Seeking good advice on possible NYC move

[rent-a-rocker]

I've read these forums every day for about 4 years now, and consider myself lucky to have benefited from the knowledge offered here. Browsing and the 'search' function have always led me to an answer to my technical questions; this is a personal question about my potential career path:

I am a 30 year old guitarist/singer/songwriter. My formal musical education was in Classical Guitar at Indiana University. I'm currently learning production, teaching guitar, playing as a hired gun in cover bands and painting houses. These are all good ways to 'make a living' in music but not really what I want to do with my life. Here's what I want to do:

myspace.com/rentarocker

My goal is to find a booking agent or indie label, get out on tour (sleep in my car), and begin to make a name for myself. Maybe turn this project into a full band as $ permits. Given that I'm not 'young, rich and beautiful,' (and that people don't seem to 'get' what I do until they see it live), what is the best way to achieve this goal? Here are my options at this time:

1) Continue living where I presently reside (at home near Catskill, NY) and book as many dates as I can within 3-4 hours of my 'base' with the goal of building a regional audience in the Northeast so that the 'right' people will take an interest in my music

or

2) Move in with my brother in NYC, do open mic in all the 'hip' singer/songwriter hangouts, play in the subways to make money, work on getting into the clubs there and try to meet the 'right' people.

Ideally, it would be wise to do both things...but my limited budget and rising transportation costs (not to mention the cost of a closet in Manhattan) make this impossible. Until I get established, it needs to be one or the other. Is one of these options DRASTICALLY better than the other, or is this simply a case of 'you get what you put into it?'

Thank you,

Rent-A-Rocker

*Oh, and as a related aside, can I make a living ($100 a day) playing in the subways? If so, what kind of music is the best to play to get paid?*

[joelpatterson]

These sound like *rhetorical* questions... and yet you seem like you expect someone to answer them?

Life itself is a huge risk and a gamble... if I were you, I'd do what I really wanted to, in my heart, realizing there are no *guarantees* and that the best laid plans can fall flat and also the most unlikely plans can succeed beyond your wildest dreams.

In my own case, years ago, I sat myself down and said: "How do you want the story to read?" Meaning, if someone told the story of my life, without any spin or elaboration, just the facts... what would it sound like?

[skiltrip]

Personally, I'd go spend some time in NYC. Simply because it's allll about networking. And you'll meet people from all walks of music and entertainment in NYC if you're hitting the little dive, open mic scene. Getting yourself out there, literally, is the best thing to do.

I too live in upstate NY, not nearly as far as you do though, and at one point in my life, I packed it all in and moved to NYC too. i'd do it all again if i could. go for it.

[rent-a-rocker]

thanks guys. it means a lot to me.

R-A-R

[Studioe37]

Originally Posted by joelpatterson

Life itself is a huge risk and a gamble... if I were you, I'd do what I really wanted to, in my heart, realizing there are no *guarantees* and that the best laid plans can fall flat and also the most unlikely plans can succeed beyond your wildest dreams.

In my own case, years ago, I sat myself down and said: "How do you want the story to read?" Meaning, if someone told the story of my life, without any spin or elaboration, just the facts... what would it sound like?

Food For Thought...