Is Boston a good place for Musicians/Artists? (unemployed, schools)

[DJX3000]

Is Boston & Greater Boston a good place for artists, especially musicians? I'd like to know if it's easy to make connections with other musicians there or if the music industry is strong enough to develop a career as a composer or songwriter. I know Los Angeles is one of the most important places for the entertainment industry but it is way too saturated and the sprawl makes it harder to connect with people. Everything is far in Los Angeles , very spread out and that seems to make harder to find musicians, the right people, and build relationships in any field.

I wanted to know if the music scene is good enough in Boston, to not just play in a band in a little bar once a month but to build a career as a musician/artist/ sound designer/composer...etc.

Maybe the fact that Boston is close to New York might help? I don't know.... any musicians, composers, artists out there in Boston?

[timberline742]

Its pretty good, but not I would say great. There is tons of music, tons of bands, lots of collabs and projects, a bunch of venues and even more underground venues. Solid press/promotion too, but not in the hardcopy form anymore. The hindrance is the cost of living. Lots of artists move away due to the high rents. Much of the young collaborations in music emanate from Emerson students and alums. I worked with a duo that met their recently, and played many years in their own bands before teaming up, but that duo recently relocated to NC due to COL. In some ways Providence is better as the COL is lower and the city still has a strong creative vibe.

[turf3]

It's a great place to make connections, for the same reason that it's a lousy place to make a living as a musician: multiple conservatories and schools (Berklee, for example) churning out bushels of young musicians willing to play for practically nothing.

Cost of living is insanely high, especially in the city where most musicians are going to want to live.

Way more supply than demand here.

[timberline742]

Sorry, I don't know why I said Emerson, I meant Berklee

[BostonMike7]

Plus you have MassArt as well.

[bohemka]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Sorry, I don't know why I said Emerson, I meant Berklee

Maybe because Emerson grads are just as likely to be unemployed and in debt?

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by bohemka

Maybe because Emerson grads are just as likely to be unemployed and in debt?

I assume, and hope, this was meant in jest. None of the Emerson nor Berklee former students that I know are anything but gainfully employed, and most in fields their education was in.

[bohemka]

Just an old liberal arts joke. Before you freak out, I'm one of them.