There have been many instances in my professional career when I have been asked to play for free. These kinds of requests cause a mix of emotions for me. We have all seen the blog posts and rants by musicians spewing the phrase, “You can die from exposure!” But for the vast majority of harpists, both amateur and professional, the concept of playing for exposure is more complicated.

As harpists, it is our responsibility to craft our own careers. There is no straightforward and simple path that you might follow in order to achieve “harp hero” status. In my experience, the locations and institutions that are inclined to hire a harpist are ones that have already experienced how a musician (and particularly a harpist) can add a touch of glamour and elegance to an event and improve the general experience for their patrons. What is extremely rare is to book a gig at a venue or for a client for whom live music is an unknown quantity, particularly if you are asking for money. In my search for a solution to this problem I have come to the conclusion that perhaps playing for exposure has its benefits, but only in the right situation.

As a tool for making judgments on the merits of a performance that doesn’t pay, I ask myself the following questions:

  1. Is there potential in this experience to make a lasting business connection or to build an audience?
  2. Am I making things harder for my colleagues in the area by accepting this opportunity?
  3. By accepting this opportunity am I devaluing myself as a musician or person?

Question one follows in the lines of what we have been discussing up to this point. I know more than one harpist who has made a lasting business relationship with an establishment by offering a free demonstration of the services she is able to provide as a musician. But this is the question that presents the most unknown. It’s hard to know, going into a situation, what the true benefit might be.

When I first moved to Miami I was asked to donate a few hours to a legal aid banquet in return for my business card being printed in the program for the evening. I agreed in the hopes that this performance might lead to other work. I put on my nicest gown and went out of my way that evening to network with and meet as many people as possible. Since that event, I have received multiple performance opportunities through South Florida legal offices and, more importantly, have built lasting relationships with community members. These days, people are so busy and connected to their devices that new experiences are not always a priority. But by making the choice to play for free, I acquired one of the most elusive types of patron: the new audience member.

The second question isn’t something I had considered before I left school and entered the freelance world. In accepting an exposure gig, there is always the potential to set a precedent with that business contact and, in turn, anyone who learns of your donated services. This does a disservice to every musician in your area who is trying to make a living. It is a fact of life that everyone is out there looking for the best deal that they can get, and it is very easy to become a cog in that mighty machine. I never accept an exposure gig at a location or institution more than once. If someone is continually requesting work for free they obviously don’t value me as an artist or as a person.

The concept of value brings us to the third question. Regardless of your level of experience or education, you have to draw a line when it comes to valuing yourself and the services that you offer. This is the most personal part of the decision-making process for me. To accept an exposure performance as a professional harpist, I have to know that I am not going to feel any anger or resentment at any point during the preparation, planning, or performing of the gig. If my goal is to build potential business relationships and audience members, then I will be fully unsuccessful unless my heart is 100 percent on board.

Can you die from exposure? My general reaction to this statement is yes, yes you can. Performing for free has the potential to create a snowball effect that can follow you and have disastrous repercussions on the way musicians are valued in your area. Special consideration must always be taken when accepting this type of work, and we must always remember to value ourselves above all, or no one will. •