Funky Crêpe
Silver Member
This will probably be a short lived thread, but does anyone know what the paris/frenchmusic scene is like? Not the album charts, the actual gigging music scene?
What's the gigging scene like in France?
- Thread starter Funky Crêpe
- Start date
Re: France?????
From what I understand, it's pretty good. I'm near the end of a 2 1/2 week tour of France, and we had to pick up a French bass player when our bass player left mid-tour. French musicians enjoy healthcare and retirement benefits, which sounds like science-fiction to us Americans. That being said, I assume this is only open to French born musicians, otherwise we'd all be over there right now!
From what I understand, it's pretty good. I'm near the end of a 2 1/2 week tour of France, and we had to pick up a French bass player when our bass player left mid-tour. French musicians enjoy healthcare and retirement benefits, which sounds like science-fiction to us Americans. That being said, I assume this is only open to French born musicians, otherwise we'd all be over there right now!
Drum-Head
Silver Member
Re: France?????
About everyone in France has health-care and retirement benefits (keep in mind it's not because you do have retirement benefits that they are good enough to live decently). The musicians status is called "intermittent du spectacle" you don't have to be French born - anyone can access it if you are legally declared - but it's not as awesome as it might sound...
About everyone in France has health-care and retirement benefits (keep in mind it's not because you do have retirement benefits that they are good enough to live decently). The musicians status is called "intermittent du spectacle" you don't have to be French born - anyone can access it if you are legally declared - but it's not as awesome as it might sound...
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Flam_Taps
Guest
Re: France?????
I think that rather than just being a "professional" you get to be an artist in France.
I think that rather than just being a "professional" you get to be an artist in France.
Drum-Head
Silver Member
Re: France?????
True in the sense that earning money as a musician is very hard in France. So you get to be an "artist" - just doing for your personal pleasure.
Not that becoming a professional musician is easy anywhere, but you really have to be in Paris if you want to try and get anywhere with music. In most of the other places it is very hard to find a place to play, when you do the owners do not what to declare nor pay you etc. Which means you got it up your buttocks for your "intermittent" status (in order to keep that status and to be payed you have to have a certain number of declared gigs per year).
Here in Toulouse there is quite a nice music scene, but not many bands are really getting anything out of it a part from a couple of free beers and a few euros that that the bands ask as an entry fee. In the last years nearly all of the places where you could play have closed down or refuse to let bands play anymore...
Foreigners see France a country which highly regards arts in general, but this is only half-true - there is this elitist, old-school and snobbish view of art here. Mostly as a musician these days you are seen the same as a beggar and told to go get a "real" job...
True in the sense that earning money as a musician is very hard in France. So you get to be an "artist" - just doing for your personal pleasure.
Not that becoming a professional musician is easy anywhere, but you really have to be in Paris if you want to try and get anywhere with music. In most of the other places it is very hard to find a place to play, when you do the owners do not what to declare nor pay you etc. Which means you got it up your buttocks for your "intermittent" status (in order to keep that status and to be payed you have to have a certain number of declared gigs per year).
Here in Toulouse there is quite a nice music scene, but not many bands are really getting anything out of it a part from a couple of free beers and a few euros that that the bands ask as an entry fee. In the last years nearly all of the places where you could play have closed down or refuse to let bands play anymore...
Foreigners see France a country which highly regards arts in general, but this is only half-true - there is this elitist, old-school and snobbish view of art here. Mostly as a musician these days you are seen the same as a beggar and told to go get a "real" job...
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Flam_Taps
Guest
Re: France?????
So--in other words, you're telling me that studying French for the past six years has just been a waste of my time? Ok. How about Romania?
So--in other words, you're telling me that studying French for the past six years has just been a waste of my time? Ok. How about Romania?
Drum-Head
Silver Member
Re: France?????
Tu étudies le français?
You sure you're choosing Romania for music? ; )
Tu étudies le français?
You sure you're choosing Romania for music? ; )
F
Flam_Taps
Guest
Re: France?????
No, I'm planning on moving to Romania to do stand-up comedy about living in the United States.
No, I'm planning on moving to Romania to do stand-up comedy about living in the United States.
Funky Crêpe
Silver Member
Re: France?????
i guess i have the out dated image of a paris that really embraces music and artists
i guess i have the out dated image of a paris that really embraces music and artists
MikeM
Platinum Member
Re: France?????
This is a joke, right? Because I'm seriously laughing my ass off over here!
Continuing on with the theme that things are more the same than different no matter where you go... I can assure you that we have our share of elitist old-school snobs here as well.
Strangelove
Gold Member
Re: France?????
The districts of Montmartres and St Germain des Pres, but many starving artists live there. Paris, outside of the Opera in the days of Toulouse Lautrec has never been known as a musical mecca, at least not to the extent of the canvas arts, in particular the Impressionists.
