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Where is it taking me......and where should I go?
I am a 35 year old musician/composer/performer who currently resides in Los Angeles. I write soundtrack/rock/western and blues original tunes. I moved to Los Angeles 4 years ago to continue with musical group which was originally formed in Delaware in 1994. The band is still together and we have performed many times around the east and west coast as well as doing a random 2 week tour every 8 months. We have a fairly nice and loyal following and have independently released our own recordings(about 6 different CD's are available) and are now breaking into the realm of soundtracking with a self produced(yes, our own money) film the band is currently working on in Hollywood which is very exciting. Over the years I have become the main member of the group, we do not have a record contract or do not have a record label. Since this art is my passion I have put everything in my life into it. All my $$, time, relationships, and future plans have gone into my love to create for the last 11 years since its inception. I do not make any income with this project and work a part time job here in Los Angeles as a pizza delivery guy to help fund it and its driving me crazy! All I want to do is make a living out of the music I am soooo passionate about and have sacrificed sooo much for. This creative force inside governs my life and I feel it may actually be damaging in the long run to my well being because of feeling of not being completely successful. So what do I do? Tough it out and keep going or decide to throw in the towl? This question is too difficult for me to answer on my own.
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Maybe give some free advice about: Music?
This is a toughie. On one hand, there's the old axiom of always following your dreams. On the other hand, that's not always practical. You have to decide what you want more; stability and a higher paycheck (if you decide to try on a career as a working stiff), or your livelihood and music? I have some interesting insight into this. My father has been making music for the past 20 years; he has (at least) about 200 CDs worth of original music from the 6+ bands he's been in, side projects, and solo works. He's never hit it big and he remains largely unrecognized; in fact, I'm sure that some of his music will never be heard. However, he started a family, has a home, three cars, a pool, a hot tub, and, overall a functional life. In short, he's doing pretty well for himself, considering; he's living proof that you might not make it big, but you can still do what you love and carve out an existence for yourself...and not a bad one either!
The only downside is that he often laments the fact that he's 40-something now and has never made it big in the music world. So, I'd say that either way you're going to have ups and downsides. But ask yourself this: will you ever give up music, even if you quit trying to do it as a career? I would think not; most musicians could never give up music. While it's really up to you, my two cents: keep it up. At the very least, you'll probably still come out in the end with a life worth living.
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honestly, I think you should never give up on your dreams, and if you've gone this far you might as well tough it out, you may want to slow it down a bit though, and get a higher paying job, just for now. Try to create a following, get your music out there, I know it's awfull, but do you guys have a myspace, it can be usefull for putting yourself out there. I also suggest uploading some stuff on download.com.
Good luck, send me a link to your guy's site, I wanna check it out :)
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I think you don't ever give up anything you care about so passionately. You may just have to get a little more organized with it.
Please realize I know nothing of the music industry from personal experience, nor do I know anything about L.A.
It looks like you are into a lot of different genres. Maybe you could try concentrating on just one kind of music for a while.
I'm not saying you need to give up on them all...not at all. But, if you are wanting to sell anything you may have to be able to say to someone...this is what we do. When you tell someone you do everything, you may not be taken seriously enough.
Do you have a favorite radio station? Is there a DJ you like that you could call for info on how to get airtime? I don't know if they can do that but I think it is a place to start. Bug them, play it in the background whatever. Get aggressive about selling what you have.
Anybody on these tours you do able to help out? How about finding an agent? I'm sure there is no lack of them in LA. Find someone fairly new if some better known places won't talk to you. They will be eager to sell your product and find you someone to back you.
You will have to do a lot of leg work, knock on a lot of doors, and suffer a lot of rejection. If you have what it takes to endure all that, I think you will someday be able to have all the different music you like put out there for the world to hear. But, you may have to start by paring it down a little.
Tough it out. :)
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Keep Up the Good Work. It Will eventually get you somewhere. Look were it got Green Day and these other bands!
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Keep going, you've gone too far to stop now! Rock on brother!
I love you,
The Waffler
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