Destitute musical genius w move to LA ??s (Los Angeles, Carson: transplants, mortgage broker)

[POdNCrazee]

I am an amateur saxophone player considering a move to LA. I have a BA History 92 and about 5 years of work experience (among other less impressive wk exp) as a residential mortgage broker (quit that, too extraverted a gig for me). I have been thinking about moving away from Boulder, CO (all of Colorado)(been there since 90). Recently, I figured out I am a far more talented musician than I thought (used to be just a hobby). I want to devote my life to music (mainly as a live pop/jazz/rock performer and session player, c.f. Michael Brecker (RIP)). I have the passion and talent to play at the very, very highest levels. It's a crazy and difficult career but with the gift I have it'd been even crazier to not pursue it. I'm fed up with Colorado. Colorado has SUPER outdoors stuff and a safe, healthy environment. However, there aren't enough people here yet (yeah, it's true!). Here we have a society of quite wealthy insulated WHITE transplants from other states layered over a fading boom n' bust agricultural/petroleum/WHITE redneck economy. (Plus lots of illegals.) The economy here is decent but precariously fragile, transient and wages are lowish. The newcomers tend to be entitled snobby super-arrogant nouveau-riche just relieved to have cashed-in and fled from the coasts. The "natives" are nice and admirable but ignorant inbred rednecks (sorry..). I'm looking at LA because it's cheaper than New York plus way better weather. I am the artistic, creative type (also interested in film, screenwriting, and comedy) so LA looks good. Plus I'm a non-conformist free-spirit (think a fantasy-morph of Cheech Marin, Frank Zappa and David Bowie, but prettier). I could move to Denver (drab nasty polluted cowtown (sorry..)) first sort of as a warm-up to NY or LA, I guess. But Colorado seems waaaay to midWestern, podunk and ignorant for my tastes nowadays. Culture here is watching your teeth turn green and fall out, beer, cigarettes, TV, and oh yeah, driving your HUGE truck or SUV around all day but never getting out of it !?!! Blechhh! Would it be just totally insane to move to LA with little money (but single, no kids) and try to make something happen?? Only other options are stay put (ugh) or NYC or maybe Chicago, it seems. Thanks, FastFilm (heh) and others I look forward to your input !

[artichoke63]

I hate to say it, but this town is full of undiscovered genius. You may want to save the wind for the instrument, get a day job that pays, and keep practicing.

Artie

[fastfilm]

'Got your Bat Signal. Are you Musicians Union? Do you like pickup gigs? Would you do casuals do avoid a waiters job or phone sales? I know many full-time, working musicians here.

Some of the strategies they use:
-be in two bands, one that makes money, and one that's "your baby" or dream band. This works surprisingly well, because if you're vital enough to one band, they'll accomodate your schedule in the other band to keep you.
-specialize: the blues musicians I know work ALL the time, backing others stopping in town for pickup bands.
-live here, but tour out of town to make money. Original bands do NOT make money here, it's pay to play.
-if you're Union, you can work in movie orchestras and bands. Take advantage of the Company town work. It may lead to other lucrative session work.
-Tribute bands, surprisingly, make money here as well as star-starved middle America.

How to network: go to open/jam nights at clubs and play. Did I give you the links to the clubs? And surely someone has warned you of the illegals here? To my mind, far more personally intrusive than rednecks.

[POdNCrazee]

Hey Artie, you hurt my feelings...I'm all choked up.

[POdNCrazee]

I will follow up on the Musicians Union, not currently a member. BTW, what do you mean by "this town is pay-to-play". I thought tons of original bands come from LA, like Motley Crue, GnR, Poison, and uh Ornette Coleman. P.S. Out here in Colorado the rednecks seem much worse than the latinos. I have met plenty of latinos here and I admire them. They are friendly, very hard-working, good-natured people...yet to run across a Mexi-gangbanger but I don't travel outside of Boulder much.

[Sampaguita]

My boss has always said, "if you have to ask 'should I become a musician?', then the answer is no". If you've already passed that point, then know that competition is fierce and the life is NOT easy. Being a starving musician is not all that cool. It's a struggle.

