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Old 07-31-2010, 12:24 PM
 
Location: Malibu/Miami Beach
1,069 posts, read 3,262,469 times
Reputation: 443

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly4Sun View Post
Hi again everyone,

Your responses are awsome! Thank you! and Ladoll you sound like my daughter lol. She tells me "Mom don't worry, I promise you won't lose your soul if you enter L.A." lol. I was born and raised in Orange County and have been to Los Angeles many times in my life. Some of my best childhood memories werre times that I spent in L.A. It's one of the best cities in the world. It's just been a long time since I've been there and now my daughter moving there. She's a tough cookie and I think she will be fine, but I know how hard it will be, thats all. I'm actually the one that told her that it's time to go to L.A. That way you can say and know that you at least tried. I really appreciate your opinions and ideas. It helps to be reassured that she won't totally be eaten alive down there lol. Thanks again, Kelly
No you wont loose your soul if you enter LA.
However if you enter the Entertainment business it is not only likely it is compulsory!
But don't worry you soon get used to it.
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Old 07-31-2010, 01:07 PM
 
Location: SoCal
2,261 posts, read 7,210,444 times
Reputation: 960
As long as she has a good head on her shoulders, she'll be fine. I used to work in the A&R department at one of the biggest music publishing companies (albeit doing mostly computer stuff) and it was fine.

My boss (who was a VP) told me that in the 80s, they be snorting coke off their desks all day (he said this with a faraway wistful look in his eyes, heh), but those days are LONG gone!

The worst part about it all was that my company was only interested in acts that sounded like other acts. i.e. I would hear the Goo Goo Dolls blaring out of someone's office and ask "Is that a new Goo Goo Dolls album or something?"

Nope. It was just a band who sounded EXACTLY like them. "What do you think?!" the rep would ask me.

"But... they sound EXACTLY like the Goo Goo Dolls!" I would reply.

"I know! Isn't it great?!" would be the response.

That was pretty horrifying. I was in a band at the time, and I didn't even bother having any of the reps listen to my stuff because it would have been pointless. The music industry is just looking for homogenized, run-of-the-mill "music" that sounds exactly like everything else.

So, when they say you have to sacrifice your soul, maybe that's what they mean. I have a pretty good voice, and was told that if I sang more generic stuff, I could have possibly gone somewhere (especially with all my contacts in the industry), but that's not really what I was interested in. I've never regretted that decision.
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Old 07-31-2010, 01:17 PM
 
209 posts, read 720,262 times
Reputation: 103
Thanks Readymade for your great story. My daughter writes and sings her own music, so I guess that puts her out lol. But, her music has that repetitious pop sound, so mabie that will help lol. It's just a hard business to make it in. She knows this, I think thats why she drug her heels to get to L.A. But...she will be on her way there shortly and we shall see what happens. My hats off to her for having the guts to give it a try .

Kelly
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Old 07-31-2010, 04:49 PM
 
Location: California
37,048 posts, read 41,993,490 times
Reputation: 34856
The biggest worry on moving day to LA is overheating on the grapevine, as my daughter discovered . Once you get past that it's a piece of cake.
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Old 07-31-2010, 05:18 PM
 
Location: Malibu/Miami Beach
1,069 posts, read 3,262,469 times
Reputation: 443
I know you will not want to listen to this but I will tell you anyway.
The “middle aged” VP who used to snort coke off his desk in the eighties and remembers it with a wistful look in his eye does so for one reason, guys like him do not control the music business anymore. Also the guys you see on “search for a star type programs” do not control it either!
Look at the top twenty and think hard about the kind of guys that control this business.
They are very scary people whose staff is totally dominated by highly dangerous gang members.
Yes they still do drugs in the office and yes they use and abuse the vast majority of people they come into contact with.
So your daughter is a tough “cookie”? Survival in that world comes only through agreeing for everything and anyone who can help you today and understanding that tomorrow everything may be different.
The profit margins in the music business have been destroyed by illegal downloading from the internet and the film business is rapidly following that trend as technology becomes more advanced.
But I know that whatever I say will be ignored because young singers and actors will always attempt to follow their dreams the only parallel I can think of is that of the bank robber.
You decide you want to be rich ….you decide you will rob a bank.... outcome 2% chance you will make some money...20% chance you will die....70% chance you will go to prison... and 8% chance you will get away with no money but have learnt the lesson not to do it again!!
This is the music business I would stick to cutting hair!
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Old 07-31-2010, 06:24 PM
 
