pay me please

[flutes_and_fabric]

Because of the holidays I've been playing a lot of services. I've also played a lot of Christmas concerts at all boys catholic private schools where flutists are in short supply. One school in particular is giving me a lot of trouble because their winter concert was 3 weeks ago. I signed a contract where I'd play 3 concerts at $100 a concert. Awesome, money for gift shopping. The contract also said that I'd be payed at the last concert, which was a morning assembly. The teacher was weird. Here's one of the discussions we had:

I'm posting this here because I am providing a service to the school, so they are my customers and they're sucking right now. Anywho, this school has multiple buildings, a middle school and high school on the same campus, and I had never been there. I had no idea where the auditorium was, but luckily I was able to follow the throngs of parents going to see the concert. I mentioned to him that I was lucky all these parents showed up so early for the concert, or else I'd be lost. He stared at me like my head had just exploded.

SC: You mean you've never been here?
Me: No
SC: How could you never have been here? That's impossible
Me:...well I've never had reason to come here
SC: Where are you from?
Me: Here, about 30 minutes away, but I go to "big university down the street"
SC: How long have you lived here? You must have just recently moved, right?
Me: No...I've lived here my whole life
SC: And you've never been here?

Come on, how have you not been able to grasp this concept yet? Your school is not the center of the universe.

Me: Well, have you ever been to "the high school I went to?"
SC: No, but it's not a big school

WHAT! This school has 200 students in both the middle school and high school combined, my high school had 1,000 students just in my class. Long graduation ceremony. Funny story, there was a thunder storm and the power went out, which also knocked out the air conditioning. It was soooo hot. We did our ceremony without our robes on in the dark

SC: So, no one in your family has ever been here?
Me: Well, as a young jewish woman I've never really had the opportunity to attend an all boys catholic school.

That shut him up. So now the suck. The last concert was 3 weeks ago. They did not have a check for me. I knew with the holidays it would take forever to get through the mail system. I was so angry. Today I just got a check. For $30. They left off a 0! I checked my copy of the contract and it indeed was $100/concert, not 10. I'm owed $270! I want my money. Of course the school is closed and it's impossible to get through their automated menu to even leave a message for a real person. I've e-mailed the teacher, but haven't heard from him yet. This is annoying.

[EvilEmpryss]

Google is a wonderful way to look up someone's home phone and address if you have their name and city.

Take him a bag of cookies and ask for your money. You'll wait on the steps while he writes the check.

[Soulstealer]

Send whoever is supposed to pay you a certified letter for the remaining balance.

[depechemodefan]

How can they mess up a zero? I think they are going to shaft you.

[Sunflash]

I would be doing what EE said. Look up their house numbers and start ringing constantly.

[EvilEmpryss]

Well, Soulstealer's idea was better legally speaking... showing up once as a reminder is fun... but too often and you could get in trouble with the law for trespassing.

[Sunflash]

I guess, but don't they ahve to warn you first if the place isn't Posted? >.>

[EvilEmpryss]

Yup. That's why showing up once is fun.

The cookies is to make sure they don't think you're stalking them and call the police then and there.

[Sunflash]

Bring friends WITH the cookies! Save the tents for later.

Failing that, I've still got my ancient flute up on my shelf over yonder. Beaten, yes. Battered, yes. But I know my old friend well, and I know she'd want nothing more than to go out in a blaze of glory.

Namely being broken in half across the THICK SKULL of some RAVING IDIOT. ?

[LillFilly]

They have to spell-out the amount too; sounds like someone made a big mistake. Maybe next time you do performances the contract should state that you get paid the set amount after each concert; just in case something happens that a concert cannot be completed? Sorry you have to wait for your money!

[freaktard]

F & F, I can sympathise. I sometimes find myself filling in in similar situations, and I never like it. Most of the time I get paid promptly, but there have been a few occasions when it took over a month (6 months in one case! I never worked for them again).

What I hate most is when people act surprised and offended that I expect to get paid at all!

[TheSHAD0W]

Do *not* cash the $30 check, whatever you do.

[eltf177]

Boy, when you get stiffed by a religious school of all things that can really crush your faith in humanity. If I ever worked for them again I would _insist_ on cash up front!

Hope you get paid soon!

[Magpie]

No, it's when a church tries to not pay the professional musician that you lose your faith in humanity. (The organist used to go there, and the church gave her the "oh we thought you'd do it as a donation" line. They paid her, but tried to make her feel guilty for expecting it. At Christmas, when she could easily get paying work at any number of churches).

[Midorikawa]

No, it's when a church tries to not pay the professional musician that you lose your faith in humanity. (The organist used to go there, and the church gave her the "oh we thought you'd do it as a donation" line. They paid her, but tried to make her feel guilty for expecting it. At Christmas, when she could easily get paying work at any number of churches).

Wow. The church my brother and I used to go to tried that with him (he's a professional string bassist working on his masters in music education). Let's say there's a reason he wants nothing to do with them. They 1) stiffed him about $500, 2) pulled the guilt trip, 3) expected him to drop all other concerts and play shows that weren't in the original contract.