Essex's Tune Up the Parks to proceed with unpaid performers
Following a committee meeting to hear out the concerns of area musicians, the Town of Essex will proceed with unpaid performers at this summer's Tune Up the Parks concert series.
Last month, Essex's call for volunteers sparked a spirited online discussion from musicians upset that the town does not offer financial compensation to performers.
Members of the Arts, Culture and Tourism Committee heard from professional area musician Kristopher Marentette — who launched a Change.org petition last month — at the Essex Centre Sports Complex on Wednesday evening.
Despite his request, Cynthia Cakebread, the town's manager of recreation and culture, said there is no budget to pay performers this year.
“Based on how the events have been budgeted, we are going through with the status quo,” Cakebread told the Star, adding the town has to ensure it can also afford an array of other scheduled events.
“In the future, we'll have discussions at the administrative level and see if there are different types of basic funding available for the 2025 season.”
Marentette told the Star that he signed up as a delegate to find a compromise with the town.
“I was just asking that, for a community or commercial event that is not a fundraiser and not for charity, performers need to be compensated for their time, regardless of their level of skill or pedigree,” Marentette told the Star. “They're doing a job for you.” His petition, which has amassed nearly 300 signatures, calls on the town to pay performers.
Essex has hosted Tune Up the Parks for the last decade, a well-attended event celebrating local musicians in Essex's outdoor venues.
This year's concert series features 16 performances throughout July and August, with eight in Colchester on Monday evenings and eight in Essex on Wednesdays.
Cakebread said the committee has already received about 30 applicants to fill the slots.
“We are looking for amateurs, but we don't specify that,” she said.
“We're not running a festival. We're saying, if you're interested in playing, and you're available, we can help you out.”
However, Marentette said the impact of not paying talent “is larger than people realize.”
“It fosters the spirit of hobbyism or volunteerism among these young folks that should be shown that they can make a living doing the thing that they're passionate about.”
He said it also gives venues an excuse to “undercut” musicians, as they may opt for free performers instead.
During the meeting, Marentette encouraged the town to pursue event sponsorships.
Cakebread said the town is open to sponsors, but added that they are a small volunteer committee with limited resources and knowhow to facilitate such arrangements.
“They're not sponsorship seekers or grant writers,” she said.
Despite the town's choice to continue with the status quo this year, Marentette told the Star he feels “somewhat optimistic” they could find a path forward in the future.
“No one is trying to stop anybody from doing the event,” he said. “No one wants to boycott. We just want to have a conversation about how to make it better going forward.”