Engaging professional artists | Making Music

Engaging professional artists

Online member meetup (Northern Ireland)

Running your group is a rewarding but challenging role. Our regular meetups are a chance for you to meet and share learning and ideas with other Northern Ireland groups facing similar challenges, explore specific issues affecting leisure-time music making in Northern Ireland and consider how we can work collaboratively to find solutions and advocate for the sector. 

Stephen McNally, Northern Ireland manager, will be leading this session.

 

We'll talk about:

Location

Online
United Kingdom
GB

Online member meetup (Wales)

Running your group is a rewarding but challenging role. Our regular meetups are a chance for you to meet and share learning and ideas with other Wales groups facing similar challenges, explore specific issues affecting leisure-time music making in Wales and consider how we can work collaboratively to find solutions and advocate for the sector. 

Miranda Glen, Wales manager, will be leading this session.

 

We'll talk about:

Location

Online
United Kingdom
GB

Making Music Awards 2025 (online event)

Wednesday 24 September, to showcase the wealth of talent and innovative ideas among our members, and those who work for them. 

Our President, composer Debbie Wiseman OBE, will be announcing the award winners for:

Location

Online
United Kingdom
GB

Webinar recording: Commissioning new music: the challenges and benefits

In this recording of our webinar (original event 28 January 2025), we talked about process of commissioning new music as a leisure-time music group, and the challenges and benefits that it brings.

Commissioning a new piece of music can be a daunting process for a leisure-time music group, and it can be equally daunting for a music creator to approach a group to discuss collaborating. 

Recommended rates for engaging professional musicians

This agreement, reached between the Musicians' Union and Making Music in 2017 (updated in 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024) provides guideline minimum rates for groups when engaging freelance professional musicians. 

We are very pleased to have renewed our agreement with the Musicians’ Union which is now in its seventh year.  

The Recommended Artist Guide

We are delighted to be preparing to launch a new and exclusive Recommended Artist Guide, an online database of affordable professional artists to book specially by leisure-time music groups and promoters, with the launch of our new website in 2025. 

Replacing our previously printed Selected Artist Guide, Making Music members will be able to book the listed artists at specially quoted fees, while the artists will gain exposure and more opportunities for bookings. 

Chameleon Arts Orchestra

Long-running group of top freelance players to suit your venue, repertoire and budget.

Recruiting a Music Director

Recruiting for a new musical leader is an important moment for a music group. This resource will take you through the process from defining the role to making an offer. Groups use different terms for their group's musical leader role, but in this resource we will use Music Director (MD).  

Contents:

Engaging and working with the musical leader for your group (online event)

98% of Making Music members have a music professional leading their group – but how to find and engage the right individual, and what are the different models of how music directors and committees work together? 

Making Music will talk about some of the practical help we have to help you find the right musical leader for your group: our Musical Vacancies tool, template contract, the fee results from the Big Survey 2022, and our ‘Searching for a Music Director’ resource. 

Location

Online
United Kingdom
GB

Bands for Hire

Music agency providing live bands for every occasion.