209 posts, read 720,262 times
Reputation: 103
Impala666: I've noticed your opinions and advice about the entertainment industry are a bit harsh, which is fine because thats the way the business is, but I've noticed in some of your other posts you mention you have been in the entertainment industry since age 16. I sense some frustration and anger towards this industry from you and wondering why you are still a part of it?

Believe me I don't want my daughter to get into this busines whatsoever, but it's not my life. She is an adult. She will have to learn and figure out all this herself. She knows full well what a crap business it is, but performing is what makes her happy, and unfortunately it's the hardest business on earth, and she knows that too. I do know one thing, if it wasn't for young adults with dreams,determination and stars in their eyes, we wouldn't have the great music icons we have today. Grant it the music industry is nothing like it once was, which my daughter knows, she's the one that keeps telling me that . But... there will always be young adults that want to pursue their dreams, even though it's next to impossible. They just want to give 110%, so at least they can say they did, and not look back and say "I wish I would of done that".

My only hope is that these young adults, my daughter included, get through it without losing their dignity all together. With that said, you're right in what you say, but that will never stop young souls searching for stardom. They have to learn this on their own. It's survival of the fittest. Don't enter the L.A. entertainment industry if you have a weak stomach, cause you won't survive. Like I've said, my daughter is the most determined young lady I know. She has guts, she's straight forward, she knows what she wants, and she knows that she will be turned away more than accepted. She has already been rejected many many times. It seems the more she's rejected the more she wants it. So... in about 24 hours from now she will be living in L.A. and facing all this crap that is called the L.A. music industry. But...this is what she wants and she knows I will be rooting her on, even though this is not at all what I would have picked for her life. I know one thing, if anybody deserves a damn break it's my daughter. She works harder than anybody I know. But....nobody will care about that, she knows that too. Anyways, I appreciate your honesty, even though I already know all of this. I will keep you posted as to how long she lasts . Kelly
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Old 07-31-2010, 08:22 PM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,209,149 times
Reputation: 49245
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ceece View Post
The biggest worry on moving day to LA is overheating on the grapevine, as my daughter discovered . Once you get past that it's a piece of cake.
and the positive about that: the way car are designed today it isn't nearly as bad as 30 or 40 plus years ago. Yes, everyone should know, if they don't about the famous Grapevine.

Nita
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Old 07-31-2010, 11:34 PM
 
Location: SoCal
2,261 posts, read 7,210,444 times
Reputation: 960
On the PLUS side of the music business, everyone I worked with was HEAVILY into going out to see bands, attended mixers, etc...

So if she can really put herself out there... meet lots of people, etc... LA is really the place to do it.

Also, one of the reps told me that if I WANTED to give someone my demo CD, that it should be the ultimate best it could possibly be... because no one will ever listen to anything else you ever do again (unless you change your name/band name... so they don't know it's the same person) if they don't like your first effort. That's another reason I never really did anything. I was never happy with anything I recorded, heh.

I think it's absolutely fantastic about your daughter. I moved out to LA (not to "make it"... more just for the weather, heh) when I was 26 and I had a blast!

My boss was the VP of New Media, so no... he didn't control the music industry. Several of the other people I worked with, though, discovered various people that you've heard of today.

In my opinion, it's more about drive and ambition than it is about talent. I don't know anything about your daughter's talent, but it sounds like she's got drive in spades, so who knows! She has as good of a chance as anyone else.





Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly4Sun View Post
Thanks Readymade for your great story. My daughter writes and sings her own music, so I guess that puts her out lol. But, her music has that repetitious pop sound, so mabie that will help lol. It's just a hard business to make it in. She knows this, I think thats why she drug her heels to get to L.A. But...she will be on her way there shortly and we shall see what happens. My hats off to her for having the guts to give it a try .

