[HANASHIR:9480] Re: Help, quick, how much for High Holidays?

[Sharon Steinberg-Plier <cantorshar...>]

Dear Laura,

I am not writing privately to you due to Marsha's "public" response.  I think 
that charging $150 per service to lead and to do the music are terribly low.  
To answer your question without knowing more information is difficult.  Your 
background and experience must play into the answer as well as how much you 
want this position; how much preparation you will have to do must also be a 
consideration; and, where the congregation is located (will you have to travel? 
 be away from family?), as well as the size of the congregation are factors.  
Will you have to read Torah/Haftarah?  Are there other music professionals with 
whom you will have to rehearse (choir, organist?) Do you need to write the 
sermons?  Will the lay leaders lead the spoken liturgy?  Is it Reform or 
Conservative?

I am reminded of a story told by my chemical engineer father....a processing 
plant ran into a problem and called several consultants.  The first consultant 
spent 3 weeks looking into the problem...he couldn't fix it but sent a bill for 
his time and effort ($3000).....the second consultant came in and tried to find 
the problem.  He worked for 2 months and sent a bill for his time and effort 
($8000)...the third consultant came in and within minutes asked for a hammer 
and a ladder.  He strategically placed the ladder, gave one hit with the 
hammer, pronounced the problem fixed and sent a bill for $10,000.  The owner of 
the processing plant was appalled.  How can you justify sending a bill for 
$10,000 when you spent 5 minutes here?  Our 2 other consultants spent weeks and 
months here and didn't charge that kind of money...the consultant responded: 
"You did not pay for my time...you paid for my expertise.  I knew what to do."

$150 per service is even low for what I, personally, would ask to sing in a 
choir for the high holidays (the last time I sang in a choir for high holidays 
was in 1983 and I received $200 per service)...so to lead worship, and be 
responsible for the music would require a great deal more compensation.  To my 
knowledge, low end high holiday cantors receive around $2000-$3000.  
Experienced and/or credentialed people receive $4000-$20,000 (maybe more?).  
Temples always tell you that they have budgetary concerns...ask for a fair 
price regardless of that line.   

Good luck

Sharon Steinberg

  
----- Original Message -----
From: Marsha Fensin
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 4:29 PM
To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
Subject: [HANASHIR:9478] Re: Help, quick, how much for High Holidays?
  
Hello Laura,
    There are 7 services during the High Holidays, if you are just doing one
day of Rosh Hashanah: Erev R.H., Morning R.H., Erev Yom K., Morning Y.K.,
Y.K. Afternoon, Yizkor, Neila or closing service.  You should charge at least
$150 per service ( for leading and music) for a total of  $1050.
Marsha Fensin