I’m going to give you some tips here for earning a living once you have moved to town. Here’s hoping your big break comes sooner than later, but until then I hope some of these tips might help. One good thing about living in Nashville is that most employers understand that there are thousands of people in town whose number one goal is success in the music business. Because of this they are usually willing to work with you when you get opportunities to play or sing. In my time there I worked jobs that allowed me to take time off when I got a road gig. It usually worked out very well.
I once worked inside sales for a school enrolling students. Patsy Lynn, who I was working with at the time decided she wanted to go on a 4 week tour out west. I told my employers about it, went on the tour and went right back to work when I came back. There aren’t many places you can do that but you can in Nashville.
The best ways to begin looking for work are to grab a copy of The Tennessean newspaper and call employment agencies. The blue collar trades are usually hiring and there is always plenty of work in the many restaurants around town. Many people don’t know that as well as being a music capital, the advertising industry is huge in Nashville. There is always work for copywriters, ad designers, on air talent and any other area of advertising you may have talent in.
The Musician’s Union is very strong in Nashville. They want all musicians and singers to join but they won’t hunt you down if you don’t. It really depends on who you are working for. Unless you are working with a major star, doing television work or the Opry you can probably get by without being a member. In all the years I was there my membership was only asked for twice and both times I knew it was going to be an issue ahead of time and made sure my dues were current.
The Musician’s Union has a bulletin board where you can post an ad listing your talents or look for jobs. It is also a good place to hang out and meet other musicians. Many rehearsals are held there in one of their halls. There are also companies all over town that serve several functions. They are storage facilities for studio pros as well as rehearsal rooms for artists preparing for tours. Sometimes auditions are held at the facilities.
There are several musician’s lists around town. They come and go so ask around and you will certainly find someone who can get you on one of the current ones. Musicians do use these and they are a good place to get started. Just remember this is a “who you know” business if there ever was one. Get in the habit of striking up a conversation with everyone everywhere you go. It will pay off.
One more thing before I sign off. By all means, whatever you do, if you have an ego or anger problem, leave it back where you came from. The music business here is full of “good ‘ole boys” that laugh, slap each other on the back and have a great time livin’ life. If you are lucky enough that someone takes a “likin’” to you and invites you into this big party, just remember to be nice to everyone. I had a friend who was a very talented country singer. He sounded like a cross between Vern Gosdin and Keith Whitley. Within six months of arriving in town he was getting regular work singing demos for several studios. I had known him for a number of years and knew he had a short fuse. I took him aside one day and gently told him to keep his temper in check or it would hurt him. Well one day he was singing a demo and the producer kept stopping him, wanting him to sing it a little differently. It started getting on his nerves and after about the 3rd or 4th time my friend blew up at the producer and left the studio. Unfortunately he hasn’t sung another demo since then and has totally left the music business. So check your temper at the door.
Nashville is a great town with or without the music business. But for those with a dream it is a magical place to be. You never know who you will meet that might be your ticket to where you want to go. Everyone everywhere is a musician, a singer, a songwriter or producer. So dive in, meet everybody you can and have a blast!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Now That You're Here
I remember when I fist moved to Nashville it was like I had to pinch myself, I couldn't believe I was really there. It was exciting. I spent the first few days (and nights) driving around getting to know the place. I got maps of Nashville and began to learn my way around almost in a type of fog, trying to believe I was really living in Music City. I was lucky enough to have friends there who had moved there before me to help me get around. Before long I felt right at home and it was time to get busy.
The first thing I did was get out and try to meet people in town. I went to some clubs and began learning how things were done in Music City. For pickers (musicians, lol) there are plenty of chances to get up and show what you can do. There are live bands all over town and most will gladly let you sit in for a song or two. If you are really good they might not let you off the stage. Now that you are here, this is what you need to do. This is your job now even if you have to do something else to pay the bills for awhile. This music thing is all about who you know. It is as political as anything in Washington D.C. You need to get out and meet people. This is a big party and it’s by invitation only! More times than not, those who succeed do so because they have met someone along the way who opens the right door for them. If you are shy or are uncomfortable talking to others you need to find a way to overcome this or it will hold you back.
