Open Forum

Hey everyone, we are in the process of trying to rethink how we compensate our musical director/ choreographer. Would be helpful to have a sense from the community so we can go to admin as informed as possible. Have a few seconds to answer a few questions?

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Nick Hoffa
Drama Director
South Pasadena High School
CA
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Our music director is typically part of the staff (choir director) but sometimes we have to hire someone else because they are too busy.  Our choreographer has always been someone from the outside community.

Working on the musical or plays is not part of anyone's job description -- not even mine.

We pay them from the production budget (i.e., ticket sales) or from money raised by the parent boosters.

I have a small supplemental contract that I earn with the first play of the year. with the latest teacher's contract, a second theatre supplement was created that pays about half of mine. I can apply that to whomever I choose (I assume).

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Mark A. Zimmerman,

Theatre Director
Akron School for the Arts
Firestone Community Learning Center
470 Castle Blvd
Akron, Ohio 44313

Troupe 5570

mzimmerm@apslearns.org
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Our district has been very supportive of the arts. Several years ago we went as a group of professionals to explain what was needed. We have stipends on a sliding scale of responsibility( based on percentage x base salary) Director, Assistant Director, Orchestra Director, and technical director.

Before that, only a director and orchestra existed and we just shared our stipends with other’s needed.

I pay a choreographer from my stipend if we do hire an adult. Most times a volunteer step up and we have a talented group of 10+ year student dancers because of our Warriorettea and Warrior Girls competing groups.

Christy Barker
Sent from iphone


Original Message:
Sent: 8/12/2023 7:31:00 AM
From: Mark Zimmerman
Subject: RE: how do you pay your music directors and choreographers

Our music director is typically part of the staff (choir director) but sometimes we have to hire someone else because they are too busy.  Our choreographer has always been someone from the outside community.

Working on the musical or plays is not part of anyone's job description -- not even mine.

We pay them from the production budget (i.e., ticket sales) or from money raised by the parent boosters.

I have a small supplemental contract that I earn with the first play of the year. with the latest teacher's contract, a second theatre supplement was created that pays about half of mine. I can apply that to whomever I choose (I assume).

------------------------------
Mark A. Zimmerman,

Theatre Director
Akron School for the Arts
Firestone Community Learning Center
470 Castle Blvd
Akron, Ohio 44313

Troupe 5570

mzimmerm@apslearns.org
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Hi Nick,

I receive a small supplement to produce "drama activities."  I do one full-length musical in the spring as one of those "activities."  I try to make that show as practical as possible by structuring my lesson planning around it (script analysis lessons, tech theatre, and even business/marketing).  This is one of the reasons my administration has been so supportive of our program.

I am lucky to have a wonderful choral director that enjoys working as our music director.  I pay her a flat fee (based on the previous year's ticket sales).  She often donates a portion of that back to the program because she's just that good.

In addition, one of our English teachers loves musical theatre and plays piano at her church.  She approached me several years ago and volunteered her skills. She functions as our rehearsal pianist, and plays in the pit when we can afford a live band.  I pay her a small honorarium of a couple of hundred dollars.  She also helps recruit other adult musicians to flesh out our pit and I pay them a couple of hundred dollars for doing so.  Again, they often donate some of that money back to the program because they have so much fun working with our kids.

Our choreographer is a professional dancer and instructor.  Many of my students have studied with her since they were little.  She comes in a couple of Saturdays and lays out the large production numbers.  I have a couple of students function as Dance Captains to run the dance rehearsals once she teaches them the choreography.  I pay her a flat fee as well.

Because I have heard too many "horror stories" about booster clubs gone awry, I make sure that my administration is involved in all of the decisions regarding these payments.  In over 15 years, no one has said they won't do the shows because they felt the money was too small.  As professional performer myself, I understand the necessity of being fairly compensated for one's work.  

Good luck with it!!!

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Josh Ruben, M. Ed.
Fine Arts Head
Northwest Whitfield HS (dba, The Northwest Theatre Co.)
Tunnel Hill, GA
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In our district I receive a yearly stipend (although calculating the stipend per hour of work would make me sad so I just don't do it). It doesn't specifically say for how many shows, activities, etc it is for, just that it is for the Drama Director. I direct a play and a musical every year.

Other district paid stipends are:

-Technical Theatre Director (both shows)

For the musical only:

-Music Director

-Choreographer

-Instrumental Director (pit band)

-Accompanist

I am very lucky to have 5 paid positions but when I look at other coaches and their stipends and coaching staff I wonder where the equity is and am currently working on adding a costumer on staff and raising the stipend pay scale as it bottoms out at 10 years (and I am in year 23) and only raises if the base pay for teachers goes up. 

All of my staff is in house except for the TD & choreographer, although there were difficult years where I hired outside of the building. 

We also fill out the pit with professionals if needed and that comes out of my ticket sales.

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Julie Estrada, MEd
Theatre teacher and director
Windsor High School
Windsor, Colorado
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How much are your sports coaches paid, is my question…  If you refer to your professionals as theatre "coaches" it can help your admin better understand what's involved, and why these people are important to the education of your students.  In my freebie Resource Library is an editorial titled "Theatre "Coaches"" that provides you with a conversation to have with your admin.  You can download it (along with 8 more articles) for free at https://www.presett.org/resourcelibrary.html.

I hope this helps anyone looking to have the conversation with their admin about leveling up support and funding of your program!

Beth

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Beth Rand, EBMS

NEW!! A TMT tutorial just for your admin!

And, lots of FREE RESOURCES to help you level up your admin's support and funding of your school theatre operations
www.PRESETT.org

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beth@PRESETT.org
Westminster, CO
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We have just been able to add a stipend for our music/pit director. However, we have been using our production budget to pay for additional musicians when we don't the students that can play a particular instrument, and our choreographer is outside of the school.

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James Smith
Ridgewood High School
Illinois
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