“Because music IS a day job”
Fair Trade Music is a grassroots campaign created by and for Portland musicians with the goal of improving wages and working conditions in the live music, club scene. Our goals are to;
- Build a better music scene with a higher level of musicianship and professionalism,
- Build equal partnerships between clubs and musicians
- Extend the same rights to musicians as those of other workers
The current situation in many, if not most, live music clubs is:
Inequitable. Live music venues:
- provide zero wage guarantees to musicians
- require that musicians pay support personnel out of pocket (i.e., sound and door persons)
- do little to no advertising or promotion
- rely heavily, if not exclusively, on musicians to bring them customers
Unsustainable. To make ends meet many musicians:
- Can’t invest in quality instruments, equipment and training
- Work “flexible”, low wage, non-industry jobs that allow them to tour and perform
- Leave the profession before they reach their full potential
Did you know? According to our research, on average, a club musician spends 3.25 hours preparing for each hour onstage and, even only accounting for their time on stage, can earn less than minimum wage.
FTM is a non-profit campaign of the Musicians Union, Local 99. For more information or to get involved, contact our Local 99 organizer.