OcaRina Hymn Ministry

HOW DO I BOOK YOUR SERVICES?  
Please email me at chromaticdreamers@gmail.com to discuss the date, song requests, and rates. Once we both agree, you will pay a deposit fee via PayPal, Ko-Fi or e-Transfer. 

HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE FOR YOUR SERVICES? 
As a general guideline, you can expect my base price to be between $75-$100/hour, depending on if it’s a smaller more casual gig, or something bigger and more formal. This price includes as many memorized songs as you like. Additional familiar songs are $5 for normal hymns, $10 for contemporary hymns. Brand new songs would be $10-$30, depending on if sheets are available or not, the length of the song, and the difficulty of the piece. If I can take the TTC there, it will only cost you an extra $10 for transportation. If the event is outside Toronto, I would require an Uber, and thus would give you an estimate rate once I know the location. I’m willing to go as low as $50/hour flat for a regular gig that only requires memorized hymns and is close to home (North York, west of Yonge street). 

If you would like me to use backing tracks, this would be an added $100+ as it would require a lot of extra time to find, test, and download suitable recordings, and to arrange them in a playlist for the event. If I have to bring my own microphone and speakers, I would let you know the additional cost as it is dependent on the size of your venue. I have a microphone and a small amp that could work for smaller rooms, but I would need to rent if it is a bigger venue. If you would like me to be part of a duet (i.e. with a pianist), band, or ensemble, I would like to get in touch with the other musicians first to see if their music fits the range of my instrument, along with the difficulty and length of the pieces, and if they would have group rehearsals before the event. I would then see your budget for musicians and see if my potential cut would work for what is required of me. 

For weddings and other big events, I will charge a flat fee of $350+ as I would need lots of days to rehearse and will keep the whole day reserved for you. The final price would depend on location, number of songs, backing tracks, required gear, if I need a new wardrobe and/or my hair professionally done, and so on. I would also offer a similar flat rate if you’d like me to be a session musician for a recording or gig. 

HOW MANY SONGS CAN I CHOOSE? 
Technically, as much as you’d like! Realistically, it would depend on the length of your event and how much repetition you’re okay with. In general, most hymns are between 2-4 minutes, so if you’d like me to play full hymns, I could play about 8-10 every half hour, 16-20 every hour. If this was background music and people aren’t going to pay much attention, or various people will be in and out during the time of my set, you can ask me to replay hymns or lengthen each song to save yourself money.  On the other hand, if you want me to make my set more engaging, or you have a lot of hymn requests from individuals, I could shorten each hymn to only 2 verses, making them 1-2 minutes each, and thus, you could fit about 40-45 hymns in the same hour! Please also be aware of the costs when making your request: Memorized Songs are free, Familiar Songs are $5-$10 each, and New Songs are $10-30 each depending on the length and difficulty. 

CAN I PICK HYMNS NOT ON YOUR LIST? 
Of course! The songs above are simply songs I’m most familiar with as I grew up with them, are playing them at my current church, or have chosen to learn them for my own enjoyment. If you can find sheets for your hymn on Hymnary.org along with a Youtube recording where it is sung so I can become more familiar with the rhythm and feel of the song, I can certainly learn the hymn for you. If you only have sheets, I can still learn by just reading, but it will take a little more time to ensure I got the rhythm and feel right. If you have no sheets, as long as I have a recording or video to reference (preferably in the key you desire), I can always learn it by ear, but that will take additional time to transcribe and/or memorize it. 

CAN YOU DO SONGS OUTSIDE OF HYMNS? 
Yes! The Japanese Christian Song “Hanamo” (Flowers) above is an example of a non-hymn/contemporary song that I learned by ear in my first couple months of playing the instrument. As long as they are Christian songs (and preferably theologically accurate), I can technically learn any song. However, depending on the vocal range and key of the song, there is a small possibility that my instrument will not be able to hit the highest or lowest notes, so I will listen and test it before agreeing to it. There is a chance I could still make it playable by transposing it (making it higher or lower), but that won’t be an option if you’d like me to play with a backing track. Also be aware that most contemporary songs don’t have sheet music available, or they are behind a paywall, so I will likely learn to play them by ear, but that will take more time and energy. Thus why I will be charging $10-30 per new song added, depending on if sheets are available, the length of the song, and the difficulty of the piece. 

DO I HAVE TO PICK EVERY SONG I WANT? CAN YOU CHOOSE FOR ME? 
It really is up to you. Some people only want songs they or their loved ones know and desire to pick. Others are fine with anything, as long as they are hymns. You also have the option to pick a handful of hymns you really want and allow me to play whatever else for the remainder of the event. You also have the option to leave it up to me, but I will inquire about the audience and consider the type of event when choosing my setlist, for example, uplifting songs for weddings, slow and meditative songs for funerals, most popular hymns for elderly, more contemporary hymns for youth, etc. If given free rein, I will generally stick to the songs I have memorized, unless you’ve invested some budget into familiar songs as well. 

