waffle and bumph
Nov. 6th, 2004 09:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ewtI dreamed that I got a job setting up chairs and stands and stuff for rehearsals at Blackheath, and that it was £6/hour and easily 12 hours/week. It meant I had to arrive early and stay late for every rehearsal, but it also meant I wasn't skint. Too bad it was just a dream.
Well, I was disorganised at the start of term and didn't set up a standing order for my rent (next due 5th January). So, now I have to save £130/week toward that. I don't have as much teaching as I'd hoped - I was hoping for about 5 hours, at least 4, and I only have 3.5, a one-hour student has decided not to continue and two half-hour brothers cannot under any circumstances do Sundays. Given that there will always be someone who is ill, this means I get only £75/week from teaching. This means I have to make up the other £55 from busking. Given my average earning rate busking this means I have to do over four hours on average before I have even got enough for rent. Then I need to pay for things like food and travel and telephone, oh and books, of course. And my horn needs repair, and I need new glasses VERY BADLY and my telephone is dying a death, and it's hard to take that out of the other 2-3.5 hours busking I'm managing (I aim to do 8 hours/week, remember that this also entails about 6 hours of travel for me, I don't think I can fit much more in.). Oh, and my average earnings at busking are going down because I'm not getting as many good pitches because my schedule is not as flexible or as predictable as it once was.
Things will improve slightly in January, when I will only have to put away around £100/week toward my rent. I also need to start paying![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
shevek back some of the money I owe him at some point, though. It is not interest-bearing but I do not like owing him money.
THAT's how skint I am. Donations gratefully accepted, etc.
I'll be letting my students know tomorrow that I am still actively looking for more students, provided they can do Sunday afternoons/evenings as a lesson time. I'll (provisionally, no confirmation yet but they phoned and said 'probably') be people-herding at the Early Music Exhibition at Trinity next weekend, which will get me 12 hours at minimum wage as a one-off; I hope to do more of these in future, but don't know how many opportunities there will actually be. I have loads of random crap to sell on eBay once I get this place tidy enough to take pictures of it and then manage to write the descriptions, but realistically I'm probably only looking at about 80 squid there. December is fast approaching, and that is usually a pretty good time for busking, but I can't depend on it until I've got it in the bank, and it's also an expensive month in terms of sending gifts to Canada. I'm switching to a lower phone tariff. Any other ideas for new streams of income or increasing income from existing streams would be appreciated. Perhaps I should put a notice up on the SU board for typing people's essays, what's a reasonable rate per 500 words for this? Getting local students here is something I've thought about but because um there is a huge music college full of music students who are skint, prices are significantly lower than waht I can charge in Hendon. My weekday schedule is very changeable and so it makes more sense, really, for me to make more of the day I already spend in Hendon. I need to find out more about the random other busking schemes in Greenwich and in Islington, um, some weekend when I'll actually be around during Market hours.
EDIT: I do have funds available if I am actually starving and have no money in my UK bank account to buy food. I'd prefer not to use them. I have larger funds available if the general shortfall is so great that I'm just not going to make the rent, but again I'd rather not use them if I can get away with it, because if I use those up in my first year they won't be there in 2nd-4th years when I'll need to spend even more time on, um, actually doing my degree.
I've been told that using a backing track to busk I would probably earn around twice as much per hour as I currently do. For obvious reasons, this would be a real boon. I actually like playing unaccompanied, but if I could double my income even for half of every pitch it would be a huge help to my financial situation. I have the following hardware:
-random crap battery-operated speakers
-nearly enough batteries to run them
-a battery charger
-a portable CD player that will talk to the speakers
-a CD writer in my computer.
What I need are the actual backing tracks. If any of you karaoke fans know where I should start looking for this sort of thing then PLEASE TELL ME. I'll play just about anything but of course I'm specifically looking for classical stuff (I know, Music Minus One, anyone want to buy me a CD?) and stuff that everyone knows. My budget for this is precisely nil, but I might be willing to invest a small amount if I know it is going to give good return. I also need some blank audio-quality CDs. Automatic has some sort of deal with the Performing Rights Society so copyright issues are less than they normally would be, although I will have to read the fine print.
