Low Pay

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

When I was working for a music service, we were required to take two weeks out of teaching each year to do "playing weeks". One of these weeks was instrumental quartets in as many primary schools as possible. For the other, we all joined together to form a rather loud and unbalanced orchestra to give concerts in secondary schools. At first, this seemed like a great way to spend a week, but there were quite a few moaners, who were heartily sick of playing the same things year after year.

But when one of the said I shouldn't worry about having no decent oboe reed to play on one particular day, as it was "only playing week", I replied that we were probably the best paid orchestra in the country, so should do everything possible to merit this.

[Beef Oven!]

Pay is determined by supply and demand, isn't it?

What's there to say?

Rio Ferdinand was paid more than a consultant surgeon, even though he's from south London (and Peckham, at that FFS!).

[DracoM]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43976334

https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2018/05/03/608125794/what-does-life-in-an-orchestra-get-you-in-the-u-k-not-enough-to-live-on?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nprmusic&utm_term=music&utm_content=20180503

[teamsaint]

https://www.npr.org/sections/decepti...ntent=20180503

The figures in that article don’t tally with the CBSO conditions in the link that I posted, which give basic pay starting at around £30k, not £21k as the article states.

It is still unclear to me how much scope these roles leave for teaching income on top, which I suspect is quite high. And the hourly rate round here with national orchestra experience is around £40 + , as it should be at that level of skill.

Sadly, mediocre earnings and high housing costs affect way too many well qualified people with student and other debt to manage.

[DracoM]

I posted it from an American source precisely because of the discrepancy noted. Eheu! Our trustworthy friends, the press...??

[MrGongGong]

It is important (IMV) to realise that, compared to other performers (Dancers , Actors) in the UK orchestral musicians are very well paid and earn much more than many others in music who have similar levels of skill and expertise.

[Stanfordian]

The figures in that article don’t tally with the CBSO conditions in the link that I posted, which give basic pay starting at around £30k, not £21k as the article states.

It is still unclear to me how much scope these roles leave for teaching income on top, which I suspect is quite high. And the hourly rate round here with national orchestra experience is around £40 + , as it should be at that level of skill.

Sadly, mediocre earnings and high housing costs affect way too many well qualified people with student and other debt to manage.

This can't be typical but a few years ago for a time a friend of mine travelled a 90 mile round trip for lessons with a professional pianist. Whilst my friend played the teacher spent most of the time in another room watching television. My friend had it out with him and he no longer has lessons with him. I know of the pianist who I have seen play in recital several times.

[MrGongGong]

This can't be typical but a few years ago for a time a friend of mine travelled a 90 mile round trip for lessons with a professional pianist. Whilst my friend played the teacher spent most of the time in another room watching television. My friend had it out with him and he no longer has lessons with him. I know of the pianist who I have seen play in recital several times.

My mum is getting new wallpaper

(that's my entry for "Non Sequitir of the day" )

[Stanfordian]

My mum is getting new wallpaper

(that's my entry for "Non Sequitir of the day" )

It was a reply to teamsaint who was talking about performers' teaching income. Since when have you been the message board arbiter of relevance. You might not like the content but my post it was very pretty relevant to teamsaint's message. So stick that in your pipe...!

And the cost he was charging too, made me wince!

Oh! The piano teacher wasn't you, was it?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It is important (IMV) to realise that, compared to other performers (Dancers , Actors) in the UK orchestral musicians are very well paid and earn much more than many others in music who have similar levels of skill and expertise.

That doesn't make it OK though, does it? I taught in a secondary school where the deputy head dismissed concerns that general behaviour had significantly deteriorated. Her reply was that we shouldn't be moaning, as it had been much worse in her previous school. (The behaviour in her next school deteriorated in her next school as well.)

[MrGongGong]

It was a reply to teamsaint who was talking about performers' teaching income. Since when have you been the message board arbiter of relevance. You might not like the content but my post it was very pretty relevant to teamsaint's message. So stick that in your pipe...!

And the cost he was charging too, made me wince!

Oh! The piano teacher wasn't you, was it?

Maybe my comment wasn't 100% serious
and NO I wasn't the piano teacher
I only ever teach one piece and not everyone is keen on the hay and bucket of water

That doesn't make it OK though, does it? I taught in a secondary school where the deputy head dismissed concerns that general behaviour had significantly deteriorated. Her reply was that we shouldn't be moaning, as it had been much worse in her previous school. (The behaviour in her next school deteriorated in her next school as well.)

No it doesn't make it OK at all.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

[Beef Oven!]

Actually, that's what communism and socialism did. That's why Gorbachev had to abolish communism in the end.

[visualnickmos]

Pay is determined by supply and demand, isn't it?

What's there to say?

Rio Ferdinand was paid more than a consultant surgeon, even though he's from south London (and Peckham, at that FFS!).

Quite! Lewisham - yes - OK, BUT Peckham.......

[Bryn]

Actually, that's what communism and socialism did. That's why Gorbachev had to abolish communism in the end.

But I thought you were all in favour of the 'iron law' of supply and demand, which is precisely what the cartoon illustrates.

By the way, Grammarly claims there is no such word as communism. Now that's a bit too like Stalin's photograph editors removing the likes of Bronstein from historical images. THere again, there was no communism in the USSR for Gorbo to abolish. The state had by no means withered away.