Commissioned Work Nightmares

anathematized_one · 06-09-2013, 03:07 PM

I have one right now.

The initial description was for an adaptation of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" for chorus with 3 female chiors.

I asked what sort of lyrics and all these questions and all I keep getting back is "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy".

There is more. The vocal "teacher" should NOT be teaching at all, even less so K-12 girls and even less so than that, music.

So I have two months to write every aspect of this recital piece for K-12 girls sectioned into 3 choirs from an adaptation of a ballet number, as well as record the music.

Oh and at any given moment, I nay have to re-work it for 1-2 soloists as well.

Untold rage doesn't even come close to describing what I feel toward this piece. I can either write an adaptation for properly trained vocalists or I can write a piece they can actually do, but I can't work miracles. ><

My payment is a steak dinner. -_-

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Burning Down · 06-09-2013, 03:19 PM

Someone's bitter.

anathematized_one · 06-09-2013, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burning Down

Someone's bitter.

Wouldn't you be if you had to work under such conditions?

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Burning Down · 06-09-2013, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anathematized_one

Wouldn't you be if you had to work under such conditions?

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I'd be happy with any work opportunities as an arranger. But if they're not paying you anything though, don't do it. Or give them a price for your services. A steak dinner? Give me a break, they sound like the cheapest clients ever.

I have a friend who regularly plays organ for weddings and last year she had some cheap bride who thought that paying her with just the meal and a piece of cake was enough, in return for playing organ at the ceremony and then piano at the reception.

It happens all the time, you just have to tell them what YOU want. Don't let the client decide how much they're going to pay you.

anathematized_one · 06-09-2013, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burning Down

I'd be happy with any work opportunities as an arranger. But if they're not paying you anything though, don't do it. Or give them a price for your services. A steak dinner? Give me a break, they sound like the cheapest clients ever.

I have a friend who regularly plays organ for weddings and last year she had some cheap bride who thought that paying her with just the meal and a piece of cake was enough, in return for playing organ at the ceremony and then piano at the reception.

It happens all the time, you just have to tell them what YOU want. Don't let the client decide how much they're going to pay you.

It is my fiancée's mother... I don't have much of an option. She is also a psychotic man-hater who I finally won over enough for her to even be ok with me marrying her daughter.

I didn't offer to do commissions either and my plan is to basically have that same wintertime feel with celestas and to write it from scratch—will be less of a pain than making arranging a ballet for chorus—and then deal with her being pissy about not holding influence from that tune.

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Burning Down · 06-09-2013, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anathematized_one

It is my fiancée's mother...

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Oh man, that's tough. Better do it then

~~Sansa Stark~~ · 06-09-2013, 04:07 PM

That's a pretty ****ty payment

anathematized_one · 06-09-2013, 04:09 PM

Have any of you had or know anyone who had hellish commissions?

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Arya Stark · 06-09-2013, 04:09 PM

Arranging deserves more than a steak dinner.

Burning Down · 06-09-2013, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AwwSugar

Arranging deserves more than a steak dinner.

Especially for two months of work. Arranging in general is really hard to make a living off of, the work is so sporadic and when you get it there's a lot to do.

I'm not sure what I would charge for this particular job but last year I got to arrange Stairway to Heaven for a local chamber orchestra. It was 3 months of work and I only charged them $800. Could have gone to $1K but at the time I thought that was too greedy.

06-09-2013, 03:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
anathematized_one Music Addict Join Date: May 2013 Location: Someplace Awful Posts: 123	Commissioned Work Nightmares I have one right now. The initial description was for an adaptation of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" for chorus with 3 female chiors. I asked what sort of lyrics and all these questions and all I keep getting back is "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy". There is more. The vocal "teacher" should NOT be teaching at all, even less so K-12 girls and even less so than that, music. So I have two months to write every aspect of this recital piece for K-12 girls sectioned into 3 choirs from an adaptation of a ballet number, as well as record the music. Oh and at any given moment, I nay have to re-work it for 1-2 soloists as well. Untold rage doesn't even come close to describing what I feel toward this piece. I can either write an adaptation for properly trained vocalists or I can write a piece they can actually do, but I can't work miracles. >< My payment is a steak dinner. -_- Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2 __________________ Sardonicus YouTube Channel

06-09-2013, 04:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
anathematized_one Music Addict Join Date: May 2013 Location: Someplace Awful Posts: 123	Have any of you had or know anyone who had hellish commissions? Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2 __________________ Sardonicus YouTube Channel

06-09-2013, 03:19 PM	#2 (permalink)
Burning Down The Music Guru. Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Beyond the Wall Posts: 4,858	Someone's bitter.

06-09-2013, 04:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
~~Sansa Stark~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Eyrie, Vale of Arryn, Westeros Posts: 3,234	That's a pretty ****ty payment