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Singer’s Daughter

#21
If she's that good, it might be a worthwhile investment to pay her and get her in singing in 75%+ of the songs. She doesn't have to do all the singing... our lead singer sings in about 90% of our songs and does about 70% of the lead vocals total.
 
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#22
if she will have to spend the same amount of time at the bar as the other players, i'd say per her a full cut. if she goes home after 4 songs, that's rougher to figure. especially since you don't want a bad situation with her father.

when i've done a variety of types of jobs, i expect to be paid for my time that i can't spend painting, relaxing or hanging out regardless of whether i'm actively working or simply have to be where the job requires. there's also rehearsal time and drive time to be considered.
 
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#23
If it leads to bigger and better jobs, it'll pay for itself pretty soon. Cutting the pie into more pieces is not an issue if the pie keeps getting bigger.
But yes, she she should be singing backups and more leads -- even if that results in more work for he band because you have to work up new material.
You should be learning new material anyway.
 
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#26
pcake said:
if she will have to spend the same amount of time at the bar as the other players, i'd say per her a full cut. if she goes home after 4 songs, that's rougher to figure. especially since you don't want a bad situation with her father.

when i've done a variety of types of jobs, i expect to be paid for my time that i can't spend painting, relaxing or hanging out regardless of whether i'm actively working or simply have to be where the job requires. there's also rehearsal time and drive time to be considered.
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+1

I had a few jobs in IT where there wasn’t enough work to keep me busy. I notified my managers multiple times that I needed more work, but I didn’t get it. My position is that if I’m sitting at my computer during my assigned hours, ready to work, it’s not my fault that they haven’t given me an assignment and I expect full pay.
 
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#27
Welp you're in a family band now, tread lightly😂

Are you a "band" with equal ownership and pay, or are you a hired gun, paid a minimum by a leader? If the former, good luck! If the latter, for 5-6 songs out of 36, I think a reduced rate is warranted, but you have to consider the time required to be there.

My observation of family band dynamics:
  • Parent non-leader with kid(s) in the band: make sure everybody understands the contract (oral or written) and everybody is willing and able to do all the work (I think this is OP's situation?)
  • Parent leader with kids in band: if you're not one of the kids, you'll be treated like one, for better or worse (often worse)
  • Siblings in the rhythm section: this effing rocks, you can't do better than sibs on bass and drums, or drums and perc, or bass and piano, etc
  • Husband-wife/romantic partners: steer clear in all circumstances other than hired gun with a solid guarantee and no rehearsals 😵‍💫 😂
 
#29
I don't like entitled prima donnas, and I'm not saying she is one. For equal pay, she should be on stage full time, singing backup harmony, and playing percussion and adding nice stage presence when not singing lead. She should also participate in setup and teardown, like winding cables, packing instruments or whatever. 5 or 6 songs on lead vocal is ok as a "guest"... but not cutting into wages for hard working musicians who do everything from the beginning to the end of the gig. Working with family members and spouses can be trouble.
 
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#32
Clark Westfield said:
So the singer’s daughter came to a rehearsal a few times and blew us away with her singing ability.

Her dad sings for us and does all of the set list.

We added some songs for Mary and she is committing to joining the band.

5-6 songs in total-36 song set list.

Now when it comes to pay, is she entitled to dividing the purse equally.

I’m playing every song, do I need to give her a piece of my take for only 5-6 songs?
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If she's with the band from setup to tear down, yes, she's a new member.
Would you pay less to a sax player because they don't play for half the song? Are we getting paid according to how many notes a person plays?😉
 
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#33
I think this is entirely dependent on band dynamics/relationships, and the goals/purpose of the band. If this is a “working band” vs a “hobby band” than this is very different. My band is a hobby band and we take money completely out of the equation, every gig is divided perfectly evenly between us. Our two guitarist and myself pool our money together and rotate buying gear so we can afford nicer stuff. Obviously that would work for everyone. My point being, have good open conversations with your band mates about this would be best.

*edit*- I should add, if you enjoy playing with these folks, and want to continue the band, this should be a very humble/gentle conversation. Don’t let something as trivial as a little money ruin what otherwise seems to be an enjoyable gig for you.
 
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#34
KenSmithFan said:
If you expect her to be a member, then she gets an equal cut. Do you count the mic stands and pay people by how many they carry out? Do you pay by how many cords they hook up on the PA? Does the lead guitarist get more than the bass player because they play more notes? Disproportionate pay is a great way to sow discontent in the band.
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I've been in bands where I did far more to help the band than other players (P.A., social media, recording gigs and rehearsals...), and I did it willingly because I enjoyed my various roles. I never asked for, or expected, my pay to be higher than anyone else's.

The road to disappointment is paved with unrealistic expectations: clear up everyone's expectations IN ADVANCE.
 
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#35
If she helps bring in the crowd and promotes, moves gear, is a positive influence, and is gonna be an actual member than pay her. If she just does some vocals on songs and isn’t pumping the crowed up and what not she’s just a guest musician. That being said it’s up to her and her dads relationship. If she’s young she could just want to be having fun. If my kids were old enough and wanted to play with my groups I probably wouldn’t even bring pay up until they actually bring something to the group.
 
#37
I would think you pay her an equal split. And NOT for the reason you think.

The reason you pay her an equal share is because y'all lit the fuse for the impending collapse of your band and paying her equally for just showing up and dotting a few songs extends the timeline before you get kicked out. Simple.

Also, after you get publicly reprimanded for some trivial thing like asking for help during load out or "do you mind sitting in the back of the room to tell me how the mix is back there" or "no, it's not ok to have only your vocals in my monitor" the singer will end it right then and there because blood is thicker than water.

SO...
Understanding that your band is now on the precipice of an ugly breakup, paying her the same as you'd make is the best way to extend that band at least through the winter when gigs are less frequent.
 

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