Music cities in the USA. Suggestions, Advice.

Meiyo

Junior Member
So,

There's a lot of great cities here in the states to pick from if you're a musician. BUT, i was wondering if anyone could share their thoughts or opinions on the different cities. I know the big 3 are New York City, Los Angeles, and Nashville. But, i'm also aware that Portland, Seattle, Boston, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, etc. All have good scenes as well. I'm personally pulled towards New Orleans. Mainly because of the music that has come out of there. The style of music that i love to play the most is Music from New Orleans, or, Nawlins. I'm from an extremely small town in East TN... So, therefore, there's nothing for me there. I've spent a year studying at the LA Music Academy (which has done wonders for my playing) and I'm ready for what's next. Which, inevitably, is moving.

SO, If anyone could elaborate on any of the cities in terms of Music scene, atmosphere, etc. It would be greatly appreciated. If possible, I would like both Pros and Cons about whichever city(s) you feel you have a solid opinion on. Thank you! Any and all advice and opinions are extremely welcome!
 
I'd say that it's a question of "where's the industry," meaning where the studios and sound stages and theatres and clubs are. Where's the stuff happening?
I'm planning a move to New York, not so much for career reasons though. I just want to live there and I already have friends and contacts there.
Your top three cities are all good because they're all industry centers, but you'll have a devil of a time getting your foot in the door. But if you're good enough persistence will pay off, eventually. It all comes down to how badly you want it, and how much you're willing to go through to get it.
 
don't forget austin.

I don't how healthy the scene in Austin is......We tend to think of the mystique of a city as what its past and claims are and tend to forget that reality says that many of the music cities are less so these days. LA for one; it isn't what it used to be. So we tend to believe in the image that movies, TV and other sources have built in our minds but has nothing to do with reality.

Everything I hear about Austin is that there are far too many musicians there already and that the scene isn't what it used to be (what scene is these days). Many musicians have dayjobs such as painting houses (Thanks, but no thank you) because the venues don't pay or non-existent!

If you have already been to LAMA, then you must have some idea about LA. The only thing that I can tell you is you will just have to do some good investigating to see if what you have been told is true or false. And you need to find a fit that is good for you!

I once thought Dallas was a good scene; no music business there. What are your goals? Do you want to play in bars for the rest of your life? Do you want to work with artists and travel on tour buses? None of this is bad but you do need to be honest with yourself right now.

As far as landing a gig in a distant town like LA, you are going to have to be there first as there are too many drummers who can make the audition in an hours notice. Unless you are really tight with someone there, and I mean really tight, you won't be able to land a gig in town you aren't already living. Most gigs are word of mouth and a matter of people being familiar with you (Oh, call that guy who keeps coming into the drum shop every day; I can't make the gig)


Keep me posted as to what you are doing on this; I am working on such a move myself.


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.patentcoachmike.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
 
I lived in New York City my whole life up until 6 months ago. And while, yes it is a music center, that's also its bane. Everyone knows there's a scene so they rush on over to try and make it big. It's like asking actors where they would want to go... movie/TV actors want to go to LA, stage/TV-dayshow/comedy show actors/hosts want to go to NYC. And everyone knows it.

It's a balance of who you're playing with, who you know and where you are. If you live in NYC, you better be great at impressing the jaded and making contacts for life. Yes, there are a lot of places to perform, but even as a fan of music, there are SO MANY on any given day (yes, even 11:30pm in the middle of a work week) that it's difficult to choose and pick apart all the groups.

I'm not trying to bust your dream, just adding a grain of reality to it. I plan on moving back to NYC (either after enlisting for 4 years or working out here for another 2-3), but I also plan to get a music business degree in that time, as well as expand my contacts. I know one singer who was going to be signed and put on MTV, and I'm *still* not confident that would be enough to get noticed. NYC is a tough place, socially.
 
I think that if you are seriously vibing on New Orleans, then you should go there and really check it out. If it doesn't work out for you there, you can still go elsewhere. No laws against changing your mind/plans...
 
