Waterford/Kilkenny area
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So if I hire you in your home town and my friend hires you at the other end of the country do we both pay the same? I'd feel that I was getting ripped off if this was the case.
Like I say, fair play to you for charging what you can. A lot of people don't do this kind of work as their only job. If someone was earning a decent wage for their normal joba nd charging €200 for this service, I think they're extracting the urine quite frankly.
Ok... What do you think we should charge?
I think you just dont understand a performer will study and train for the stage for years, months and days. When the show is on its only on for an hour or maybe two and thats when a performer gets paid for his or her hard work. Thats how show business works.0 -
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Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 24,056 Mod ✭✭✭✭
Join Date:Posts: 21860
Yeah but there's some difference in the hourly rate there, don't you think? And I never said that djs' rates are excellent either, did I?
I thought this €200 fee was not per hour? Its for all the music they do. DJs have a set rate I always thought, and not an hourly rate? One could argue a wedding singer does more training and work than a DJ would, yet you seemed to suggest that money was fine to give to a DJ? Or have I misunderstood? SorryI know all about the study required to be a musician. I studied music for 6 years, as did my two brothers. My younger brother is about to start his third year of a music degree.
There is more to most jobs than a piece of paper you get from a college/university/music school. Also depends on the type of music. Iv only come to see the costs signers actually have so its why I understand it a bit more.Having spent a certain amount of money in order to achieve something does not set the hourly rate for a job. And wedding singing is not a short career at all. I don't know how you'd even begin to think that? Most people who are in that line of work will start to do it in their late teens/early twenties and can easily keep it up into their forties. There are numerous people who, over the years, were still singing well into their later years.
IT companies with much more experience and qualifications charge more than the random joe soap doing IT repairs. Their hourly rate is different depending on their studies. Likewise in web and graphic design - you pay the more experienced companies more (same can be said for printing but that's balanced out in the past few years).
Some areas of the music industry is and can be short lived. A popular local signer is a bit different than someone on a more national scale.Nobody forces you to choose this as a career. You can't set a high rate just because that's your only income. But, in this case, you can because people in Ireland will pay inflated prices for anything to do with a wedding.
Who said about forcing? If you like it, you go for it. If your ****e, you generally don't get very far or end up doing budget gigs and are not highly regarded.
Why do you think businesses are closing down? Because they cant drop prices below a certain amount as its not enough to make a living. Therefore businesses and service providers set a rate which they feel matches the quality of service they can provide and that meets their costs and is enough to actually make a living from.
Where is Adam, he can explain this a bit better as a business student/graduate!0 -
I thought this €200 fee was not per hour? Its for all the music they do. DJs have a set rate I always thought, and not an hourly rate? One could argue a wedding singer does more training and work than a DJ would, yet you seemed to suggest that money was fine to give to a DJ? Or have I misunderstood? Sorry
A church service rarely lasts much longer than an hour. The singer is there for that long, even if not performing all the time, so it roughly translates to an hourly rate.There is more to most jobs than a piece of paper you get from a college/university/music school. Also depends on the type of music. Iv only come to see the costs signers actually have so its why I understand it a bit more.
As someone who is no stranger to the world of work, I well know that the piece of paper is mostly irrelevant. It was Joseph and yourself who seemed to suggest that the study required was some justification. The type of music is actually exactly what we're talking about - vocals. My older brother had some vocal training to add to a lot of natural talent and my younger brother is majoring in vocal performance.
As for the last sentence there, I really don't understand it.IT companies with much more experience and qualifications charge more than the random joe soap doing IT repairs. Their hourly rate is different depending on their studies. Likewise in web and graphic design - you pay the more experienced companies more (same can be said for printing but that's balanced out in the past few years).
I appreciate the concept of paying more for a better standard of product but can you show me any of these companies that charge €200 for an hour's work? I would also argue that some of the fields you mentioned above would require a lot more knowledge and expertise.Some areas of the music industry is and can be short lived. A popular local signer is a bit different than someone on a more national scale.
But we're specifically talking about wedding singers, are we not? If the topic has changed, then I've missed it, as you wouldn't find me arguing that the music industry is anything but a fickle beast.Who said about forcing? If you like it, you go for it. If your ****e, you generally don't get very far or end up doing budget gigs and are not highly regarded.
Why do you think businesses are closing down? Because they cant drop prices below a certain amount as its not enough to make a living. Therefore businesses and service providers set a rate which they feel matches the quality of service they can provide and that meets their costs and is enough to actually make a living from.
Where is Adam, he can explain this a bit better as a business student/graduate!
As I said Sully, I don't mean any of this as a slight on Joseph or anybody else who's doing this. The going rate to get someone to perform this service is a rate that I, personally, wouldn't be happy to pay. Just as I thought spending a fortune on flowers at my wedding was unnecessary. Just as I thought many other things that are done at some weddings were overpriced and unnecessary. My overall point is that prices for almost everything associated with weddings in Ireland are over the top.
I'm very lucky that there's such talent in my family that I didn't have to choose to use this service or not as my love of music would have probably made me do it. Music was one thing I felt was immensely important in my wedding day. We had a harpist play from when people arrived, through the civil ceremony and during the drinks reception. The cost was €150 by the way in case anyone is wondering. We also had a top class band in Opus Pocus who I didn't mind paying as they are top class and there are a lot of them in it. And the dj I mentioned earlier who played songs from a list I drew up.0 -
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As someone who sang at nkay1985's wedding for FREE (as well as free food and booze at dinner as the best man!) I would like to say that a singer is entitled to charge whatever they want. If the person hiring them is happy to pay that, great! If they're not then then over time the price will drop as the singer will not get jobs. A natural balance of what their service is worth will eventually be found.
I don't buy into the whole "I studied music in college, so I'm entitled to x amount" thing at all. I know plenty of singers who were trained but aren't great, as well as many natural singers who have never had a lesson but are fantastic. Singing is not a required service. If people don't want to hear your music your training is worthless. Singing should be judged on talent and performance ability, and remember that that talent is decided upon by the listening party. You could be fantastically talented at classical music but the person hiring you might hate it. At a wedding I'm sure that most people would like a classical-style singer. But singing training entitles you to no more pay than a wino on the street who happens to sing exactly like Pavarotti. (Obviously a joke example but you get my drift)
Singing at weddings or funerals or any other event is a service industry at the end of the day. You negotiate a price that the buying party is willing to pay for your services. As a singer, if it's a good price and you're good at what you do you'll get lots of work. If you're not, and the price is wrong, you won't. Simples!
So don't begrudge anyone what they charge for their service. As long as people are willing to pay the price they've got every right.
Lastly, I'm available for all functions at €50 an hour plus a few bottles and a lift home!
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