Customer stories


Gemini Music Productions

Keeping in Tune

Music is art. But music is also business -- and for those who earn their living making music, it's essential to keep to a strict beat. That's why many top musical artists depend on Gemini Music Productions to keep their paperwork together -- and that's why Gemini Music Productions depends on FileMaker Pro, the award-winning database software application from FileMaker Inc.

Gemini Music Productions makes musical events happen -- not by playing the music themselves, but by making the arrangements for the musicians who do. "We're based in New York City, but we are not limited to the New York area," explains co-owner Neil Balm. The company's a partnership between two multi-talented musical veterans -- Neil is a Julliard-trained trumpeter who has performed with a variety of classical and Broadway orchestras as well as Peter Frampton, and cofounder Jonathan Haas is the principal timpanist for the New York Chamber Symphony and the Aspen Chamber Orchestra. Neil and Jonathan understand the business of music from both sides, and this helps Gemini Music Productions to provide customized services to its clients. "Services that we provide include personnel management for any size group, tour management, and payroll services including employer-of-record. Our contracting and payroll services are used by orchestras such as the Mostly Mozart Festival, New York Pops, and New York Chamber Symphony, as well as artists such as PDQ Bach, Andre Boccelli, the Three Irish Tenors, Diana Krall, Sarah Brightman, and Joni Mitchell -- to name a few."

Gemini's range of services offers performers an efficient, consolidated approach to handling their business arrangements. "We deal primarily with producers, promoters, directors, and leaders of groups or their managers. However, we also handle smaller events and interact with the artists themselves or a representative for the individual or event," Neil continues. "There really aren't any organizations that offer the full services that we do, so we are preferred for one-stop shopping."

FileMaker Pro helps keep it all organized. "We have a database of over 500 musicians from which we hire for specific events," Neil says. "We need to keep records of personal information, employment history, schedules, government records, and a payroll system. FileMaker has helped us enormously in terms of efficiency and accuracy in this regard. Keeping it straight and being able to integrate information from one corner to another was essential to us."

Gemini implemented the FileMaker Pro system three years ago, after considering its options. "We considered switching our entire office and its history over to an off-the-shelf PC program," admits Neil, "until we found that FileMaker could do this for us with much more customization. Ultimately it also saved us a substantial amount of money. We were very fortunate that our designer, Marianne Carroll, had a background in music and management. She understood our needs fully, and this enabled us to explore every facet of our needs and arrive at solutions without much trial and error."

Now, Gemini Music Productions runs about 64 FileMaker Pro databases, containing tens of thousands of records, available companywide over an internal network -- as well as easy access away from the office. "We are a relatively small company in terms of staff," Neil continues, "and this allows us to have quicker access to accurate information."

And that means better service to clients -- allowing those clients to focus less on the business of making music, and more on the art!



Contact information

Contact Info for Customer:

Neil Balm
Co-Owner
Gemini Music Productions
845-359-3776
nbalm@aol.com
http://www.geminimusic.com


Marianne Carroll
FSA Developer

212-927-1750
macarroll@earthlink.net


Filemaker Contact:

Kevin Mallon
Public Relations Manager
FileMaker Inc.
408-987-7227
kevin_mallon@filemaker.com
http://www.filemaker.com


Overview
  • "We need to keep records of personal information, employment history, schedules, government records, and a payroll system. FileMaker has helped us enormously in terms of efficiency and accuracy in this regard. Keeping it straight and being able to integrate information from one corner to another was essential to us." -- Neil Balm, Co-Owner, Gemini Music Productions
Industry
  • Creative Markets
  • Entertainment
  • Information Technology
  • Small Business