need some advice (career) (newbie thread)

[opentune]

Hey guys,

my first thread on this forum is a quite serious one., i think so.
I have no idea where to post it. So if anyone would be so kind
to move it to the right place i would highly appreciate that.

I´d like you guys to give some comments about the following:

I´m working as FoH guy and i make some extra bucks with what i call
"high-end-garage-recording". I really like these jobs and i feel
the need for "improving my skills".

So far so good...

On the other hand i love playing guitar and songwriting. Several
people were telling me "go, show your talent. You´re gifted, so don´t waste it"


I´m at a point where i have to decide which way to go.

Anyone who was in the same situation?
Any suggestions?

[opentune]

I think i should´ve decribed the situation a little more detailed.

I don´t want this to be a "counseling thread". It´s more like
opening a thread where people can either provide some useful
ideas about how to find the right decision, or a thread were people
can describe what they´ve expirienced in the time where they were
still searching for the "right" job.

Ok, here we go...

[Scinx]

If time is your enemy, then do the artist gig now, and the engineering gig later. This way, you will have had both experiences. And, the experience of being an artist (e.g. going to studios, etc.) will help benefit your engineering side later on. Of course I have no specifics - I am speaking in a general sense.

[opentune]

Yep...., time IS my enemy now...

For some reason i just didn´t realize that. You were helping someone
to find the way to relaxing sleep now...

My first thread - instantly great help! The ol´Romans knew what they were doing,
when inventing the Forum.

Thankx

[Amplove]

I'm in the same boat. Fulltime day job, fulltime serious band and part time recording.

Do the one that you enjoy the most...the most. Waste no time. Spend the other time recording yourself and other friends. I believe you can do both as long as your not touring. You'll just be busy all the time doing what you love.

j.

[theblue1]

Originally Posted by opentune

Hey guys,

...Anyone who was in the same situation?
Any suggestions?

Yeah. I found myself in a similar situation.

I became a database programmer.






Seriously, though, what was right for me is not right for everybody.

I got out of studio work because I didn't like the scene. It just seemed like everyone was vampiring the musicians and if I wanted to make any money I'd have to do the same.

A number of years later, missing engineering, I built a small 16 track project studio in my house and started taking in some voiceover and music clients.

The voiceover wasn't too bad at all. But the music I kept ending up working on drove me crazy. I don't like listening to music I don't like. And I really don't like listening to it over and over again.

And at least some of the people making the most interesting music -- whether it was experimental rock or underground hip hop -- were all too often not necessarily folks you wanted to invite into the bossom of your home.

So, now I'm back to the regular day job and doing only the music I want -- mostly my own music or pet projects with/for friends.

And that works for me. But it's not necessarily what you want -- or at least what you want at this point in your life. I'm old and increasingly misanthropic and that makes a real difference.

[Frequency]

First of all, the music business is shit.

I was a kind of an artist for a while. Released something on a big label, but pretty soon was fed up with the vulture culture (hey, there's a band name for you!) and quit to become a professional songwriter. I haven't quit my dayjob yet, but I'm working on it. I'm signed to EMI Publishing.

This lets me work when I want to, there aren't many deadlines and I get to spend a lot of time writing songs and tweaking buttons. And I don't have to worry about getting older... Which is very important if you want to become an artist. (I mean this seriously!!)

If you're still young, which in music business terms these days would mean under 15 (or more seriously at least no older than 25-30), I would set a deadline two or three months ahead. Record a handful of songs and get them played for a selection of A&R's, managers, booking agents or other kinds of people in the business. (And work fast!! You really have to rush because in this business, things usually happen very slowly).

If they all, or some of them, LOVE it - than put everything else on hold. If NONE of them like it, think hard if it's worth all the effort.

Because - realistically - not many people actually "make it" in the music business.
Maybe one in a thousand.

However, if you DO have the talent, look fairly okay, have "star quality" (whatever that is) and have that burning feeling of ambition in your stomach then go for it anyway.

You might also want to be on the lookout for someone with "star quality" to hook up with. This is e.g. what Stewart Copeland did. The Police would never have become the biggest band of their time if Copeland hadn't found Sting.

Same with U2. Without Bono they would never have been big. If Bono was in A Flock of Seagulls they would be the biggest band in the world.

I wish you all the best of luck!! Nothing is impossible!

[opentune]

Wow, thanks to everyone for taking the time to post answers!

You guys gave me some pretty good help to get to a "neutral"
point of view.

Even if i thought that i should try the music thing first and the
engineering thing later, i always felt like i could do severe mistakes.

But now i feel a lot safer when it comes to decide what to do in
the near future....

Well, in germany we say " couldn´t see the forest because of all the
tress around...". Is it the same in (american) english?

However, maybe this thread goes on and more people can talk
about their decision and how they got where they are now.

[Bob Olhsson]

This is pretty good advice. Unfortunately I don't think what worked in the '80s is going to work today. We have to go back to what worked in the '50s which was getting out and entertaining people live.

I'd build on my current fans by organizing a series of great house parties. Then arrange a showcase and show the A&R folks the people lined up around the block to see it.

[opentune]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

This is pretty good advice. Unfortunately I don't think what worked in the '80s is going to work today. We have to go back to what worked in the '50s which was getting out and entertaining people live.

I'd build on my current fans by organizing a series of great house parties. Then arrange a showcase and show the A&R folks the people lined up around the block to see it.

That is an excellent idea. Concentrate on building up yer own fanbase.
Entertaining people.. that´s why i started playing in a band!

But wait....Bob Ohlsson? Oh, shame on me that didn´t recognize you earlier...
I was just takin a look at your website, then it made "click"....