Frequently Asked Questions
What instruments do you have in the orchestra?
All sections of the orchestra are represented in Magik*Magik, including strings (violin, viola, cello and bass), brass (trumpet, horn, trombone, bass trombone, tuba), winds (piccolo, flute, oboe, english horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon), percussion, harp and piano. We also have contacts to individual singers and children's choirs, who have been included in past Magik*Magik projects.
How much will this cost?
Your project budget will depend on the number of musicians or composers your project requires and the number of songs/hours you require them for. We will work closely with you to craft budget that works for you and also works for our musicians so that everyone gets something great out of the experience.
For recording sessions, our musicians and conductors cost $100/hr. We have a 2-hour minimum for all musicians and conductors. We require a conductor for every recording session to maximize the time booked with the ensemble.
For live concerts, musician fees will be determined based on the number of rehearsals required and the length of the call on the performance day. Musician fees for live concerts start at $175 per musician for a performance with a short day-of rehearsal and go up according to the special needs of the client.
If you would like help composing and notating sheet music, you will need to hire an arranger. Arrangement fees vary depending on song length and intricacy from $200/song to $600/song depending on how many instruments require parts and how many rounds of revisions are required. PDFs of all arrangements are given to the artists at the end of the project.
Who are your conductors?
For recording sessions, you will be paired with a Magik*Magik staff conductor. For live shows that require conductor, we bring in an outside guest conductor. We have worked with some of the Bay Area's best conductors including Michael Morgan, Donato Cabrera, Cheche Alara, Ming Luke, Benjamin Shwartz, John Kennedy, Daniel Stewart, Ben Johns and Andrew Whitfield.
I don't have a large budget, can I still hire Magik*Magik?
Yes. We work with all sizes of budget for shows and recording sessions. We have worked within budgets as low as $200, and pride ourselves on the flexibility to provide a professional and inspiring experience for projects of all sizes. We will work within each artists' allotted budget to suggest the best use of funds to create the best sounding result.
I don't have any budget, can I still hire Magik*Magik?
Sadly, we do not accept non-paying projects. If you are a non-profit group hiring music for a fundraiser, we offer a discounted rate for such events. Since Magik*Magik only hires full-time professional musicians, we will never agree to a gig that would not let us to pay them for their time.
Do you have Magik*Magik in other cities?
We currently only have Magik*Magik represented in San Francisco. Magik*Magik has performed in other cities, but in those cases musicians from San Francisco were flown by the bands to these cities to perform.
Do you only record at Tiny Telephone?
No. Although most of our sessions do take place at Tiny Telephone, if your session requires a live ensemble of more than 15 players, we recommend either Fantasy or Trilogy Studios. We have also recorded out of Different Fur and Tarpan Studios.
I don't live in the Bay Area. Can I still have Magik*Magik contribute to my record?
Yes. Every now and again, we are approached by a band that will need to work remotely with Magik*Magik. In those cases, the band and arranger work closely on demos and mockups before the recording day. After the session is completed, we send the band all the audio files via a file sharing site, or if the session is too large, we FedEx you a hard drive with your files on it. We have worked remotely with bands from Portland, New York, London, Dallas, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Brussels, as well as bands traveling on the road.
How do I join Magik*Magik as a musician?
Most new musicians join Magik*Magik by recommendation of a current member. We are currently not holding auditions. If you would like introduce yourself or send a resume, kindly do so to minna@magikmagik.com
Can I intern for Magik*Magik?
We interview intern candidates for Magik*Magik every Fall and Spring semester. Internships are for college credit only. If you are interested in applying, please email a resume and short email of introduction to internship@magikmagik.com.