Performances + Events
Hire a Musician
NEC is known throughout New England for providing exceptional musicians for local events and occasions. Our instrumental and vocal musicians are accomplished in a range of genres, including classical, jazz, pop, and folk.
“They were incredible, perfectly flawless! I would absolutely use this service again.”
“The best man thought they were so good, he is going to hire NEC musicians for his wedding as well.”
“The musicians were professional, prepared, and provided the right balance of musical arrangements.”
Music Referral Service
NEC’s Music Referral Service (MRS) is hosted by the Entrepreneurial Musicianship (EM) Department, which maintains a gig database of opportunities. This is a valuable arts resource and a significant source of income for our students. The Entrepreneurial Musicianship Department hosts the Music Referral Service, which maintains a gig database of paid performance opportunities. This is a valuable arts resource for the community and a significant source of income for our students.
Contact Us
Hire a Musician MRS Student Information and RegistrationMusic Referral Service FAQ
The MRS is a place for patrons in New England to submit their events and have them shared with NEC student and alumni musicians to see. Students can easily search active opportunities via 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 event. ​
NEC students and alumni.
NEC trains musicians in classical and jazz genres as well as 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.
For further questions, please contact the MRS office at MRS@necmusic.edu or (617) 585-1170.
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. Our musicians charge standard professional rates, and we recommend a minimum of $125/hour per musician. As this is a service to NEC students and the New England community, our office does not take a percentage; 100% of the musician fee goes to the students.
If students are interested in your posting, they will reach out to you directly to learn specifics and move forward with booking.
If you hear from multiple students, feel free to select the student who best fits the needs of your event. If you continue hearing from students after you’ve already selected a musician for your event, email MRS at MRS@necmusic.edu to remove your posting.
Common reasons patrons do not hear from students include a lack of scheduling availability on your selected date, low pay offered, or especially long travel requirements. If these do not apply to your event, feel free to contact our office at MRS@necmusic.edu to discuss your posting. However, this is a referral service only, not a contracting service; we are not able to guarantee availability.