WHEN ARE YOU AVAILABLE? WHAT’S YOUR SCHEDULE LIKE?  
I work from home and have a pretty flexible job, so I can be available anytime Monday to Friday if given at least a few days notice to alert my supervisors. I generally avoid going out on Saturdays as it is my Sabbath (day of rest), but for a worthy cause where I can comfort, edify, or encourage the saints, I’m willing to go out and serve. I am occupied with church between 10:00AM-1:30PM on Sundays, and 7:00PM-9:30PM Wednesdays, so I will not be available during those times as I value serving and fellowshipping with my local church family.   

HOW MUCH ADVANCED NOTICE DO YOU NEED?  
In general, I would like at least 2 weeks’ notice for bookings, but if it is urgent, as is the case for most funerals, and you’re fine with my memorized hymn list, a week or even a few days is certainly possible if my schedule is open. On top of the expected two weeks, I may need additional time based on number of familiar/new songs you’d like me to learn, if you’d like me to use backing tracks, if you want me to bring my own microphone and speakers, and if I need to buy a wardrobe to fit in with the aesthetic.   

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU NEED TO PLAY?  
That depends on a few things. If it’s a small-medium sized room and you are only picking songs from my memorized list, I won’t need anything besides my ocarina. The ocarina has wonderful projection that doesn’t need amplification. If you would like any other hymns or songs, I would need a music stand for my sheet music/hymnal, but I can bring my own. At most, I may request a chair if the set is longer than 30 minutes or I’m just playing in the background. 

If you have a bigger venue or are hosting an event outside (ie wedding cocktail hour), a microphone and speaker/amplifier may be needed depending on if you want the hymns to be background music, or you want everyone to hear and be engaged. If you would like me to play alongside backing tracks, then I would definitely need a mic and speaker to play the tracks and to ensure the track doesn’t over power the ocarina. 

HOW FAR ARE YOU WILLING TO TRAVEL FOR AN EVENT OR GIG?  
This depends on a few things. For one, I do not have my own car, so I rely on public transit and generally prefer to stay within Toronto (TTC Territory) as it is the most cost effective and convenient; however, I am certainly more than willing to travel around the GTA area and even further if you are willing to cover my transportation (Uber) fees and the additional time needed to make it to your event. 

CAN YOU PLAY WITH A BAND/ACCOMPANIMENT?
Of course! I am a trained musician, and the majority of my performances have been with other musicians, whether it’s drumline in school, my band at venues and conventions, or worship teams at church. I have experience playing with other musicians or accompanying singers, and I can play to drum tracks and piano recordings. If you would like me to play with other musicians, I would like to be put in contact with them to ensure we are all following the same sheet music or key for the songs. It is also worth it to have a rehearsal before the gig, either days before or the morning of, to ensure we are one unit. I’ve created a playlist of others playing the ocarina alone, with other musicians, and with backing tracks for better reference. 

DO YOU SOUND BETTER SOLO OR WITH A BACKING TRACK? 
I’m not being biased, but the ocarina is an instrument that can certain stand on its own, similar to the flute, violin, and piano.  Playing alone also allows me more freedom to add expression to the song, such as holding notes longer, or playing slower/faster depending on the mood, and I could transition between songs smoothly or improvise between hymns. However, I will admit that solo performances are better suited for shorter sets (15-30 minutes), or as background music for weddings and funerals.  I’ve created a playlist of others playing the ocarina alone, with other musicians, and with backing tracks for better reference. 

As for backing tracks, I personally don’t have any in my personal collection at the moment. I can certainly get backing tracks for your event, however, this would be an added cost per song for you, and I would like additional time to gather, test, download, and arrange them on a device to ensure things are seamless at your event. I also would have to play the song strictly as tracks wait for no one. So if you would like a more intimate and engaging session, it would be better I play alone, but if you are looking for background music, like at a cafe or during cocktail hour at a wedding, backing tracks may be preferred. 

ARE YOU WILLING OR ABLE TO INTERACT WITH THE AUDIENCE?  
I’m willing, but I’m certainly not the best at public speaking. I’ve been on stage easily over 100 times in my life, but I’ve only had to speak to the crowd a handful of times, and even then, I had a prepared speech. However, I’ve certainly grown since then and would love to work more on my stage presence. I don’t mind introducing the name of the songs or asking people how they’re doing, or even sharing some verses that come to mind, but I would prefer someone else to host and engage while I focus on my playing.  

CAN YOU PLAY GUITAR FOR MY EVENT? 
While I have played guitar publicly over 50 times in the past, and performed on various stages, from churches, to venues, to conventions, and even a festival, I still consider myself a late beginner, so it still takes me a lot of time and energy to learn songs well enough to avoid mistakes; therefore, I am not offering that service to the public at this time. I think there are many talented guitarists with a wider catalogue and a larger skillset (lead guitar, fingerstyle, classical) who are more suitable for big events and more worth your money. While I have been playing the ocarina for a fraction of the time I played guitar, I played the clarinet and recorder in my school days, and thus I was able to advance a lot faster. Additionally, I play 4 hymns at church each week, learning 1-2 new songs each time, so not only do I have a much bigger repertoire on the ocarina, but I also have more confidence that I can learn hymns quickly and play them well under pressure.