quintet or other group/band business model

[ken k]

Hello fellow tubenetters,

I have had a quintet for the past 22 years and we have always pretty much worked on a autonomous type of business model where the group splits the check 5 ways. No one is really the leader of the group. Anyone can book a gig. We all weigh in on musical and business decisions. It has worked beause the people in the group have bought into that style of group and we have been successful. If it works don't' fix it right? We we have always asked that the one who hires us pay the members with separate checks. in other words everyone got their own check from the person who hired the group. You deal with your own finances. It was not so much a business as a hobby. In other words there wasn't really much of a business model. We play about 20 gigs a year, so it is not full time by any means. If someone wanted to buy a piece they bought it and gave it to the group. I hate to think how much I have spent on music in the past 22 years, or time I have spent arranging music. But it has been a labor of love and I do not regret any of it. However in the past 5 years the personnel has completely changed. I am the only original member left and I am not getting any younger and I am wondering if perhaps it is time for something different. We have some new members who want to really push the group to get more work, and I don't mind that, but if we get an account and pay the members from the account, I assume we will have to deal with 1099s and stuff like that. I already file Schedule C's for my playing and teaching income taxes but I imagine this would be something different.

Anyway i would be curious how your groups, quintets or other, are run. Is there a definite leader? Does that person get more $. Do you put a percentage of the money from a gig into a "kitty" or band account? Can anyone book a gig? Do they get extra money for booking a gig? Do members of the group have specific jobs, such as music director, business director, treasurer, historian, web master, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.....

Thanks for any wisdom you care to share....

ken k

[Brassworks 4]

Our quartet started off the same way but soon realized it was better all around to set up a business partnership. All gig money went in to a business checking account - payouts came after expenses. If we were on the road or simply went out to lunch together we paid from the business account. All music purchases outside of the group was paid from that account.

As for others getting paid more for various tasks (arranging, booking gigs, etc) - no. We all got paid equally. BUT we each had responsibilities to the group and divvied up the tasks evenly. We agreed up front that the success of a group will depend on the equal dedication to what goes in. One guy was primarily responsible for handling bookings, one was web master, one was the main arranger of music, one did bookkeeping, etc.

Maybe we had a unique relationship, I don't know. But it worked well. Communication was the key, as it is in any successful relationship. If someone felt overwhelmed, we revisited the agreement and adjusted the task list.

It worked for us.

[ken k]

thanks connie for the input. so the group had to decide what were legitimate expenses too i would imagine.

anyone else out there have any comments. I would still like to hear from other members of bands or quintets.

k

[Brassworks 4]

Yep - it really wasn't too difficult - most expenses were wardrobe, music, props, etc. And then of course, the obvious, whenever we traveled. The group paid for meals only if all four of us were present and eating together. I guess the business decisions came easy to our group because we all got along so well - it was pretty obvious to each of us. I can't remember any arguments over money in the 10 years that we were together.

Good luck - I wish you well!

[TUBUD]

Your group sounds almost identical to the quintet I'm in. We have had the same 5 guys for 20+ years. Having a checking account in the quintets name helps when it comes to getting the person who hired us to write the checks properly. One check made to the group instead of five checks with misspelled names is always better. We used to chip in $5.00 apiece to build up money to purchase music. We each now have a folder about 4 inches thick and have stopped buying music with the exception of someone occasionally buying an arrangment on there own.