John Roche wrote:Maybe it is better to be a BIG fish in a small pond
not a small fish in a BIG pond..
The way the world is a the moment with jobs closing down and folks not spending, it will be a tough road and if you got family it's going to be even harder.
Jamie if you are set on this venture and your family are behind you good luck lad....
I'm sure this has been said already above, but just in case it hasn't:
If you don't do it, you'll always wonder "what if?" If you do go and it doesn't work out, well...then at least you gave it a shot.
Plus, there are always doors opening when other doors are closing. Things might not work out exactly as you planned, but they may work out in ways that you never imagined.
I say follow your dream. I did, and while things didn't go exactly they way I'd hoped they would, I am extremely happy with the way things DID go (or should I say have gone so far?). I wouldn't trade my life experiences for anything.
I see everything as a good timing, if you`re young and have a chance do it, but you have to give yourself a time limits so you wont end up like some guys on lower Broadway living like bums. I was approached and asked for a few bucks for a beer by some great players down town (not a steel players tho)..l don`t wont that, I came to Nashville and I decided that my "music time" was up and I`m still here, many guys that came here expecting to become a "big shoots" are long gone. Make a deal with yourself, let say, if you don`t make it (what ever that means to you) by the time you are 30 years old it`s time to get a serious job and think about retirement and benefits package, you wont get much choice to get a job if you are 45 year old musician with no work history. But if you hit a jack pot by the time you are 30 than go ahead and spend the rest of your life as a pro steel player...everything is possible but you have to decide yourself is it worth a risk to you...
Damir Besic wrote:I see everything as a good timing, if you`re young and have a chance do it, but you have to give yourself a time limits so you wont end up like some guys on lower Broadway living like bums. I was approached and asked for a few bucks for a beer by some great players down town (not a steel players tho)..l don`t wont that, I came to Nashville and I decided that my "music time" was up and I`m still here, many guys that came here expecting to become a "big shoots" are long gone. Make a deal with yourself, let say, if you don`t make it (what ever that means to you) by the time you are 30 years old it`s time to get a serious job and think about retirement and benefits package, you wont get much choice to get a job if you are 45 year old musician with no work history. But if you hit a jack pot by the time you are 30 than go ahead and spend the rest of your life as a pro steel player...everything is possible but you have to decide yourself is it worth a risk to you...
Db
Amen, Damir. Music is a great party, but the day comes when the party must end, unless you want to be indigent at the time of your death (unless you are very very lucky, and GOOOOD !) Then maybe you have one chance in a thousand.
As a good friend of mine says "life is about choices, and we all have to live with our choices "
Greg, Whaddya mean you "can't try again when you're fifty"? I'll concede that having a wife/family to provide for takes priority and you won't be jumping in any vans to go play door gigs in college towns for months at a time, sleeping on floors, etc. for door money, but one in "late bloom" can still start a new chapter and pursue a dream in other ways. Rock on.
Jim; It's strange that you bring that up. I am starting to get back out a little to do some singing and picking after a 15 year break. A little here and a little there seems to be enough right now to scratch my itch.
I wish Bobbe would have written his latest newsletter 15 years ago and I would be in Nashville right now!
(I need to lose about 40 pounds! )
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/Nashville 400
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As long as I'm down in the mix I'm Fantastic!
Larry Bressington wrote:Get it on jamie or you will never forgive yourself, you will do great! If you can, marry a Superstar, if you cant, Marry a Buissness woman, aim high, CLASS not TRASH Stop by and see us, if you ever get back up here , Pickin pays $200, per night [per man] 2 peice with backing trax, not bad for small town America. If Nashville dont work out, consider somewhere else, you wont regret it, and this is a Beautiful country. I'll never move back home to the U.K, i cant stand all the negative attitudes! Ten grand sounds good for dosh,[ break it up in safe segements] and if its any advice to you, i met my dream with only $300.00, a suitcase and a Telecaster, got hired on immediatly as a picker, go to jam sessions!
I followed Waylons advice 15 years ago, which i am going to give to you my freind;
Dont you ever dream about a life where corn dont grow!
Ta Ta for now laddie,, keep yur pecker up, but not too up! Chappy.
Jamie, go for it.
