As we get into the new year, most of us are planning how we can make 2007 more financially profitable than 2006. Now don't get me wrong. I really, really enjoy making good sound, regardless of how much money I make. However, money does make life more satisfying (especially getting the bills paid on time). So, I want to make great sound and get paid buckets of money for it.
This leads me to the subject that I will be discussing during this installment. This is a subject that I am definitely uncomfortable with, but it needs to be discussed. The question is: What do you do when that house of worship that you worked so hard on, or that religious organization for whom you (and your crew) set up a sound system for their big revival or awards event, doesn't pay you? If this happens with a secular organization, individual or producer, I make the appropriate phone calls, have my attorney send a letter and ultimately go to court to get my cash. But when you add God to the mix, the dynamics change for me. I'll let you in on what may seem obvious. I work in the worship sound biz because I believe in a God and I believe that God wants me to do this work. In other words, I am very sympathetic to the mission that many of these religious groups have. So when I get stiffed for a worship gig, it puts a different spin on the whole job. Let me give you an example. I got a call from a group called the Sisters of Power. This is a Christian organization of black women with some very notable members. Anyway, I got a call from the organizer of a Sisters award ceremony just two days before the event. It was being held at a very prestigious hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. The job was to amplify the various speakers and award recipients for an audience of about 200 guests. Given that it was a one-man job, I bid it at about half of a "normal" gig. The producer and I agreed to the price and details over the phone, and that was that. I showed up to the event on a Friday afternoon, and rather than ask for a check prior to unloading my truck (something I do with any non-contracted, first time secular gigs), I went right to work.
The show went very smoothly. The production team and hotel employees were all helpful, and the event itself was very spiritually uplifting. Everything was perfect up until the end of the show, when I went to pick up my check. There was no check to be had. I have been in this biz for a while, but I gave the benefit of the doubt because this is a Christian organization. The producer was apologetic and promised to send me a check ASAP. Needless to say, after a month of phone calls and frustration, I still didn't have a check. Ultimately, rather than take legal action against the Sisters of Power, I decided to let the matter go.
However, the experience did change how I deal with religious groups and houses of worship. I would like to go through a few of my new guidelines in the hopes that you can find some useful information here.
First off, any non-contracted, last minute live show that I am called for, I let the client know that I must receive a check, cash, gold or silver before the gear leaves my truck. The exception to this is if the client is a repeat customer and has a last minute gig. Of course, I will accommodate any and all tried and true clients. However, this is the law for first-timers. The Pope could call with a gig at the Vatican, and I would still ask for the money up front.
The next thing is a good, simple but detailed contract. Especially for an install gig. It goes without saying that the client wants to know exactly what they are paying for. And of course, a fat deposit always helps to get the ball rolling.
I'd like to mention something about contracts here. I had a repeat church gig at a school in La Puente, Calif. Every year it was the same thing. Well, four years into it, I told the coordinator I would be there and I didn't need a signed contract. That year went fine, but the following year the school failed to budget my fee because I had waived the contract for the previous year. I got paid, but it took almost three months to get things sorted out. All organizations have some kind of protocol, and if you don't follow it you can screw yourself.
The third thing I insist on is some sort of planning meeting with the principles of the event or house of worship or religious organization. I have done a lot of phone meetings and e-mail communication, but it really works better to sit down with the people you will be working for and get an exact idea of what they expect. It is not uncommon for me to pray with these folks about a particular event or financial expenditure, even if I am not part of their particular religious persuasion. Believe me, I want God to be a partner on these gigs as much as anyone.
And lastly, I will drag into court anyone who doesn't pay me. Priests, pastors, rabbis, nuns, whomever is responsible for my dollars. If I do the job I will be paid, or I will make their life hell.
The fact of the matter is that we are all just people, regardless of our spiritual affiliations. Which means we are all subject to a certain amount of error in our lives and work. So, whether the client greets you with a "God bless you" or just a "Hi," you still want the check to clear.
Contact Jamie at jrio@fohonline.com.