The music business is a bit like a private club. You have to earn your membership. It is truly survival of the fittest, or best to be more accurate. When you get there and start to sit in and play, you had better be ready. This is where the rubber meets the road, in these little clubs all over town. If you have put your time in on your instrument of choice and have mastered it in the different styles you will be fine and you will get work. If you haven't you might as well go home. Other musicians know within a few bars of the first song if you belong there. You can either play with the big boys or you can't. There is no middle ground. If you can't cut it, word gets around fast and you won't get called.
This the reality of the Nashville music scene. If they do like you they will eagerly get your name and number and call you when a gig comes up. You will be everyone's new best friend and you will be accepted into their fraternity. Early on it will probably be in a local band for very little pay. The average is about $25-30 a night. Sometimes you get calls for private parties that pay a little better. Many times it's on the road backing up a "used to be" or "wanna be". These are stars of yesterday or those trying to "make it". If you are lucky you may get on with an up and coming artist that actually does eventually make it. If you are really lucky and really good you may get called for auditions for artist jobs, sometimes BIG artist jobs. Once you establish yourself hopefully you will get to the point where you won't even have to audition. That's the place you aim for.
We will continue this in the next blog and talk about some more of the realities of the music business. See ya then!
The first thing I did was get out and try to meet people in town. I went to some clubs and began learning how things were done in Music City. For pickers (musicians, lol) there are plenty of chances to get up and show what you can do. There are live bands all over town and most will gladly let you sit in for a song or two. If you are really good they might not let you off the stage. Now that you are here, this is what you need to do. This is your job now even if you have to do something else to pay the bills for awhile. This music thing is all about who you know. It is as political as anything in Washington D.C. You need to get out and meet people. This is a big party and it’s by invitation only! More times than not, those who succeed do so because they have met someone along the way who opens the right door for them. If you are shy or are uncomfortable talking to others you need to find a way to overcome this or it will hold you back.
The music business is a bit like a private club. You have to earn your membership. It is truly survival of the fittest, or best to be more accurate. When you get there and start to sit in and play, you had better be ready. This is where the rubber meets the road, in these little clubs all over town. If you have put your time in on your instrument of choice and have mastered it in the different styles you will be fine and you will get work. If you haven't you might as well go home. Other musicians know within a few bars of the first song if you belong there. You can either play with the big boys or you can't. There is no middle ground. If you can't cut it, word gets around fast and you won't get called.
This the reality of the Nashville music scene. If they do like you they will eagerly get your name and number and call you when a gig comes up. You will be everyone's new best friend and you will be accepted into their fraternity. Early on it will probably be in a local band for very little pay. The average is about $25-30 a night. Sometimes you get calls for private parties that pay a little better. Many times it's on the road backing up a "used to be" or "wanna be". These are stars of yesterday or those trying to "make it". If you are lucky you may get on with an up and coming artist that actually does eventually make it. If you are really lucky and really good you may get called for auditions for artist jobs, sometimes BIG artist jobs. Once you establish yourself hopefully you will get to the point where you won't even have to audition. That's the place you aim for.
We will continue this in the next blog and talk about some more of the realities of the music business. See ya then!
Getting To Know Nashville
Hello again. Thank you for coming back. I'm going to try and introduce you to sides of Nashville you may not be aware of if you've never been here. I'm assuming those of you who are reading this blog have a dream of living here and being involved in the music business in one way or another. Some of you want to be musicians or managers, while I know some of you want to be stars. Whatever your dreams are, I hope to give you the tools to be more educated about your career plans and be prepared when you arrive.
Nashville is so much more than the town that is advertised in most publications or that you see on television. Say "Nashville" to almost anyone and the first thing to pop into their mind is Country Music. Yes, there is country music here, but there is so much more. There are clubs all over town where great bands are playing rock, blues, hip hop, disco, or big band music. Sometimes you will even catch stars of yesteryear either headlining or just dropping by and sitting in. Jimmy Hall of the 70’s group Wet Willy has a great blues band that plays regularly in clubs around town. There isn't a better place to be for a real music lover.
In recent years more and more music industry people have left L. A. and New York and moved to Music City. Many because of the great songwriting community here. For they know some of the greatest songs written anywhere are written here. Even those who don't move here, come here to record because of the wealth of original material. Legends like Michael McDonald and Peter Cetera now call Nashville home. And yes you can go down to lower Broadway almost any night of the week and hear real Country Music coming from bands and singers in the downtown area. Many visitors are surprised that most of the songs they hear in these venues are from artists like George Jones and Ferlin Husky rather than Brooks and Dunn or Rascal Flatts. Yes, old time Country Music is alive and well here. Many of today's Country stars started out in these little bars, places like the great Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.
