The New Orleans City Council is set to consider new legislation guaranteeing a minimum pay rate for musicians performing at city-sponsored events. Announced by Council President Helena Moreno and Vice President JP Morrell, the proposal will be reviewed at the July 17 Economic Development Committee meeting.
The ordinance, which can be read here, ensures musicians and bands receive at least $200 per musician per hour for performances funded by public money. For larger acts with 10 or more musicians, the minimum payment is set at $2,000 per performance. The ordinance allows for higher payments depending on contracts and includes vocalists, DJs, and conductors in its definition of musicians.
However, the proposal excludes “non-musical accompaniment” roles such as backup dancers, sound technicians, and managers. These non-musician roles may still receive compensation for specific tasks like loading, unloading, and sound checks, based on agreed-upon rates.
Volunteer groups, such as school music groups or choirs, are not covered by this legislation.
The Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans (MaCCNO) took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to celebrate not one, but three points of legislation, that were set into motion at this week’s meeting. “A big day at @NOLACityCouncil! First, we are proud to have collaborated with @HelenaMorenoLA and her staff on this proposed ordinance, introduced today, that if passed will set a guaranteed minimum wage for musicians at city funded events,” the account shared. “Next, the City Council unanimously passed a resolution we worked on with @JPMorrell and his team that explicitly states street performers will not be affected by the Essence Fest ‘Clean Zone’ and that the right to play music in the streets is protected by the First Amendment.” They added that “Finally, we have been part of the Save Our Soul Coalition since its inception during the protests against moving City Hall to Armstrong Park. Today, the City Council approved a CEA between SOSC and the City to help guide the redevelopment of the Municipal Auditorium.”
As OffBeat has previously reported (and advocated for the unionization of local musicians), one of the biggest challenge sNew Orleans musicians currently face is a guaranteed rate of pay for live performances at music clubs. While the new ordinance addresses city-sponsored events, many musicians continue to struggle with inconsistent pay and lack of financial security in the vibrant but unpredictable club scene. In 2017, bassist James Markaway wrote to OffBeat about the issue, stating, “I am somewhat dismayed that you can still hear cheesy versions of ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’ and ‘Mustang Sally’ on Bourbon Street, and you can still find gigs for $50. In fact, you can find gigs for less. When I moved on from that first gig in 1972 with the $200 quartet, I eventually joined the Musicians’ Union. In retrospect, that was fortuitous for me. Had all of the gigs I have played in my life been filed with the union, I would be receiving a five-figure pension now; instead, it’s much, much less.”
