Singawaye17 musicians are those who can share their musicality with anyone who wants to join in with them. They have the talent, generosity and passion to help us all make a bigger, better, more satisying sound than any one of us can make on our own.
The following comments are intended for those who want to employ musicians for singing workshops, choirs and singalongs. Musicians' fees may be less a reflection of competence or quality than a question of how busy or broke they are, and how attractive the repertoire, the company or the occasion.
PROFESSIONAL FEES For talent, experience and professional commitment, I'd expect to pay between £10-£120 per hour. Those who can ask for more than £120 per hour will probably have an agent who can quote us a fee. There are some excellent singing leaders who can provide their own arrangements of your chosen songs and rehearse a group of lead singers for under £50 ph.
When we sang against the English Defence League as "We are Waltham Forest Voices" it didn't just happen. I used the money I'd earned for Singaway from the Waltham Forest Voices Olympic project to pay two professional musicians, Andrea Encinas and Lizzie Renihan, to lead a joint workshop, in The Victoria pub, hosted free by the lovely Katie Roberts. The workshop drew together members of Andrea's and Lizzie's choirs, political supporters and people on Singaway's mailing list. We met up in the morning, learnt a few songs and went straight out to sing them in front of the stage at the rally in Walthamstow Town Square.
A DRINK & THE BUS FARE Musicians who support your cause, love your friends or have a day job and nothing better to do, will play or sing for a drink and expenses.
SINGING & PLAYING FOR THE LOVE OF IT I can cobble together a small group of singers to meet up with friends and supporters of the host/organiser to learn some songs and harmonies and practise leading others in a singalong. This may be all you need.