The districts of Montmartres and St Germain des Pres, but many starving artists live there. Paris, outside of the Opera in the days of Toulouse Lautrec has never been known as a musical mecca, at least not to the extent of the canvas arts, in particular the Impressionists.
F
Flam_Taps
Guest
It was a joke. Everyone knows that artists don't make any money.
Drum-Head
Silver Member
Re: France?????
I'm not French, I'm British. I was born and lived in England, the US and lately in France. While you are right about getting this attitude everywhere, I can assure that in England or America, music is more anchored in culture and taken more seriously than here in France.
A simple example amongst many others is music classes being available in America or England at school. You can really play diverse instruments, learn to sight read, learn some basic technique, get to have band experience and even get to perform on stage in some nice places (I got to do this in England). In some schools you even end up having some serious musical baggage when you graduate. In France, it's the bloody annoying flute playing stupid songs, no music clubs and hell no concerts at the end of the year! And this is only in middle school, no more music in high school - you only get it as an option to gain some points in your final exam.
Continuing on with the theme that things are more the same than different no matter where you go... I can assure you that we have our share of elitist old-school snobs here as well.
I'm not French, I'm British. I was born and lived in England, the US and lately in France. While you are right about getting this attitude everywhere, I can assure that in England or America, music is more anchored in culture and taken more seriously than here in France.
A simple example amongst many others is music classes being available in America or England at school. You can really play diverse instruments, learn to sight read, learn some basic technique, get to have band experience and even get to perform on stage in some nice places (I got to do this in England). In some schools you even end up having some serious musical baggage when you graduate. In France, it's the bloody annoying flute playing stupid songs, no music clubs and hell no concerts at the end of the year! And this is only in middle school, no more music in high school - you only get it as an option to gain some points in your final exam.
Strangelove
Gold Member
Re: France?????
Unbelievable, they had us training on those back in the mid sixties, except they called them Recorders. Nice to know some things are frozen in time. I went back to Paris in 2000 and couldn't even find my old school.
Unbelievable, they had us training on those back in the mid sixties, except they called them Recorders. Nice to know some things are frozen in time. I went back to Paris in 2000 and couldn't even find my old school.
MikeM
Platinum Member
Re: France?????
That's sucks.
Ha ha! I had my training on the recorder for two years in elementary school ('77 - '79). I was so badass at that figgin' thing... (as if that were possible)! I could so totally take you down in a recorder duel (yeah, I said it). I saw one recently in a toy store; I should pick one up and start dusting off my chops.
Strangelove
Gold Member
Re: France?????
You win, I was mediocre on that thing at best. Our classes were really ridiculous (rediculouss by modern spelling standards). Our instructor was like a military DI and had us playing these songs which nobody wanted to hear all in unison together. The minute one unfortunate hit a C instead of a D he would fire over to their desk and proceed to eat said victim's posterior. He had this gap between his two front teeth that launched saliva and bad breath during such tongue lashings, just adding visual horror to emotional injury. Needless to say, it was a nitemare experience pour mois and the rest of les miserables de la classe de musique.
That's sucks.
Ha ha! I had my training on the recorder for two years in elementary school ('77 - '79). I was so badass at that figgin' thing... (as if that were possible)! I could so totally take you down in a recorder duel (yeah, I said it). I saw one recently in a toy store; I should pick one up and start dusting off my chops.
You win, I was mediocre on that thing at best. Our classes were really ridiculous (rediculouss by modern spelling standards). Our instructor was like a military DI and had us playing these songs which nobody wanted to hear all in unison together. The minute one unfortunate hit a C instead of a D he would fire over to their desk and proceed to eat said victim's posterior. He had this gap between his two front teeth that launched saliva and bad breath during such tongue lashings, just adding visual horror to emotional injury. Needless to say, it was a nitemare experience pour mois and the rest of les miserables de la classe de musique.
Drum-Head
Silver Member
Re: France?????
That was really funny to read!
You guys are right I mixed up my French and English there (yes it does happen) - it's the recorder.
Keep in mind that what I said was a general statement concerning France. Paris is an exception and for the lucky musicians who make it they do get to do tours around France and play in some nice concert halls. My band had the occasion to go and play all over Paris when the first album came out. It's was more complicated at the time than just doing it, but it was possible yet it did not happen... Bad decision!
That was really funny to read!
You guys are right I mixed up my French and English there (yes it does happen) - it's the recorder.
Keep in mind that what I said was a general statement concerning France. Paris is an exception and for the lucky musicians who make it they do get to do tours around France and play in some nice concert halls. My band had the occasion to go and play all over Paris when the first album came out. It's was more complicated at the time than just doing it, but it was possible yet it did not happen... Bad decision!
MikeM
Platinum Member
Re: France?????
I'm secretly relieved since I'm actually a total hack at the recorder. Hell, who am I kidding? I'm a hack on the drums, too!