My Singlepoint contract is until 29th December, not 28th November, it turns out, and they won't issue me with a PAC number until 5 days before the end of the contract. So, looks like I'll be switching telephone numbers, and paying an extra month's line rental to Singlepoint. I could just borrow a phone for two months I suppose, but actually the guy at Carphone Warehouse was very very helpful and that particular deal ends at the end of November, and I'd kindof like to grab it because it is half-price line rental for the first 9 mionths. Even on the lower tariff I'll be switching to, this will save me more than the one extra month of Singlepoint line rental. It makes cashflow interesting but not impossible. I guess also I can keep my Singlepoint SIM and check messages every day or so to make sure there aren't still people floating around with my old number.
I'm getting into a sortof different pattern with busking. It's difficult for me to call on the Tuesday morning and get good pitches - for the two pitches I do at 8am I still get good ones phoning later but for others there is usually not much decent stuff left, also my rehearsal schedule changes a LOT. I am trying to keep track of times I _could_ busk and phone earlier in the same day to check cancellations. On Wednesday this worked quite well for me. On Friday it nearly did but then I had a rehearsal, *sigh*. See earlier plea regarding backing tracks.
My plan had been to tidy my room lots yesterday and the spend this morning getting a good start on my essay. I didn't get enough tidying done to have a clear workspace, so I'm still tidying. Ah well. I also really need to go for a run as I have not been since last Thursday (when I ran 2.5K rather effortlessly, granted, but in three weeks that has to be 10K... ah well, I suppose I can always walk it if I'm simply too unfit to run. I KNOW I can walk that far fairly fast). I'm also supposed to be meeting this researcher blokey from Canada who is going to, allegedly, bring me tea, take Harvey's present home with him (it got returned in the post, the bastards) and introduce me to his Canadian daughter who lives nearbyshevek is in town and I'd like to catch him at some point. I want to go to the Blackheath bonfire tonight. My hair is filthy. I have apples and pears that need to be made into applesauce. So, current action plan:
-do 15 minutes of tidying/15 minutes of intarweb until my room is actually cleanable.
-make applesauce (microwave) while hoovering, put through sieve when hoovering is done.
-washing up, joy of joys.
-go for a run. Come back, make self non-stinky and wash hair, dress up all goff.
-start essay until I hear what else is going on and who wants me to be where and when
-meet people
-get stuff ready for Blackheath (flask of hot water and some teabags; pre-cut slices of chocolate chestnut torte; oranges)
-go to bonfire at Blackheath. Walk up early-ish so I can walk through the park to get there.
Also, I would like to learn the harmonica. It is portable, polyphonic (well nearly - certainly capable of harmony, at least)... I could just keep one in my handbag. If I got good I could get another busking license for that. So, if any of you see a half-decent chromatic(hey, semitones are important!) harmonica in a second-hand shop, let me know ASAP.
It looks like I'm not actually required to be at most of the faculty study classes that happen on Thursday mornings. This means if I also have no Thursday rehearsals I have no classes on Thursdays. I'm not sure what to make of this. I've been going to all of the classes anyway because I figure I can learn from them. The microtonal trumpet one this week was kindof neat; I walked out of the flute one last week after halfway through, though. If I figure out which ones I have to go to a few weeks in advance then I could in theory haev a third morning of 8am busking most weeks, which would be VERY good. Too bad there are sometimes rehearsals on Thursdays right in the sodding middle of the afternoon, otherwise I could try to get some teaching in there and then go help with the Cub Scouts, which is something I miss doing.
I suddenly have an essay, a written assignment and a 15-minute stand-up presentation all due in the same week. Somewhere amongst all the busking and teaching and selling things on eBay and trying to run my life, I have to find time to do these things.
