Living off my music?!
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: Music and Musicians Exchange
Forum Description: Talk with and get feedback from other musicians on the site
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=30778
Printed Date: November 25 2024 at 01:11
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Living off my music?!
Posted By: ailgun
Subject: Living off my music?!
Date Posted: November 06 2006 at 13:08
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Hi ,
I am a 17 year old boy I have to say first of all. And I am really really interested in music as you can guess. I spend all of my money to records , equipments etc. And my biggest desire is to live my music. I wonder is there anybody managed this here? Cause I think I need some advises..I want to know the process. I am making my own recordings in my home for 2-3 months. Writing my music , learning keyboard , sampling , recording etc.
I think I can do anything about music. I like all the recording , producing , writing part. But I really don't know the path. And more importantly I don't know if I can manage all. ( I feel like I am rambling very badly :( ) . I feel alone , cause there are no people around me I can colloborate. But some people really like my music , some doesn't write their comments.
And another point is the music for films and games. I think I can do that too. I can put my workings on that genre too if want to listen...
Finally as you can see , I want to be musician! Any advices?
I have 2 myspace sites right now.
http://www.myspace.com/atayilgn - www.myspace.com/atayilgn
http://www.myspace.com/moonloopaty - www.myspace.com/moonloopaty
You can find a little bit more information on the '' Do I have any talent? You tell me please! '' topic.( About the songs etc. )
And as I said I can put my atmospheric/experimental works on another site , if you are curious how can a17 year old bot produce music.
Thanks
Really sorry for the rambling! I feel confused I little...
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Replies:
Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: November 06 2006 at 14:29
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ailgun, I think you can get information in the web.
I just have typed "Studio Recording process for beginners" in Google and received a lot of references like this one: http://www.guitarnoise.com/recording.php - http://www.guitarnoise.com/recording.php .
I guess no one can explain you all details of recording/production process at once. People spend years to 'conquer' these things.
It's good, you've got the will to do everything about music. But don't forget, good sound producer is a musician and also an engineer, in addition to the talent he should have great musical and technical knowledges.
Start from something simple and then move, step by step, to more complex tasks. Sooner or later you will find true direction and people who can give you good advice.
Good luck! ------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
Posted By: ailgun
Date Posted: November 06 2006 at 14:45
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Well I think I am misunderstood. I think I know enough about home recording , software etc.
My problem is being not known. How can I make my self known to people. For example how do musicians we know made their first albums? What should I do if I believe I have something that people really like?( Or would like ) Send them to Roadrunners , get a account on Taxi? What? :D
I don't know how / when I can start making some money?
Please don't think I am thinking of money...Its just the begining , as I said I want be a musician.
By the way I know this site..Its the best source on the net I think.
www.tweakheadz.com
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Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: November 06 2006 at 16:19
Nobody knows the secret.
I think it's necessary to work hard, believe in what you're doing and, last but not least, have a little luck (who knows, what could be if The Beatles never met Bryan Epstein).
Play your music wherever it's possible, send your demos to radio stations and record labels, start the band, communicate with people...
Remember, all great bands started from zero. There is no easy way to success.
And believe in yourself, it is, probably, the most important thing.
------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
ailgun wrote:Posted By: Hierophant
Date Posted: November 06 2006 at 16:58
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ailgun no offense here... but you need a serious reality check. For all I know you could be the greatest writer/musician/composer/singer - IT DOESN'T MATTER. You don't go from "tinkering" around with recording software, making a few songs, and putting them on myspace - to selling your recordings and making money. "Established" musicians have a hard time getting by these days - you need a serious long term gameplan if you want to pursue music as a career. As a start, I would recommend getting some musicians (meaning ANY guy/girl who can play a damn bass or drums) togethor and jamming/practicing on a regular basis. Do not be picky about who you play with at this point because it's not 1969 anymore. You are not Genesis. Start gigging anywhere you can get a gig, if you can get work playing at your local junior high school/prison - then do not hesistate to take the job. Aside from this you'll need another "regular" job to fund all the costs of having a functional band - new instruments/amps/strings/cables/tuners/effects boxes/transportation. When you guys first start out - you don't start out playing Yes covers or "The Glass Prison" by Dream Theater - play Rolling Stones covers for all I care, play Black Sabbath songs - play anything as long as it's tight and it grooves - you have to build chemistry with your band member first before you lay your Bachzart monstrousities on them. After awhile - you've covered several songs, a couple of long, late night jams, and maybe a gig or two - you're ready to start working on your original material (NOTHING CRAZY), the key is to keep it simple but still conveying your original ideas - if it is beyond your capability set it aside/ or take a piece of it and make it blossom into something new - something on your current skill level, it's all about natural flow of energy. After you get a couple of originals that you can play tight as hell you can begin the process over again. Always challenge yourselves - WITHIN REASON. If your band sounds like a crate full of sheet metal falling down the stairs - then either change the song, play it painstakingly slow, or go back to playing Black Sabbath covers. Now... I assume this entire time you were going to school and graduated from high school. But a high school diploma isn't good enough for well... anything. You need to major in something at least music related. Music theory, recording engineering, acoustic physics - SOMETHING related to music. Each one of these things I told you to do give you "music points" you need as many "music points" as you can get if you want to somehow... someway... make a living off music. My point is, you need a backup plan - chances are your band isn't going to "make it" on it's own - the money you make off gigging will be miniscule, microscopic (maybe enough to buy a couple of Happy Meals for your drummer after a show). So after college you hopefully won't have a job you completely despise and somewhat tolerable - recording engineer, music teacher... at least it's something in your field of interest and can only HELP you. Not to mention the amount of people you will have access to in college, especially if it centers around arts/music. The more you build your "musical network" (who can play this instrument, who's uncle knows so&so pro musician, who works at a recording studio) the greater your chances for success will be. If you stay really focused and dedicated to music I think only good things can come from it. Don't expect to be handed anything in life you have to do all the work. Most importantly don't ever stop writing/playing music - because if you love doing it, then why stop? "making it" is not that important. Good luck with it.  ------------- 