This is all wonderful advice! Personally, LA is not the place for me. Maybe some day down the road, but, i'm living in Pasadena and i can't really stand it. It's my east coast roots i think. I have heard a lot of mixed things about NYC. I know it's a mecca and I know it's extremely hard to get your foot in the door. To be honest, I'm only 19 and just finishing up LAMA. I don't think I'm ready to just try and move to NYC looking for work. MAYBE Nashville, since i grew up really close to there and it has a nice atmosphere. I'll do Country, even though I hate it, but i want to do more than just Country.

But yes, New Orleans intrigues me the most. I plan to take a vacation there for a few weeks sometime soon to check it out.

Sorry if this sounds picky, but, i was wondering if some of the responses could be a little more specific. It would be appreciated! Thanks again for all the great feedback.
 
I don't how healthy the scene in Austin is......We tend to think of the mystique of a city as what its past and claims are and tend to forget that reality says that many of the music cities are less so these days. LA for one; it isn't what it used to be. So we tend to believe in the image that movies, TV and other sources have built in our minds but has nothing to do with reality.

Everything I hear about Austin is that there are far too many musicians there already and that the scene isn't what it used to be (what scene is these days). Many musicians have dayjobs such as painting houses (Thanks, but no thank you) because the venues don't pay or non-existent!

If you have already been to LAMA, then you must have some idea about LA. The only thing that I can tell you is you will just have to do some good investigating to see if what you have been told is true or false. And you need to find a fit that is good for you!

I once thought Dallas was a good scene; no music business there. What are your goals? Do you want to play in bars for the rest of your life? Do you want to work with artists and travel on tour buses? None of this is bad but you do need to be honest with yourself right now.

As far as landing a gig in a distant town like LA, you are going to have to be there first as there are too many drummers who can make the audition in an hours notice. Unless you are really tight with someone there, and I mean really tight, you won't be able to land a gig in town you aren't already living. Most gigs are word of mouth and a matter of people being familiar with you (Oh, call that guy who keeps coming into the drum shop every day; I can't make the gig)


Keep me posted as to what you are doing on this; I am working on such a move myself.


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.patentcoachmike.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw

To be honest, the main things that i want to do with music is be funky, play grooves, pocket. etc. If i'm playing with really amazing musicians and it's music i love- and it just happens to be in a bar, then i won't mind. Touring might interest me later, but it isn't at the moment. However, if the opportunity came, then i would take it. I also love teaching, so i want to do that as well. I will keep you posted and please keep me posted as well on your situation!
 
Los Angeles is certainly where everything happens.

All the record companies are here, the studios, sound track work, etc.
Some people say it doesn't really happen, but I've watched numerous bands or musicians go from local nobodies to big stars. Some over night, some much longer.

But it's also frustrating, because the supply of musicians is far more than the demand. Gigs don't pay, clubs have bad attitudes because they know for every band they book, there are 20 more bands who will do anything for that spot, and the sheer volume of wanna be musicians make it's tough to sort through to find the ones who are good or really connected.
I often say if you throw a rock in any direction, you're bound to hit another drummer. I also know of guys who have as much talent as anyone on the cover of Modern Drummer, but for whatever reason, their careers don't ever quite to next level.

If you want to find steady club/cover band work, go somewhere else.
If you want to try your hand at being in a successful band or studio work, LA is the place to be.

I may not have a dime from drumming, but I've played in front an exec of every record company, I've been on a TV soundtrack, I've been on the radio. It never turned into big success, but it was fun trying, and I at least I can say I gave it my all.
 
As someone said in this post, Dallas used to be. I've lived in the Dallas / Fort Worth area all my life and can honestly say, this entire area is depressed. In the era between 1950 - late 1980s bands and musicians could make a decent living here. During the 1970s and 1980s if a band could play just decently and have two or three sets, they could make great money and do it full time. Bar bands were all the rage. Clubs and venues actually paid good money.

Nowdays, supply far outweighs the demand. Experienced musicians are not getting the work - hence they move away. And the clubs and other venues don't help at all. For every band they have play, there are 30 other bands behind them who will play for less or play for free "to get the exposure". And a lot of venues have mid-week venues that most of the working public can't attend because it's mid-week.

Sure if you want to play the coffee houses and sandwitch shops for tips, you can make gas money, but that's about it as far as originals go.

