BWW Blog: Micah Young - Money Talk

Artists rarely choose to be artists for the money. There are some who make a huge amount and the success from that can propel them into great big careers. For many of us, we survive from gig to gig. Regardless what the money turn out to be, or whether we get all the things we want from a contract, it's important to know what you're worth.

Trying to quantify what an artist is worth is not easy, especially when we are explaining what it is we do to people who might not be familiar with what it takes. I often think of the gigs that pay a lot, or pay a little, or are the right gigs to get the foot in the door. They are each of them important in their own way. And if we measure every experience by the same standard, you might be disappointed.

When we talk about the budget for a gig, it's helpful, I find, to take into account all the aspects of the gig. The biggest questions are: who, what and where? Who am I working with? Where is the gig, and what kind of music or theatre will I be doing? If it's appealing to work at the theatre, the company, collaborate with the people, that goes a long way even before discussing money. And when we can talk openly about what we feel it's an appreciation of our time and talents; it allows us to better understand one another.