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Posted By: peter_gabriel
Date Posted: November 07 2006 at 23:43
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Im 16.. I had the same dream a few moths ago.. i was obsessed.. y play guitar and i was practicing all day... i had expectations in the future... i planned to leave school and go to usa to be a concertist and have a prog band etc... then... the same that member_profile.asp?PF=1493&FID=46 - Hierophant said... my dad said to me.. and i almost died  |
Posted By: ailgun
Date Posted: November 08 2006 at 14:09
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Well I will be answering all of your questions and making my comments. Firstly thanks for you luck wishes! I will write passively..Start and finish without stoping. Cause I have many things in my head. I think I am too young actually. I have started listening to Opeth in the last years ( 1-2) And for 7-8 months I have played them in my room sometimes lonely sometimes with another guitarist friend of mine. And after learing more bands with the help of Opeth's influences I got into Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson. He gave me the influence to write. And I am writing for 3-4 months. ( A pause...) Firstly it begun lovely and just like a hobby. But now it has become an obsession for me too :( I am happy when I come out with something good I am happy. Otherwise nerveous. And I have graduated from high school this year. And I am in a colleage of Graphic Design for 2 months. I am happy with it and talented. But in depth I want to be a musician.( Any kind of...Writer , producer , film-game , instrument player etc. ) But I think I have inspriation to create :( And I really think I can manage all this..When my creativity drops dead I feel otherwise but there is so much thing to discover. And when I look back I see many times like this. But I could write after these periods too. You can think that I am a little boy writing sh*t! And thinking in anormal way. But please..And actually I am known here underground ( I like So I am writing my songs , putting them on myspace. Some people like them , some doesn’t make comments! Sometimes I feel pathetic , sometimes my ego rises like And I wonder did you guys listened my songs? If you have listened and thinked about them. Please tell whatever! Probably you will want to hear more , I can put some more samples. I want you to listen them all and comment! |
Posted By: MarkOne
Date Posted: November 09 2006 at 07:10
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http://www.progarchives.com/forum/member_profile.asp?PF=1493&FID=46 - Hierophant talks a lot of sense
If you are serious about making a living in music you do have to be prepared for the long haul.
There are a huge number of people wanting on the music gravy train, just because of the cult of celebrity we have these days. There are bands aplenty all looking for that illusive break.
The established record industry is absolutely not going to help you. They are knee deep in demo CDs every morning, and they just shovel the lot into the trash unlistened
It's going to take a lot of things.
Talent, Perseverance, Developing a buzz in your local community, playing live every chance, creating a fan base, networking with other bands, and with promoters and with venue owners. If you can, get to know local studio owners, and can get to hang out with people recording, you might be able to network with some A&R types.
Even then you will probably have to self produce an album and have successful sales at your gigs, and get local airplay, and wider exposure on the net and anywhere else that might possibly be an outlet.
And all that and hard work and holding down a day job to finance it and late nights gigging and writing and networking, it all in all possibility won't be enough.
I have friends that have done all of the above, I have friends who have toured as sidemen with bigish names, had their own solo albums, I even know people who have been staff writers for big labels, and pretty much all of them are still waiting for the break.
A&R guys even for indies are looking for uniqueness , something that is going to catch the public imagination and be the next big thing.
Even Prog centric labels are going to be extremely picky today, because they can!
But if all this still doesn't put you off... Then go for it! Chase that dream
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Posted By: ailgun
Date Posted: November 09 2006 at 09:59
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Well thanks , it's for sure that I will chase it but. In my local area it's hard for me to play gigs really. There are mayfests in universities here , but I can't play there cause I play prog etc. Last year we played several covers in a Metal fest but playing cover's is not enough for me! I think it's best to play my music wherever I can , give everybody my demos. And promote my self in internet( Like I do here ) . And wait. |
Posted By: MarkOne
Date Posted: November 09 2006 at 11:12
Thing is, there are hundreds of thousands of other guys out there doing just that. (possibly millions)
You are going to have a long wait.
Sorry, but that's the cold hard truth. Like I said, being serious about it is going to cost you, you will in all probability have to move to somewhere with a big music scene, live in squalor and flip burgers.
Read the histories of people like Keith Emerson, Genesis, Rick Wakeman, etc. in the early days of their careers, life was grim with a capital G, Genesis were saddled with huge debts until after the Peter Gabriel days, Keith talks about the months trudging around Europe in a van going hungry, and getting ripped off by promoters. Pretty much everyone in bands lived in squalid dumps scratching out a living. And this was in the glory days of Prog, when record companies were prepared to take huge risks on new talent.
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Posted By: ailgun
Date Posted: November 09 2006 at 12:18
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Well things are different now... And I must say I am ready for these things. But the problem is my familiy. Guess the behavoir of them , it musn't be so hard :( I am in collage now..Probably after finishing it in 3 years I will be trudging around. In 3 years I can do things you guys said above. ( Having bands , promoting , getting known... )
And actually I must say that I believe in my self...But I am not sure will the rest will? But of course the time will show that. And up to now I haven't seen anybody didn't like my stuff. And most of them said that they would buy my CD and listen to it daily.
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