What is an independent ensemble?

1.
Formation: Independent ensembles are founded by musicians.

Independent ensembles always arise from the initiative of musicians. Or at least, I’m not aware of any case in which this was not the case, or in which the musicians’ ideas did not at least play a decisive role in the formation of the ensemble. Often, the founding members know each other from their studies, from joint orchestra projects, or from master classes. And at some point, these musicians develop artistic ideas and goals that require a flexible structure to bring them to life. An independent ensemble offers precisely this flexibility. Additionally, if musicians want to pursue a specific musical direction—such as historically informed performance practice—this is usually only possible within an independent ensemble, since other structures do not offer this level of specialization.

2.
Professionalism: Independent ensembles are professional ensembles (or, to put it another way: independent ensembles are not amateur or non-professional music groups).

»And what do you do for a living?« is a question that musicians in independent ensembles are still asked today. Anyone who plays in an independent ensemble rather than a state orchestra must simply be an amateur musician who hasn't made it yet. Wrong. Independent ensembles are part of professional musical life. They are made up of highly qualified musicians who earn their living this way—just like in a state orchestra. It’s very important to realize this. Otherwise, independent ensembles will be lumped into the category of amateur music, fall through the cracks in funding programs, for example, or simply be forgotten.

3.
Independence and Ownership: The musicians in an independent ensemble are not employees. They own the business.

Aside from state-funded orchestras, the specific characteristics of independent ensembles can also be made clear through comparison with other forms of organization. An independent ensemble is run by a private legal entity. This entity is made up of the musicians themselves, who are, for example, partners in a civil law partnership (GbR) or a limited liability company (GmbH). So the musicians are not employees but are self-employed. They own the organization. A state-funded orchestra is different: the sponsoring entity is the public sector (for example, a federal state or a municipality), and the musicians in a state orchestra are employees. The organization does not belong to the musicians.
 

4.
Grassroots democracy: In independent ensembles, musicians make decisions collectively.

Independent ensembles are characterized by a unique decision-making and working structure that has a lot to do with how they are founded. When musicians decide to form an ensemble together, a different kind of motivation emerges when it comes to building the ensemble and shaping its work, from both an artistic and structural perspective. To put it simply: the musicians make the decisions for their ensemble. And they generally do so collectively and within structures shaped by grassroots democratic principles. This can take many different forms: regular meetings of all members (from monthly to biannually), internal committees and working groups (e.g., program committees for artistic planning), and fixed-term mandates such as elected artistic directors or executive directors. In this way, each ensemble builds its own structure in which any member who wishes to can participate and in which the principles of grassroots democracy, individual decision-making, and the demands of the fast-paced music business are brought together.

5.
Funding: Independent ensembles are funded through a combination of performance fees, grants, and other sources of income.

And who pays for all of this? Independent ensembles are funded through a complex mix of fees from performance engagements, public and private grants, and other sources of income (e.g., ticket sales from their own events). Securing ongoing funding is the biggest challenge for an independent ensemble because there is very little continuity or security. This is partly due to funding policies in Germany. Independent ensembles are part of the independent arts scene, which is primarily funded through project grants. This means that funding is provided for individual artistic projects running within a specific time frame. Organizational structures and expenses as well as long-term projects tend to fall through the cracks. One reason for this is a misunderstanding—more on this in Fact Six:

6.
Long-term commitment and core members: Independent ensembles operate on a long-term basis and maintain consistent structures.

The idea that independent ensembles are loose collectives that get together for a project, disband, and then reunite three years later with a completely different group of musicians is a persistent misconception. Independent ensembles are not loose associations. They have a core group of musicians—musicians who, for example, commit to their ensemble as members on a long-term basis and form its backbone. These core groups of members are designed to ensure continuity. Of course, ensembles change membership over the years, but they do not function like project groups with constantly shifting members. Many people are unaware of this, and this is a problem, especially when it comes to shaping the framework for funding policies. After all, long-term structures require long-term funding options. And that brings us to Fact Seven:

7.
Risk: Independent ensembles have virtually no safety net—and the musicians bear the risk.

You may have guessed it already: Self-management, independent musicians, a difficult financial situation: unfortunately, the financial risk faced by independent ensembles is very high. This is even more difficult because, due to the private ownership structure involved, the musicians bear the full financial risk. Independent ensembles are thus constantly faced with the tension between artistic success on the one hand and a lack of financial security on the other.

8.
Diversity: Independent ensembles exist in all genres and sizes.

But let’s end on a positive note. After all, the diversity of the independent ensemble scene is unparalleled. Independent ensembles come in all sizes, across all genres, and span all generations. They shape the musical life of the present and the future. Their work stands for artistic innovation, structural and entrepreneurial courage, and social reflection. Within agile structures, they create new models of collective responsibility in which musicians jointly shape artistic, entrepreneurial, and strategic leadership. In doing so, they embody the vibrant practice of a diverse, constantly evolving musical culture. They provide new impetus, expand the repertoire, preserve traditions, challenge performance practices, develop concert formats, and bring to light the musical traditions of our pluralistic society.

According to a FREO baseline study, 85 independent ensembles have established themselves in the city-state of Berlin alone. The actual number is likely much higher, since due to the structures described above independent ensembles are much more difficult to account for than other organizations. They, too, make Berlin what it is (and will hopefully continue to be). They ensure a diverse range of offerings within Berlin’s music scene—both for the audience and as clients for professional musicians. They are active in experimental music theater, contemporary music, trans-traditional music, improvised music, early music, the classical-romantic repertoire, jazz, and many other music »genres« that cannot easily be described with a single label.

This diversity is worth fighting for and working toward. And when the question »An independent ensemble—what is that?« is followed by the follow-up question »Why do we need them?«, I suggest we consider all those areas where it is primarily the independent ensembles that ensure a diverse range of offerings.

This list of facts could be expanded to include dozens more points. Without independent ensembles, our music scene would be less diverse, bold, and experimental—and different perspectives and musical traditions would not receive sufficient visibility. That is why we need independent ensembles. And that is why we need to understand the structures and specific characteristics of independent ensembles. I hope these eight facts have given you a better understanding of the »independent ensemble« model. And I’d be even happier if you’d help us spread these facts far and wide! So that more people know what you now know. And so that the independent ensemble scene is seen, heard, and protected.

About FREO

FREO – Freie Ensembles und Orchester in Deutschland e.V. was founded ten years ago as a network and political voice for independent ensembles and orchestras in Germany, with the aim of raising the profile of the »independent ensemble« model and bringing together the needs of the scene. In this role, FREO, among other things, shares insights into how independent ensembles and orchestras operate, what defines them, the challenges they face on a daily basis, and the potential they bring to the music landscape and society.