Kelly
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Old 08-01-2010, 06:53 AM
 
Location: Malibu/Miami Beach
1,069 posts, read 3,262,469 times
Reputation: 443
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly4Sun View Post
Impala666: I've noticed your opinions and advice about the entertainment industry are a bit harsh, which is fine because thats the way the business is, but I've noticed in some of your other posts you mention you have been in the entertainment industry since age 16. I sense some frustration and anger towards this industry from you and wondering why you are still a part of it?

Believe me I don't want my daughter to get into this busines whatsoever, but it's not my life. She is an adult. She will have to learn and figure out all this herself. She knows full well what a crap business it is, but performing is what makes her happy, and unfortunately it's the hardest business on earth, and she knows that too. I do know one thing, if it wasn't for young adults with dreams,determination and stars in their eyes, we wouldn't have the great music icons we have today. Grant it the music industry is nothing like it once was, which my daughter knows, she's the one that keeps telling me that . But... there will always be young adults that want to pursue their dreams, even though it's next to impossible. They just want to give 110%, so at least they can say they did, and not look back and say "I wish I would of done that".

My only hope is that these young adults, my daughter included, get through it without losing their dignity all together. With that said, you're right in what you say, but that will never stop young souls searching for stardom. They have to learn this on their own. It's survival of the fittest. Don't enter the L.A. entertainment industry if you have a weak stomach, cause you won't survive. Like I've said, my daughter is the most determined young lady I know. She has guts, she's straight forward, she knows what she wants, and she knows that she will be turned away more than accepted. She has already been rejected many many times. It seems the more she's rejected the more she wants it. So... in about 24 hours from now she will be living in L.A. and facing all this crap that is called the L.A. music industry. But...this is what she wants and she knows I will be rooting her on, even though this is not at all what I would have picked for her life. I know one thing, if anybody deserves a damn break it's my daughter. She works harder than anybody I know. But....nobody will care about that, she knows that too. Anyways, I appreciate your honesty, even though I already know all of this. I will keep you posted as to how long she lasts . Kelly
No I'm not angry at the business that has given me a great life for the past 36 years I'm just a little frustrated at youngsters who think the entertainment business owes them a living.
If you have read my posts relating to the business I think you will find a common theme.
That is,it is possible to make a career if you have the right education the right contacts and are prepared to listen to people who know much more than you(Your bosses).
If you turn up fresh from film school and try to explain to someone like me that it is actually OK to hold this particular $250,000 lens this way because you were told so in school, then you can guess how long you will last.
This is an aggressive business, what you sense in my posts is the reality of what happens behind the closed doors of the studios.
Other people on this forum also work or have worked in the business listen to them you will get a very similar opinion.
“ Don t put your daughter on the stage Mrs Robinson”, not much has changed!
I know you daughter is set on the music business not the film industry which I do know a little about the two are very similar but in my opinion the music business is much harder and less forgiving.
If as you say she has some sort of talent (even if its only the ability to take advice) I wish her luck.
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Old 08-01-2010, 12:41 PM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,209,149 times
Reputation: 49245
Quote:
Originally Posted by impala666 View Post
No I'm not angry at the business that has given me a great life for the past 36 years I'm just a little frustrated at youngsters who think the entertainment business owes them a living.
If you have read my posts relating to the business I think you will find a common theme.
That is,it is possible to make a career if you have the right education the right contacts and are prepared to listen to people who know much more than you(Your bosses).
If you turn up fresh from film school and try to explain to someone like me that it is actually OK to hold this particular $250,000 lens this way because you were told so in school, then you can guess how long you will last.
This is an aggressive business, what you sense in my posts is the reality of what happens behind the closed doors of the studios.
Other people on this forum also work or have worked in the business listen to them you will get a very similar opinion.
“ Don t put your daughter on the stage Mrs Robinson”, not much has changed!
I know you daughter is set on the music business not the film industry which I do know a little about the two are very similar but in my opinion the music business is much harder and less forgiving.
If as you say she has some sort of talent (even if its only the ability to take advice) I wish her luck.
just read an article in Parade this morning before church. It is an interview with the guy who is the star of "Madman" Every young homeful needs to read it.

Nita
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