Carnegie Mellon University
School of Music

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CMU Musicians for Hire

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) School of Music regularly connects talented students with a range of off-campus paid performance opportunities.

To utilize this service, please share details about your event/opportunity by completing the form linked below. The CMU School of Music will review your information and then pass on your request to qualified musicians. Musicians who are interested and available will contact you to discuss details of your event. You and the musician can then finalize all logistics, including a contract if requested.

Clients are required to directly pay musicians a professional fee for performing at the event. CMU does not issue contracts and is not responsible for final negotiations between the client and musician; CMU only assists in connecting potential clients with musicians. However, if needed, after reviewing your form, the CMU School of Music can make suggestions based on guidelines set forth by the American Federation of Musicians that take into account the professional level of CMU musicians as well as your specific needs.

NOTE: This form is for hiring musicians for one-time/short-term performances. To share details about longer-term positions/opportunities or to request a teacher for private lessons, please contact Renée Govanucci.

Form for Clients to Complete

Note: The Carnegie Mellon University School of Music is not a contractor or a music management service. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) does not recommend specific students for specific opportunities. As such, it is the responsibility of the patron to submit requests that are relevant to their specific music service needs. It is the patron's responsibility to correspond with the responding students to determine which musician or ensemble is the best fit for the patron's music service needs. CMU is happy to post your opportunity as a courtesy but we cannot guarantee a student will be interested in or available for your event. Please review our FAQ below before confirming your request.

Frequently Asked Questions

Carnegie Mellon School of Music is known in the greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area for providing exceptional musicians for local events and occasions. The School of Music disseminates requests for musicians to eligible student musicians. It's a valuable arts resource for the community, and a significant source of income for our student population. ​
CMU Musicians for Hire is a way for patrons in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area to submit their events and have them shared for Carnegie Mellon University School of Music student and alumni musicians to see. Students can easily search active opportunities via their email notifications to find gigs that interest them. As the patron, you may receive emails from several interested students and will have the opportunity to choose who best suits your eve
Students and ensembles decide their own fees, which are negotiated between the patron and musicians. Fees depend on length of time, type of service, and number of musicians involved. We recommend a minimum of $125/hour per musician. Please note: our musicians charge standard professional rates. One hundred percent of the musician fee goes to the students. As this is a courtesy service to CMU students and the Pittsburgh community, the School of Music does not take a percentage. ​

If students are interested in your posting, they will reach out to you directly to learn more specifics and to move forward with booking.

If you hear from multiple students, feel free to select the student that's the best fit for your event. If you continue hearing from students after you have already selected a musician for your event, please inform Renée Govanucci (rgov@cnlawyer18.com) who will remove your posting. ​

Common reasons patrons do not hear from students include: lack of scheduling availability on your selected date, low pay offered, or especially long travel requirements. Note that this is a referral service only, not a contracting service; we are not able to guarantee availability. ​

Carnegie Mellon University School of Music trains musicians in classical and jazz genres, as well as in arranging, composition, and audio/sound engineering. Some musicians are also trained in contemporary improvisation (world music, rock/pop, folk, and gospel). On the page where you submit your request there are several instrument options to choose from. If you're looking for a specific instrument, please include that in your posting as well. 


Common requests for background music include:

Jazz piano/keyboard
Harp
Jazz trio
String quartet

Common requests for weddings, funerals, or church services include:

Harp
Piano/keyboard
Bagpipe
Voice & piano/harp
Violin & piano/harp
String Quartet (2 violins, viola, cello)
Wind Quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon)
Brass Quintet (2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba)

Please contact Renée Govanucci (rgov@cnlawyer18.com).