Insurance for a mandolin orchestra

[bohemianbiker]

Our orchestra has been rehearsing weekly at a church for decades. The church has never charged us for this privilege (although we do give them a small token of appreciation at the end of each year), and overall the this church has been very good to us in numerous ways.

We are not the only organization that the church allows to use their facitlity. The Boy Scouts also meet there, and there may be others. Recently the church told us that their insurance company is telling them that they have to get groups that use the church to get liability insurance, and that includes us.

Our orchestra is small (about 20 regulars), with a small budget. While we don't have any quotes yet, this may become the biggest item in our budget. We've been in existence since 1923, and as far as anyone knows, we've never needed insurance or been sued (and some of our members have been with the orchestra for, oh, maybe 40 years, so we have some instutional memory).

It seems like we have a million questions about all this, a few of which are: do any other orchestras have insurance? How much do you pay? From which companies should we look? Can we get a policy that just covers us for activities at the church? Appreciate any advice. bb

[margora]

To my knowledge (and I am the current president) the Providence Mandolin Orchestra does not have such insurance; the church where we currently rehearse has not asked us to obtain it. On the other hand, I have played some concerts recently where the promoter expected that the group would have such insurance, and it was obtained in these situations on a case-by-case basis.

I wonder if the church where you rehearse charged you "rent" (and did so for the other groups) it might be able to obtain a blanket policy that would be less expensive than for each group to insure separately. I have no idea if this is possible.

[domradave]

I know the Long Island Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra has insurance because one of our members had a terrible fall at a rehabilitation center we rehearsed at. She had to sue the center to pay her medical bills so it was decided to get insurance and to get a new rehearsal space with more sympathy. I will ask about it at our next rehearsal and find out how it is done and what it costs. I know it was so much that we couldn't afford the insurance and pay our conductor's fee.

[mrmando]

We're looking into this in Seattle, not for our rehearsal space but for one of our concert venues.

[bohemianbiker]

Thanks for all the responses. Much appreciated.

Mrmando, I'd welcome any info you find out in the course of your inquiries. Thanks. bb

[AN Brown]

This might be flavour of the month with insurance companies. We allow various community groups to use space in our church halls. Our insurers have just required us to insist that each group has its own insurance rather than relying on ours.

[domradave]

I was mistaken. The Long Island Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra does not have, and never did, insurance. We couldn't pay our conductor because we didn't get enough gigs!

[Rob Meyer]

Our band was required to carry liability insurance by one of the festivals at which we perform. Subsequently we have found that other venues have required it as well. Ultimately each of us decided to obtain individual performers insurance as we perform as individuals outside of our band. I think the insurance is a good thing as it protects you in the event a patron is injured. This might seem unlikely, but does happen. People tripping over your gear, etc. Some of the stories of injuries are bizarre. and rather unpredicable. Individual policies for each member of an orchestra would be too expensive, but I was told that Cossio Insurance Agency (cossioinsurance.com) will work with musical groups to provide group policies. I have not dealt with them, but they come recommended by a friend. You might check them out.