Once you have spent some time here you realize Nashville is very much like most hometowns. Along with the places that are advertised to draw the tourists, there are also regular places and neighborhoods that look like anywhere else. There are also areas you wouldn’t want to be caught in alone at night. But over all Nashville is a very friendly town. People will speak to you and help you if you are lost. For those coming here for the music business, you will largely find others in the business very willing to help you. I personally think that it’s the fact that everyone here knows how hard it is trying to make it and are eager to help those who are new. They remember what it was like when they first got here.
Next time we’ll look at some things like getting a job and surviving until your big break comes. I’ll tell you about musician lists and the musician’s union. We’ll even look at some ways to make enough money to get you through until your ship comes in. See ya then!
Nashville is so much more than the town that is advertised in most publications or that you see on television. Say "Nashville" to almost anyone and the first thing to pop into their mind is Country Music. Yes, there is country music here, but there is so much more. There are clubs all over town where great bands are playing rock, blues, hip hop, disco, or big band music. Sometimes you will even catch stars of yesteryear either headlining or just dropping by and sitting in. Jimmy Hall of the 70’s group Wet Willy has a great blues band that plays regularly in clubs around town. There isn't a better place to be for a real music lover.
In recent years more and more music industry people have left L. A. and New York and moved to Music City. Many because of the great songwriting community here. For they know some of the greatest songs written anywhere are written here. Even those who don't move here, come here to record because of the wealth of original material. Legends like Michael McDonald and Peter Cetera now call Nashville home. And yes you can go down to lower Broadway almost any night of the week and hear real Country Music coming from bands and singers in the downtown area. Many visitors are surprised that most of the songs they hear in these venues are from artists like George Jones and Ferlin Husky rather than Brooks and Dunn or Rascal Flatts. Yes, old time Country Music is alive and well here. Many of today's Country stars started out in these little bars, places like the great Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.
Once you have spent some time here you realize Nashville is very much like most hometowns. Along with the places that are advertised to draw the tourists, there are also regular places and neighborhoods that look like anywhere else. There are also areas you wouldn’t want to be caught in alone at night. But over all Nashville is a very friendly town. People will speak to you and help you if you are lost. For those coming here for the music business, you will largely find others in the business very willing to help you. I personally think that it’s the fact that everyone here knows how hard it is trying to make it and are eager to help those who are new. They remember what it was like when they first got here.
Next time we’ll look at some things like getting a job and surviving until your big break comes. I’ll tell you about musician lists and the musician’s union. We’ll even look at some ways to make enough money to get you through until your ship comes in. See ya then!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
My Nashville History
Hello friends! My name is Joe. I am a semi-retired professional musician who still loves to play and sing, I just don't do it as often anymore. My wife and I live in the Outer Banks of North Carolina where we sing for the tourists during the summer months. During my "prime" I lived in Nashville for 12 years singing, playing and wrting songs. My wife and I are both givers and love to use our money and our talents to help other people. When I discovered Blogger recently and learned what this blogging thing was all about, I decided to start a blog to help those with dreams of a music career prepare for their venture. Your experience in Nashville will be much more enjoyable if you are prepared for the realities you will face once you get there.
What am I going to post here? Well I can promise you there will be something new every week and maybe even more often than that if I have time. I plan to post information about the music business here including articles about playing, singing and songwriting as well as information about the city itself, the Titans, the Predators, the Nashville Zoo and even life on lower Broadway where all the great music happens at little clubs like Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. There are definitely some secrets I learned about surviving in Music City that will make your time there more enjoyable and hopefully make you more successful. So please come back often and see what gems are waiting for you. Until then remember what Henry Ford said, Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. So here's hoping you make small jobs out of everything you attemt to do.
What am I going to post here? Well I can promise you there will be something new every week and maybe even more often than that if I have time. I plan to post information about the music business here including articles about playing, singing and songwriting as well as information about the city itself, the Titans, the Predators, the Nashville Zoo and even life on lower Broadway where all the great music happens at little clubs like Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. There are definitely some secrets I learned about surviving in Music City that will make your time there more enjoyable and hopefully make you more successful. So please come back often and see what gems are waiting for you. Until then remember what Henry Ford said, Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. So here's hoping you make small jobs out of everything you attemt to do.
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