Re: attitude(how much to ask for)

["Per Boysen" <perboysen@gmail.com>]

I do other work besides playing music and this work is also carried
out in the format of running my own one man business. This "daytime
job" has to do with writing books, magazine articles, speaking and
lecturing, mixing, teaching private students, groups, music studio
staff - everything dealing with topics related to music. I have no
platform and always go out "on a gig with a fixed price". So the stuff
I do besides performing music is not very different from selling my
concerts when it comes to setting my price and negotiating. I was
struggling to survive and one day I thought that I should try to set
the initial price higher to see what that might give. I was a bit
afraid to lose some jobs but quite the opposite actually happened. And
the higher price level seemed to function as some sort of "quality
justification" for my customers (which is just crazy if you ask me).
In my daily praxis I also found that the higher level gave me the time
needed to prepare well and do a really good performance when I to it,
as opposed to having to rush all the time as before when I went out on
a thinner bill.

It doesn't make much sense to compare markets in different countries
but here in Sweden I go out with the minimal price 841 USD. If someone
asks me to go out cheaper I just tell them I'm afraid I can't afford
it, which really is the truth. I think its good to state a nominal
price level, but then you can accept more if offered and go lower if
it seems the right thing to do for you in a longer perspective. I tend
to play cheaper at more "arty" venues or festivals.

Sometimes I've been playing with the idea of doing "a campaign",
playing everywhere for no money just in order to expose something
extraordinary and get the word out. I have not launched any such
campaign yet since I have not managed to gather the time and energy to
put together something extraordinary ;-)  but I think it's a good
idea. Maybe someone else try it? The good thing with a time limited
and explicit campaign is that it will not lower your nominal price.

-- 
Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se (Swedish)
www.looproom.com (international)
www.stockholm-athens.com