I certainly am not trying to tell you what to do, but don't come the the Dallas Fort Worth, Texas area unless you want to experience enormous frustration, go hungry, and be a starving musician. It ain't happening here.
 
As someone said in this post, Dallas used to be. I've lived in the Dallas / Fort Worth area all my life and can honestly say, this entire area is depressed. In the era between 1950 - late 1980s bands and musicians could make a decent living here. During the 1970s and 1980s if a band could play just decently and have two or three sets, they could make great money and do it full time. Bar bands were all the rage. Clubs and venues actually paid good money.

Nowdays, supply far outweighs the demand. Experienced musicians are not getting the work - hence they move away. And the clubs and other venues don't help at all. For every band they have play, there are 30 other bands behind them who will play for less or play for free "to get the exposure". And a lot of venues have mid-week venues that most of the working public can't attend because it's mid-week.

Sure if you want to play the coffee houses and sandwitch shops for tips, you can make gas money, but that's about it as far as originals go.

I certainly am not trying to tell you what to do, but don't come the the Dallas Fort Worth, Texas area unless you want to experience enormous frustration, go hungry, and be a starving musician. It ain't happening here.

Good info, Rogue......I have tried DFW several times and have run across the little league coach mentality too many time to count. For example, on one gig, on the same song, at the same time, the keyboard player was telling me to speed up and the guitar player was telling me to slow down. I didn't know if it was just me or what. And you are right, it s overrun with too many musicians for the demand.

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.patentcoachmike.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
 
Another thought I had about the D/FW area. Clear Channel has moved in and set up shop in the Dallas area and has ( I believe) numerous radio stations broadcasting the same stuff over and over and over again. You can't turn on the radio without hearing the same Led Zepplin song you heard 5 times yesterday. You turn to another radio station and the same Led Zepplin song is playing, although at a different place in the song - as on the radio station you just turned from. (Understand I'm not bashing Led Zepplin, just the station managers or whomever decides the play list.)

Forget AM unless you want old old country and western and bluegrass, or Radio Disney and Britany Spears or Miley Cyrus.

Maybe one station devotes 1 hour a week to local bands or such, and maybe they play Little Steven's Underground garage on Sunday evenings, but that's it as far as local artists getting any radio play whatsoever. And what is worse, the local stations NEVER advertise or rarely advertise touring acts appearing at local venues, except stadiums that host Paul McCartney, the Jonas Brothers, etc.

And if you try to network, good luck! You must sift through all the wannabes, flakes, fags, washed up old-timers with no teeth (read my post "Bad Advice"), teenyboppers rehearsing in their bedrooms, etc.

Unfortunately, it is now extremely difficult to carve out a living as a musician around here. Forget studio work. The studios around here have had their musician lists set for years and those people aren't giving that up or retiring any time soon.

Sorry to be so negative, but that's reality in D/FW. Thank goodness I have a university degree in another field and can afford to eat, live, etc.
 
Why wouldn't you try to set up a career in New Orleans?

it just seems that out of all of the cities that you can start a career in, new orleans would'nt be the best at the moment...but that's just my opinion, people from new orleans could corect me here but, but from the outside in, it doesn't seem too stable.
 
Another thought I had about the D/FW area. Clear Channel has moved in and set up shop in the Dallas area and has ( I believe) numerous radio stations broadcasting the same stuff over and over and over again. You can't turn on the radio without hearing the same Led Zepplin song you heard 5 times yesterday. You turn to another radio station and the same Led Zepplin song is playing, although at a different place in the song - as on the radio station you just turned from. (Understand I'm not bashing Led Zepplin, just the station managers or whomever decides the play list.)

Forget AM unless you want old old country and western and bluegrass, or Radio Disney and Britany Spears or Miley Cyrus.

Maybe one station devotes 1 hour a week to local bands or such, and maybe they play Little Steven's Underground garage on Sunday evenings, but that's it as far as local artists getting any radio play whatsoever. And what is worse, the local stations NEVER advertise or rarely advertise touring acts appearing at local venues, except stadiums that host Paul McCartney, the Jonas Brothers, etc.

