I think I would say yes to the honorarium for the sake of the production. If you're staging a professional production, I'm guessing you're probably paying some pretty good money for it. I would hate for it to be ruined or the quality of it diminished by a less than able accompanist. And I can see her point: 20 hours is a lot to ask of any volunteer, especially if she is giving up some income to provide those 20 hours.

But on the other hand it seems that she would have known that going into this. Maybe her enthusiasm carried her away and she said yes before she realized what she was getting into. We've all done that. If that's the case, which it seems that it is, my personal opinion is she should just suck it up and do what she said she was going to do. But if the production is in jeopardy, I would just pay her and be done with it if the honorarium is reasonable and in your budget.

I also thought this could be opening the door for other volunteers asking to be paid, but if you couch it in the terms that she is getting paid for taking part in a professional production, that isn't quite the same thing as a teacher running the dunk tank at the spring carnival.

So if you really can't find someone else who will be able to fill her shoes, I think I would vote to give her the honorarium but I wouldn't like it.

I think I would have a hard time with her first saying yes and now she suddenly needs money for it. Has she said that she wont do it without it? if not I think I would address that you had a budget and that originally knowing she was ginving her time the budget wasn't set up to address her request. It would be different if she had said it up front and that is where I am having conflicts with, it is like now she isnt playing nice because she doesnt like the game.

At first blush this could present your group with some polarization if you go for a general vote. If you are paying the production company coming in, and if you believe the music teacher's skill set is above and beyond that of what you could hire in I suspect I would eventually come up with a reasonable fee for the music teacher.
The other side of this, and the side that is sticking in my craw is "man--what are you going to do start paying all the "volunteers". I'm not sure how much we're talking about here but what about a PTO donation into the music room fund so that the children are still the beneficiary. Our math teacher worked our carnival games this past carnival and put a lot of time in and never would have thought to "charge us" for her skills. It's that whole working together thing.
Much of this would have to do with her mental place in my mind. Is she saying "I'm so sorry but after seeing the amount of time required and the real income I have to forgo supporting this I have to back out without an honorarium (ps it breaks my heart but my children won't eat or I can't pay the rent and the other appropriate niceties)" or is it more of a "well I never would have agreed to this if I'd known how much money it would cost me-without getting paid I ain't doing it".
I think if the teacher is a "team player" and if this is a fundraiser and "music" was part of the projected budget you have a better case to be made to the general PTO and you won't (and the music teacher won't) be 'splainin'....
Does that make sense? But I have to say honestly just rereading my own answer...I'd be hard pressed to have a member of my own group I am supporting getting paid a fee (even as lovely as honorarium sounds). I could be working a part time job too...but I don't consider charging the PTO for my skills which in the working world could bring significant income into my family.
Anyway--just my confused 2 cents. d

Quick question that I would like to get some simple feedback on and this is the perfect place to do so. Our PTO is sponsoring a musical, including hiring an outside theater company to come in and cast, direct and produce everything. One of their requirements was for us to have an accompanist.

Our school's music teacher was excited about this event from the beginning and we asked if they would be available to do this for us. The initial answer was yes. We recently received an email from the teacher requesting an honorarium for the time that they are taking away from after-school music lessons that they supplement their teacher salary with as well as the time commitment.

We recognize that it is a significant time investment for the week that it is all taking place, (approx 20 hours from Wed-Sat). The problem we are having is that some of us on the board are in support of paying this while some feel that the teacher should be doing this gratis.

Could I take a poll and see what people thing about whether we should provide the honorarium (and if so for how much) or should we seek out someone else (likely of lesser competence) to fill in instead.

Thanks in advance.