When Pat and I were twenty we contemplated going to Hawaii, we didn't go and have regretted it ever since..
You'll make it in gnash-vile. FWIW you could hold your own ANYWHERE.
When are you definitely going Jamie? I am off back to Nashville in April 09. I went in March this year, but I only saw a fraction of what I wanted to in the week I was there. I did get to see your hero (Mr Franklin) but not my hero Tommy White.
As a tourist, I though the place was great. It has a nice vibe, lots of places of interest and some incredible musicians as well as some not so great ones.
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I enjoyed it...I got brought back to reality when they start spliting tips at the end, when I saw how each musician gets $26 for gig from 6.30-8.30 I realized once again that I could never go back to that life..not to mention all the drunks with beer breath, talking about their glory days which are long gone....sorry, can`t do...been there,done that....
Hi Damir,
Don't forget that there are more ways to make money playing pedal steel than playing dives and bars on Lower Broad and around town. Some of the clubs are quite nice, others not so nice.
I think I've only played on Lower Broad maybe ten times in 12 years. I only do it when the singer is someone I respect and I have nothing else going on. And, I sometimes like to slog it out in the trenches to remind myself what it's like. It's not for me, but I'm not saying anything against it. I do like the fact that you actually get to play lots of steel if you work with the right singer. I usually work on the road with artists and will play the same 12 songs every night. I still enjoy doing it and it keeps the lights on so far.
yeah, that`s true, but if you play on the road and don`t like playing in Nashville then you don`t have to neccessery live in Nashville, you can do that from anywhere.I was just talking about people who think about moving to Nashville to play here, and playing on the lower Broad in Nashville is definatly an experience that every player should try in his carrer, but I wouldn`t want to make living playing there all the time. And you are in a different position, you are way better player than me and you already have your place and know the people, and they know you, for someone new is going to be complitely different situation.When I came to Nashville in 1998 they told me I need to give Nashville 5 years before start with a serious music carrer, well, that was 10 years ago...maybe I just didn`t wanted it bad enough....
Damir Besic wrote:I went to see friend of mine last nite at Brown`s Dinner on 21st, Americana/folk/bluegrass band with all originals, good and interesting...
(SNIP)
I enjoyed it...I got brought back to reality when they start spliting tips at the end, when I saw how each musician gets $26 for gig from 6.30-8.30
Db
This past weekend being my first visit to Nashville, I was kinda set back on my heels to find out that the talent playing the joints along Broadway were working strictly for the tip jar!....and all the while I'm sitting there paying $5.50 for a mixed drink at the bar? But, if that's what is agreed upon, then it is what it is. I know one thing for sure, that concept sure wouldn't fly up here in my area. Then again, we don't have anywhere near the amount of places offering live music to the extent that a place like Nashville does either. A LOT of fine talent playng down there.
To heck with moving to Nashville to play music. Go there and open up a music club!
Last edited by Mark Treepaz on 8 Oct 2008 7:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Guys, easy now. In my opinion, the Lower Broadway scene is a place to keep your chops up, not make a living. As far as I know, most of the clubs pay each musician $20 and then the band splits the tips. Keep in mind there are usually 3 shifts a night at these clubs, so the club is paying for 3 bands of musicians.
I think the least I've made was around $50 and the most around $130. And that's for about 2 and a half hours of playing. It's all voluntary and up to you whether you want to do it or not. There a lot of great players out there that just like to play music. If John Hughey wanted to play steel on one of his free nights, he can by taking a gig on Broad. I don't see anything wrong with that. Again, I don't look at Lower Broad as a way to make a living, just an outlet to play.
Doing a road gig also has it's ups and downs, and hanging in town in line for sessions can get tough. But I love it here and plan on staying. There are so many great musicians to network with, and tons of great live music to see.
Peace to all,
Dave
Stop by and see us, if you ever get back up here , Pickin pays $200, per night [per man] 2 peice with backing trax, not bad for small town America. If Nashville dont work out, consider somewhere else, you wont regret it, and this is a Beautiful country. I'll never move back home to the U.K, i cant stand all the negative attitudes! Ten grand sounds good for dosh,[ break it up in safe segements] and if its any advice to you, i met my dream with only $300.00, a suitcase and a Telecaster, got hired on immediatly as a picker, go to jam sessions!
