Dayton, OH music scene sucks!!!!

[Cookie]

Unfortunately, I'm stuck in Dayton, OH trying to make a go at producing and recording bands. Thankfully, I have a real job, otherwise I'd be broke. There are no bands that I can find in this town that give 2 shits about quality recordings. I've offered to work with bands for next to nothing, just because I thought they were at least interesting and refreshingly different than creed cover bands.

I'd love to move to a "music town" but my kids are here and I don't want to be apart from them.

Anyone have any suggestions on how I could just get more work or work on the occasional project out of town? I just love music and the lack of it here makes me want to vomit.

[raoulmusic]

Originally Posted by Cookie

Unfortunately, I'm stuck in Dayton, OH trying to make a go at producing and recording bands. Thankfully, I have a real job, otherwise I'd be broke. There are no bands that I can find in this town that give 2 shits about quality recordings. I've offered to work with bands for next to nothing, just because I thought they were at least interesting and refreshingly different than creed cover bands.

I'd love to move to a "music town" but my kids are here and I don't want to be apart from them.

Anyone have any suggestions on how I could just get more work or work on the occasional project out of town? I just love music and the lack of it here makes me want to vomit.

Perhaps you could start making some noise yourself then ?
Just a thought ...

[mattkw80]

Bob Pollard's still there!

But he says the same thing in interviews..... the scene is dead.

Too bad.... I love Dayton.

[Mr. Liszt]

I'm in the same spot as you. I've gotten some small gigs as a simple engineer (which I'm not really into) and a few as a producer which I really enjoy - though I don't manage budgets or anything I just work on songwriting/pre-production, arranging and coaching in the studio when the time comes.

Do you have a band or anything? You say Dayton's no good but you are pretty close to a few major cities. I guess if Dayton really is dead then you're going to have to dedicate a lot of hours out of town, away from home to get anything going.

My advice is to start a band. Make some great recordings produced by YOU. Play shows with a slew of other bands. Be cool with everybody. Don't be a homebody. Make a lot of friends and contacts.

The ONLY reason that I have gotten any of these opportunities is that I have a band that I record, produce and perform with in town. We play with other bands. They hear our recordings and ask about where we did them and such. If I really like a bands material and see that there are some things that I can make a great deal better then I throw the idea out of me producing a few tracks or just coming in as a kind of consultant. Not all bands know what a producer is or what one does though. Some are not open to other people manipulating their material. Some are.

Do it for a while and things will happen. If you get a gig with someone work your ass off for them. It's definitely a long-term investment and you've got to have some patience, time and serious skills with music and with people.

[Cookie]

haha yeah. I've been in bands for years. I still write and record my own music. I'm just kind of over the whole band thing.

Oh well. I do need to get out to Cinci and Columbus more and try to drum up some biz there I suppose.

[Dale]

cinci and columbus are too far.
springfield, yellow springs, fairborne, xenia and centerville are nearer!

is canal street dead now??

[Cookie]

I've been to Canal quite often on "recruiting trips" It's still there. I've been to all the places you mention to try and stir up business.

[soundsundergroun]

dude, there are plenty of bands in and around Dayton. I record some and Self Made studios records a lot (more than me) as well.

[BrianVengeance]

You may want to see about hitting up some of the colleges in the area. When I was in Oxford, there were always bands in the bars, but nothing "centralized" as far as any sort of scene. Just gotta dig some.

I'd try to work some other angles as well. The Dayton area has got a pretty solid skate community, and you'd be hard pressed to find another group of people that didn't embrace music and art as openly. Find some mom and pop skate shops and just stop in to bullshit some with the employees / owners some about music. I'd be thoroughly surprised if they didn't at least let you leave some flyers and a stack of cards... if not outright being able to point you towards a band or some event with bands involved.

[The Real MC]

Yeah the music scene where I live is stagnant. Fewer clubs have live music and they don't pay very well. All the bars think that if they can pay a DJ to spin the CDs then they don't have to pay any more for a live band. People don't patronize bars anymore because the drinks are too expensive, economy is tough and disposable income barely exists, and DWI laws are heavily enforced.

I'd start something, but the good musicians I have met all said they don't want to play weekends anymore - too busy with work and family and the poor $$$ isn't worth it. The ones that are left are either substandard quality or poor team members, some are outright liars.

I just play around in my private studio and record songs anymore.

[Melodnb]

Living in Tipp City so how do think I feel?

I produce and mix Drum and Bass so I have to drive a minimum of an hour and half to see shows or play them. All my signings are on Hospital in the U.K. I can never get anyone here to take my music seriously. It's just electronic noise them.

The music around here is generally awful. I really plan on moving as far away from here as I can when I'm able.

Such is Dayton Ohio.

[Thomas W. Bethe]

IMHO most of Ohio has a really bad music scene.

A lot of Ohio band members don't seem to get the idea that they have to play well together for people to actually come and listen to them. I have been at some clubs where the band sounds more like they are in a rehearsal mode instead of a concert mode, They can't decide what to play next and the concert grounds to a virtual stand still.

If they do get into a recording studio they come in unprepared and gripe about the cost when in reality it is their problem caused by them not being ready.

If you are going to call yourselves "professional" musicians start acting like one. There are a lot of exceptions and we do have some good bands but overall most the music scene is very unprofessional and IMHO over crowded with wannabees.

FWIW and YMMV

[BrianVengeance]

The Flats up in Cleveland used to be pretty solid, as well as Clifton in Cinci... seems like all that started heading south about 10 years ago. Never really heard much about larger studios, just a lot of smaller indy size shops. Used to always hate that major tours would skip over the area too.

[Cookie]

I must now add to this post. Since my original post, I've been impressed with a big of a resurgence the past couple of years. I moved into a commercial studio and I've seen a ton of talent come out of the woodwork. So, some less moaning on my part

[ryst]

I was born and raised in Dayton so I know the feeling. I was frustrated my whole life with the scene. But there are some good bands there. There's always good bands that come out of such depressing places to live.

[swafford]

Cincinnati has a great scene.

[king2070lplaya]

Couldn't disagree more. Columbus has a wonderful an thriving artistic music scene, with great jazz, hip hop, soul, indie, alternative, rock and funk BANDS performing and recording on the regular. Lots of crap as well for sure, but don't write it all off. Lots of wonderful music.

Originally Posted by Thomas W. Bethe

IMHO most of Ohio has a really bad music scene.

A lot of Ohio band members don't seem to get the idea that they have to play well together for people to actually come and listen to them. I have been at some clubs where the band sounds more like they are in a rehearsal mode instead of a concert mode, They can't decide what to play next and the concert grounds to a virtual stand still.

If they do get into a recording studio they come in unprepared and gripe about the cost when in reality it is their problem caused by them not being ready.

If you are going to call yourselves "professional" musicians start acting like one. There are a lot of exceptions and we do have some good bands but overall most the music scene is very unprofessional and IMHO over crowded with wannabees.

FWIW and YMMV

[scottrod]

Originally Posted by Melodnb

Living in Tipp City so how do think I feel?

Got you beat.

I live in Piqua.