Light entrepreneurship fits the soul of the musician

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Light entrepreneurship fits the soul of the musician
Articles  »  Light entrepreneurship fits the soul of the musician

Musician Anthony Dawoud says that light entrepreneurship has already found its way into music circles. As a result, he no longer wants to start his own business.

Using a billing service is easy for a musician

Musician Anthony Dawoud, 27, is a familiar face to Helsinki’s nightlife. When he’s not performing at troubadour gigs in restaurants, he can be found at his recording studio in Vallila.

“My work is completely gig. I do everything independently and bill for my work as a light entrepreneur. I’m a multi-instrumentalist and have been touring since I was 16. This is what I want to do,” says Anthony.

“I was already setting up my business name but ended up as a light entrepreneur. This makes handling taxes, insurance, and other practical matters easier. I’ve made a solution that works for me, and I don’t even feel I need my own company anymore.”

Unlike many of his colleagues, Anthony doesn’t have a programming office. However, he says it is by no means the only one that works that way. Light entrepreneurship has also begun to find its way into music circles. Buying a gig from a fair entrepreneur is also effortless for the customer.

“Using a billing service replaces a program office in many ways, as bureaucracy and paperwork are taken care of by themselves, and it is easy for the customer to order the service with a business ID. On the downside, without a program office, there is no machinery to do the sales or gig preparations for me. Then even a big slice of the revenue would go to the program office. As such, I do not criticize program agencies, I consider it fair to pay for good service, but I prefer to pay only for the billing service.”

Freedom and responsibility go hand in hand

Making music is a creative job that shouldn’t squeeze into too tight a frame. For Anthony, the best thing about working is setting your working hours. He has also experienced a more traditional working model, with work done five days a week from eight to four.

“A musician always needs a couple of weekdays free in the middle of the week. The results come if you get to delve into the music without rushing. Melodies and songs are created during quiet time in the studio. Unfortunately, when I did my day’s work, I easily ended up spending two hours in the studio after a second-hour start, and the longer 16-hour days got tough,” says Anthony.

The other side of freedom is always a responsibility. In the worst times of the corona pandemic, it seemed to create the worst possible way for the creators of the industry. Everything stopped, and many lost their livelihoods.

“As a free musician, I am always responsible for having to get gigs and employ myself. Therefore, the series must not be interrupted to maintain an adequate livelihood.”

The culture sector needs a long time to recover from Corona

Anthony says he is one of the lucky ones among the musicians who didn’t get into any trouble.”Coincidentally, I had started daytime work just a few days before the coronary situation escalated in March 2020. So the gigs ended for me, but I just did something else.

The recovery of the music and culture industry will take a long time. So even though he is now touring and living without gathering restrictions, Anthony sees a need for longer-term thinking. “The industry took a brutal hit, and only now does it feel like everything is starting to get easier. Although there is already light at the end of the tunnel, the situation for festivals next summer, for example, is still very uncertain. Public support should continue “

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