You will have to work your butt off to get your foot in the door because there are so many talented sax players out there. We worked with one a few months ago (a no-name, 20-something yr old) who stood toe-to-toe with Ernie Watts on "Sax Alley". At rehearsal, my boss went up to them & put his arms around them & said, "I just want to soak this in...I am standing with greatness". And then, "...where'd we find this guy anyway?"

At the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra of all places. Too bad that HMI is defunct as of this past New Year's.

Being a member of the local is rather crucial. One of our drummers didn't want to join (didn't want to pay dues) but when he finally did, doors started opening up for him. He now tours with Sergio Mendes, Steve Tyrell and some others.

A lot of our musicians who have worked on the Tonight Show (Carson & Leno) and toured with some big names have regular gigs in town that would not seem "impressive" (pianist at the Ritz for example) but those are steady gigs that pay the rent. Even though they occasionally have to supply a sub for their in-town gigs when they go on the road, they are really valued & manage to keep their bread & butter gigs.

Some of my colleagues will be playing the movie score for the next big Oscar contender and then the next day, they are playing a wedding or a reception. Even some of the more well-known musicians will do that. Prince's keyboardist played my wedding reception as a favor to the drummer (a friend) and one of Cuba's finest bassists did likewise. I'm SURE it was not all that musicially fulfilling for them, but it was a gig. They did it, they made a lot of people happy with the music & they left with a decent check.

FastFilm is right about specializing. Jon Lewis, trumpeter, is one of the top studio musicians in LA and along with a couple of other names, is always the first call. Luis Conte, a fabulous percussionist, is also first call to play any and all name Latin gigs plus most TV, movie gigs.

But, before you can specialize you've got to land a gig. The better a musician you are, the more notice you'll get. LA's music circle is small & tight and word gets around pretty fast if you're a standout.

Also, as a sax player, make sure your doubles chops are up to par. Flute and clarinet are especially crucial to sessions gigs and are also essential if you get an orchestra gig.

For kicks, go to www.bigphatjam.com.

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band is holding a contest. Winners in each category will have the opportunity to play on a track. A friend of mine who is a talented vocalist was short 20 votes...it would have been great for her to win her week (she certainly deserved it but alas, it sometimes has to do with how many people call in to "save you" than actual talent), but I am pretty sure the band heard her & took notice. Who knows? They may hear you & like what they hear. While it may not be your genre, you can't be all too picky just starting out. It would be a great stepping stone.

You'll have to be damned good, dedicated, confident but not arrogant. Really. All the musicians I know who have steady gigs are fantastic musicians/vocalists with an air of confidence that comes of knowing their craft inside & out. Arrogance has its place but you'd better know when not to use it because tongues wag & bad reps won't get you far. No one wants to work with a PITA and any road manager will tell you that.

As I follow trumpeters more closely, I am not sure of this but there must be a message board for sax players. I know that there are several for trumpeters and a lot of professional trumpeters sign on a few times a week to offer up their experiences. You might find the same for sax.

And lastly, as the great Ernie Watts has said on several occasions to some of our mouthy musicians: "show up, shut up & play your a** off".

Good luck!

[fastfilm]

High five (and an exalt rep) to Sampaguita for excellent, jazz-specific info to the original poster! (and the OP is also confusing the rock/metal scene here in L.A. twenty-five years ago with the working scene today. Original rock bands now, unless signed and backed, play elsewhere while funding and distributing their own releases or downloads.)

[James T]

Every other restaurant waiter in Los Angeles is either an actor or a musician just waiting for Hollywood to discover how talented they are. I'd stay in Colorado.

[POdNCrazee]

Okay, so with all the undiscovered musicians in L.A., I'm thinking there must be great opportunities to find bandmates to play with (or at least circle-jerk with). What are some of the best places to live in the L.A. area if you want to be real close to popular live music venues. More specifically: music venues with rock, pop, jazz, latin jazz, hard rock ?? Also, I know roughly where the studios are for TV and film. Where is the music recording industry in L.A. located. Thanks in advance, SoCal dudes in tha know!

[JackSparrow]

The thing is, there ARE a lot of musicians here. The cool thing is, there's tons and tons of venues too. So it's a wash.

[napoleon dynamite] "Follow your heart Pedro, that's what I always do!" [/napoleon dynamite]