Re: How do you organize your time between clients for maximum value?
Personally I enjoy the variety and flexibility over a set schedule. I have my weekend club gig which is basically my fun, no stress gig where I mix pretty much every type of music except metal. It's a great variety compared to the rock/indie clubs I've worked at in the past and I can always sub it out if I get a higher paying gig. Then I freelance for concert and corporate companies that obviously pay more, and do the odd bit of touring.
I've been a full time club guy at one club and then one day with zero warning I get a text saying its been shut down. So these days I'm much more reluctant to have all my eggs in one basket. Both have their pro's and cons but generally one thing I enjoy about my situation making my living as a sound guy is one day I'll be wearing a suit mixing a discussion about the civil war at the New York Historical Society, later that night mixing reggae bands and world music at my club gig in Harlem, the next day an outdoor show in Central Park, the next day a fashion show etc...I find that it's much harder for me to get bored or burnt out when working compared to being in the same place every day/night.
On the flip side, the only guaranteed income I have is the club gig, which itself is not enough. Some months are better than others but generally I find, (at least when living in a place like NYC) that the longer I'm here and the more contacts I make, the more consistent the choice freelance gigs become, and the more picky I can be when choosing my schedule and taking or declining gigs that are offered. So the concern of having enough work becomes less worrisome as time goes on. In short, for me, the variety is one of my favorite aspects of what we do. Some of the gigs suck, some are great, but that's life in general.
