Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Orchestra Substitute Etiquette

    Orchestra Substitute Etiquette

    I have been principal trombone of a regional orchestra for the past 15 years. During that time, I’ve seen a lot of substitutes who we wanted to hire again, and unfortunately, a number who we did not want to have back. Sometimes, that’s because of poor technique, but too often, we simply didn’t enjoy working with…

  • 7 Financial Tips for Professional Musicians

    7 Financial Tips for Professional Musicians

    Just like a career in music, achieving prosperity is the product of years of planning, deliberate work, and making sound choices. Being a professional musician is different from other traditional careers and can pose a unique set of financial challenges. Here are seven ways professional musicians can improve their financial future: Think like an entrepreneur.…

  • AFM Pension Plan Slide Continues

    AFM Pension Plan Slide Continues

    Participants in the AFM Employers’ Pension Fund (AFM-EPF) received the annual funding notice and notice of critical status this week. Unfortunately, this year’s report is not good, and this notice does little to explain why. Each year, pension administrators are required to evaluate their plan’s “funded percentage” as a measure of the plan’s financial capacity.…

  • Emergency Assistance for Musicians

    Emergency Assistance for Musicians

    Today I am writing something which I hope none of you will ever need: financial assistance for musicians who experience an emergency. The most common need is for medical bills, which can easily run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands today for an accident, injury, or serious disease. The phrase “unexpected illness” is…

  • How to Save More as a Musician

    How to Save More as a Musician

    For many musicians, saving is a challenge. You may have multiple employers and gigs, but no guaranteed salary to create a consistent budget around. You may not know what work you will have in 6 to 12 months, let alone how much you will make or can save. Things can be much more unpredictable than…

  • The Musician’s Guide to Choosing a Retirement Plan

  • Is Your Car Eligible for a $7,500 Tax Credit?

    Is Your Car Eligible for a $7,500 Tax Credit?

    As a free-lance musician, I can think of many times when I have spent three hours or more in the car, round-trip, for a two and a half hour rehearsal. In most cases, our pay for a gig is fixed, so the only way to take home more money is to reduce our expenses. If…

  • Are Orchestra Musicians Independent Contractors?

    Are Orchestra Musicians Independent Contractors?

    Are orchestra musicians independent contractors? Landmark court case says  no, musicians are employees. In April 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the musicians of the Lancaster Symphony are employees. The orchestra’s management argued that musicians were independent contractors with no right to unionize. The musicians eventually prevailed after an eight year legal fight.…

  • Musicians: Get Your Student Loans Forgiven In 10 Years

    Musicians: Get Your Student Loans Forgiven In 10 Years

    Many musicians work for a non-profit organization, such as an orchestra, opera company, chamber music group, or university. If you work full-time for a non-profit, you are eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. This program will forgive 100% of your eligible loans after you make 120 monthly payments. Public service jobs include those with…

  • 12 Tips to Prepare for an Orchestra Lockout

    12 Tips to Prepare for an Orchestra Lockout

    If you’re a musician in an orchestra, a lockout may be among your worst fears. In 2012, the Minnesota Orchestra musicians were without pay for a devastating 15 months. Only after accepting a 15% pay cut did the orchestra return to work. Today, musicians in the Fort Worth Symphony are facing a stalemate in which…

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