What is ORDER IN THE PIT?

ORDER IN THE PIT (OITP) is intended to be an educational resource for small or budding alternative bands and musicians to empower them as they navigate the inevitable legal side of the music industry and hopefully avoid common rookie mistakes. This is a passion project of the author. OITP is not a law firm and does not offer legal advice, but instead aims to:

i) demystify seemingly-complex legal jargon;
ii) alert readers as to the various legal issues they may encounter in the music industry;
iii) help readers understand why, when, and how to hire legal (and other) professionals; and
iv) create and provide a place where no question is stupid.

About the Author

Greetings! Guitarist, former street punk band member, live music fanatic, and attorney here. I grew up in a household of musicians who encouraged the arts, so we were all surprised when I became an attorney. One of my goals in attending law school was to obtain and share knowledge; specifically to assist those who may not be able to afford an attorney. Now that I’m settled into my career as an international tax attorney, it’s time to fulfill this greater purpose and give back to the scene that shaped me into the person I am.

How did OITP come to be? A friend and I started writing and sharing punk album reviews via text message in early 2024, just for fun. This friend encouraged me to put my thoughts and perspectives on music on social media, but I felt that space was already pretty saturated and I wasn’t keen on showcasing myself like that. However, this suggestion did get the wheels turning. Then I heard that an up-and-coming Canadian band had to cut their US tour short due to visa issues, and kept wondering, “did their immigration attorney fuck up? Do they even HAVE an immigration attorney? Could this issue have been avoided?” Worlds collided a few months later when another friend (an accountant with a production company) showed me a copy of an IRS letter relating to a non-US band’s tax withholding agreement with the IRS. Schedule “A” of the IRS letter listed the band’s tour schedule. I’d seen hundreds of IRS letters and withholding agreements, but never with regard to entertainers. Time stopped as I saw my professional world and music world combined in a single document. Thus began the brainstorming and planning that has resulted in OITP.

Why subscribe?

OITP is a passion project that is not intended to replace my day job or generate significant income. Pledges and donations will be used to recoup the costs of creating and maintaining OITP (design, website, promotional materials, time spent researching, writing, and consulting, etc.).

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Acknowledgements

Enormous shoutout to the music that made me, the musicians who raised me, the friends and family that encouraged and brainstormed with me, Mise Studios for the killer logo and designs, the entertainment attorneys that heard me out and shared their knowledge and insights, and the musicians who answered my calls and shared their struggles and mistakes and what they wish they’d known sooner.

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Educational resource for alternative bands navigating the legal side of the music industry

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Order In The Pit

@orderinthepit

An educational resource empowering alternative bands and artists as they navigate the legal side of the music industry. OITP is not a law firm.

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