Another way in which the Guarneri facilitated the growth of interest in playing chamber music was through the example they set. In the early 1960s, music students aspired primarily to careers as soloists or orchestral musicians. The four Guarneri players took a substantial financial risk by establishing themselves as a professional string quartet in the absence of bookings, recording contracts, concert management, or even certainty of sufficient public interest. In the wake of their success, however, other musicians have been able to launch new quartets with more confidence that they can make a living playing chamber music, and by commanding significant fees, the Guarneri raised the payment baseline for all string quartets.