A freelance musician can sometimes get a call to perform with one artist for eight months straight. Other times, he or she could get called to perform with eight different artists within one week. It helps to have a system of organization to handle this type of workload. Over the years, I have developed my own process that enables me to assimilate tons of songs, and bounce from one job to the next. Here are a few key points to consider.

Firstly, the details could always use some clarification. Let’s say a phone call or email comes in asking, “Are you available from February 15th thru 20th?” That does not tell me very much about the job. Therefore, I often begin by digging for more information. What is this mystery gig? Are the proposed dates for rehearsals, a concert, a couple of recording sessions? Will this event take place in Los Angeles, or somewhere out of town? And if the job is out of town, when would I need to leave, and when would I return (keeping in mind the issue of time zones, and the international date line)? For instance, it takes an extra day to fly west over the Pacific Ocean, but on the contrary, you land the same day you take off if flying from Shanghai to Chicago. Who else is on this gig? The “hang” is often as important as the music. What is the pay? Would it be hourly, daily, weekly? What are the travel arrangements? Would we be driving in a van to San Francisco, or flying to Barcelona? Is there some type of cancelation policy between now and then if the entire project falls through, or gets postponed? It’s considerate and professional if they offer somewhere between 50-100% of the income in the case of a cancelation.