And if you try to network, good luck! You must sift through all the wannabes, flakes, fags, washed up old-timers with no teeth (read my post "Bad Advice"), teenyboppers rehearsing in their bedrooms, etc.

Unfortunately, it is now extremely difficult to carve out a living as a musician around here. Forget studio work. The studios around here have had their musician lists set for years and those people aren't giving that up or retiring any time soon.

Sorry to be so negative, but that's reality in D/FW. Thank goodness I have a university degree in another field and can afford to eat, live, etc.

I can sympathize with the overwhelming overplayed music selections from radio stations. I've been in radio for 23 years ...What we do as MDs(Music Directors) PD (Program Directors) is program for the masses. We simply cannot program for a few select Led Zeppelin fans who would rather hear 'Achilles Last Stand'or 'n My Time Of Dying' .Although brilliant deep tracks ..the average listener is gonna tune out cuz they're not familiar with the deep cuts and they'll eventually go elsewhere..remember ..they're listeners...we're musicians . I would love to hear ''Slip Kid ' by The Who,,but really ..whos gonna pick up on that ?..I like to 'daypart' certian deep tracks ..schedule them at appropriate times..perhaps a feature a morning lost classic or evening double deep cut ..has to be set up right and not thrown in ther without a jock setting it up right..Clear Channel by the way is going thru massive restructuring of their properties across America..trimming debt ..paying off loans..Dont be suprised to see CC sell off most of their stations by years end .
 
Why wouldn't you try to set up a career in New Orleans?

it just seems that out of all of the cities that you can start a career in, new orleans would'nt be the best at the moment...but that's just my opinion, people from new orleans could corect me here but, but from the outside in, it doesn't seem too stable.

I just had a friend move there for a job (not music related) and came back after a few months.

Her observations: Because there has been so much fraud with the rebuilding of New Orleans, locals don't trust people who move there anymore.

Because so many people are getting government assistance to buy food, grocery stores have all raised their prices. While her rent was cheap, her overall cost of living was much higher than it was here in California.

But who knows, maybe going as musician would be different.
 
I can sympathize with the overwhelming overplayed music selections from radio stations. I've been in radio for 23 years ...What we do as MDs(Music Directors) PD (Program Directors) is program for the masses. We simply cannot program for a few select Led Zeppelin fans who would rather hear 'Achilles Last Stand'or 'n My Time Of Dying' .Although brilliant deep tracks ..the average listener is gonna tune out cuz they're not familiar with the deep cuts and they'll eventually go elsewhere..remember ..they're listeners...we're musicians . I would love to hear ''Slip Kid ' by The Who,,but really ..whos gonna pick up on that ?..I like to 'daypart' certian deep tracks ..schedule them at appropriate times..perhaps a feature a morning lost classic or evening double deep cut ..has to be set up right and not thrown in ther without a jock setting it up right..Clear Channel by the way is going thru massive restructuring of their properties across America..trimming debt ..paying off loans..Dont be suprised to see CC sell off most of their stations by years end .

The days of independent radfio have been gone since about 1986. Radio stations exsist to sell commercial time/space to advertisers, hence - commercial radio. We can't keep judging the music business on what it was 20-30-40 years ago.


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.patentcoachmike.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
 
And if you try to network, good luck! You must sift through all the wannabes, flakes, fags, washed up old-timers with no teeth (read my post "Bad Advice"), teenyboppers rehearsing in their bedrooms, etc.

Funny thing; the last band I played for in Dallas - I was the only full time musician. I was teaching a bunch of lessons ($) and these guys wanted rehearse 2 time a week, covers - like Jessie's Girl, Bon Jovi - the kind of stuff you could kick me in a dead sleep and I will be able to play. Anyway, the guitar player was an airline pilot and the keyboard player was in advertising. They were both really high strung and trying too hard to be professional. The last night I played for them, on the same song, at the same time, the keyboard player started yelling at me to speed up and the guitar player was yelling at me to slow down. I wonder why they don't have a full-time drummer? They seemed to use subs quite a bit! Another thing, I had already played everywhere these people were wanting to play and I had the experience they lacked. In reality, it was a bunch of hacks wanted to impress their friends by being in a band on the weekends.

Everybody wants to be a rockstar.


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.patentcoachmike.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
 
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