I'll be in Wave 5 of the London Run, which means I don't have to get to Canada Water until 20.30. This means it definitely won't interfere with my teaching that day (um unless I get more students by then), which is good.
I guess I'd better get going, lots to do today.
Well, I was disorganised at the start of term and didn't set up a standing order for my rent (next due 5th January). So, now I have to save £130/week toward that. I don't have as much teaching as I'd hoped - I was hoping for about 5 hours, at least 4, and I only have 3.5, a one-hour student has decided not to continue and two half-hour brothers cannot under any circumstances do Sundays. Given that there will always be someone who is ill, this means I get only £75/week from teaching. This means I have to make up the other £55 from busking. Given my average earning rate busking this means I have to do over four hours on average before I have even got enough for rent. Then I need to pay for things like food and travel and telephone, oh and books, of course. And my horn needs repair, and I need new glasses VERY BADLY and my telephone is dying a death, and it's hard to take that out of the other 2-3.5 hours busking I'm managing (I aim to do 8 hours/week, remember that this also entails about 6 hours of travel for me, I don't think I can fit much more in.). Oh, and my average earnings at busking are going down because I'm not getting as many good pitches because my schedule is not as flexible or as predictable as it once was.
Things will improve slightly in January, when I will only have to put away around £100/week toward my rent. I also need to start paying
shevek back some of the money I owe him at some point, though. It is not interest-bearing but I do not like owing him money.THAT's how skint I am. Donations gratefully accepted, etc.
I'll be letting my students know tomorrow that I am still actively looking for more students, provided they can do Sunday afternoons/evenings as a lesson time. I'll (provisionally, no confirmation yet but they phoned and said 'probably') be people-herding at the Early Music Exhibition at Trinity next weekend, which will get me 12 hours at minimum wage as a one-off; I hope to do more of these in future, but don't know how many opportunities there will actually be. I have loads of random crap to sell on eBay once I get this place tidy enough to take pictures of it and then manage to write the descriptions, but realistically I'm probably only looking at about 80 squid there. December is fast approaching, and that is usually a pretty good time for busking, but I can't depend on it until I've got it in the bank, and it's also an expensive month in terms of sending gifts to Canada. I'm switching to a lower phone tariff. Any other ideas for new streams of income or increasing income from existing streams would be appreciated. Perhaps I should put a notice up on the SU board for typing people's essays, what's a reasonable rate per 500 words for this? Getting local students here is something I've thought about but because um there is a huge music college full of music students who are skint, prices are significantly lower than waht I can charge in Hendon. My weekday schedule is very changeable and so it makes more sense, really, for me to make more of the day I already spend in Hendon. I need to find out more about the random other busking schemes in Greenwich and in Islington, um, some weekend when I'll actually be around during Market hours.
EDIT: I do have funds available if I am actually starving and have no money in my UK bank account to buy food. I'd prefer not to use them. I have larger funds available if the general shortfall is so great that I'm just not going to make the rent, but again I'd rather not use them if I can get away with it, because if I use those up in my first year they won't be there in 2nd-4th years when I'll need to spend even more time on, um, actually doing my degree.
I've been told that using a backing track to busk I would probably earn around twice as much per hour as I currently do. For obvious reasons, this would be a real boon. I actually like playing unaccompanied, but if I could double my income even for half of every pitch it would be a huge help to my financial situation. I have the following hardware:
-random crap battery-operated speakers
-nearly enough batteries to run them
-a battery charger
-a portable CD player that will talk to the speakers
-a CD writer in my computer.
What I need are the actual backing tracks. If any of you karaoke fans know where I should start looking for this sort of thing then PLEASE TELL ME. I'll play just about anything but of course I'm specifically looking for classical stuff (I know, Music Minus One, anyone want to buy me a CD?) and stuff that everyone knows. My budget for this is precisely nil, but I might be willing to invest a small amount if I know it is going to give good return. I also need some blank audio-quality CDs. Automatic has some sort of deal with the Performing Rights Society so copyright issues are less than they normally would be, although I will have to read the fine print.
My Singlepoint contract is until 29th December, not 28th November, it turns out, and they won't issue me with a PAC number until 5 days before the end of the contract. So, looks like I'll be switching telephone numbers, and paying an extra month's line rental to Singlepoint. I could just borrow a phone for two months I suppose, but actually the guy at Carphone Warehouse was very very helpful and that particular deal ends at the end of November, and I'd kindof like to grab it because it is half-price line rental for the first 9 mionths. Even on the lower tariff I'll be switching to, this will save me more than the one extra month of Singlepoint line rental. It makes cashflow interesting but not impossible. I guess also I can keep my Singlepoint SIM and check messages every day or so to make sure there aren't still people floating around with my old number.
I'm getting into a sortof different pattern with busking. It's difficult for me to call on the Tuesday morning and get good pitches - for the two pitches I do at 8am I still get good ones phoning later but for others there is usually not much decent stuff left, also my rehearsal schedule changes a LOT. I am trying to keep track of times I _could_ busk and phone earlier in the same day to check cancellations. On Wednesday this worked quite well for me. On Friday it nearly did but then I had a rehearsal, *sigh*. See earlier plea regarding backing tracks.
My plan had been to tidy my room lots yesterday and the spend this morning getting a good start on my essay. I didn't get enough tidying done to have a clear workspace, so I'm still tidying. Ah well. I also really need to go for a run as I have not been since last Thursday (when I ran 2.5K rather effortlessly, granted, but in three weeks that has to be 10K... ah well, I suppose I can always walk it if I'm simply too unfit to run. I KNOW I can walk that far fairly fast). I'm also supposed to be meeting this researcher blokey from Canada who is going to, allegedly, bring me tea, take Harvey's present home with him (it got returned in the post, the bastards) and introduce me to his Canadian daughter who lives nearby
shevek is in town and I'd like to catch him at some point. I want to go to the Blackheath bonfire tonight. My hair is filthy. I have apples and pears that need to be made into applesauce. So, current action plan:-do 15 minutes of tidying/15 minutes of intarweb until my room is actually cleanable.
-make applesauce (microwave) while hoovering, put through sieve when hoovering is done.
-washing up, joy of joys.
-go for a run. Come back, make self non-stinky and wash hair, dress up all goff.
-start essay until I hear what else is going on and who wants me to be where and when
-meet people
-get stuff ready for Blackheath (flask of hot water and some teabags; pre-cut slices of chocolate chestnut torte; oranges)
-go to bonfire at Blackheath. Walk up early-ish so I can walk through the park to get there.
Also, I would like to learn the harmonica. It is portable, polyphonic (well nearly - certainly capable of harmony, at least)... I could just keep one in my handbag. If I got good I could get another busking license for that. So, if any of you see a half-decent chromatic(hey, semitones are important!) harmonica in a second-hand shop, let me know ASAP.
It looks like I'm not actually required to be at most of the faculty study classes that happen on Thursday mornings. This means if I also have no Thursday rehearsals I have no classes on Thursdays. I'm not sure what to make of this. I've been going to all of the classes anyway because I figure I can learn from them. The microtonal trumpet one this week was kindof neat; I walked out of the flute one last week after halfway through, though. If I figure out which ones I have to go to a few weeks in advance then I could in theory haev a third morning of 8am busking most weeks, which would be VERY good. Too bad there are sometimes rehearsals on Thursdays right in the sodding middle of the afternoon, otherwise I could try to get some teaching in there and then go help with the Cub Scouts, which is something I miss doing.
I suddenly have an essay, a written assignment and a 15-minute stand-up presentation all due in the same week. Somewhere amongst all the busking and teaching and selling things on eBay and trying to run my life, I have to find time to do these things.
I'll be in Wave 5 of the London Run, which means I don't have to get to Canada Water until 20.30. This means it definitely won't interfere with my teaching that day (um unless I get more students by then), which is good.
I guess I'd better get going, lots to do today.
