Becoming a musician!?

Question

Currently, I live in Michigan and I am thinking of moving to Nashville for college next year because it is the perfect place for musicians. I want to get some information about becoming a musician. I am a good singer who knows some guitar as well. I am planing on getting an agent when I move down there. I just had a few basic questions:

1) How would I make a Record?? (what would I do? where would I go?)

2) If I continue to be a solo-artist, does the record company provide me with people for instrumental parts? (for example, I only specialize in vocals, would they provide musicians (like drummers, bassists, guitarists to help create my music?)

3) Lastly, do I need to have notes to my music, or does the record company help me out to create catchy music?

If someone could help me, that'd be great!

Answer 1

If you're going to make any money from being a musician, you're going have to do a lot of it yourself. You'll need to write the music yourself and find some friends to do the instruments. Later when you're famous the record company may do this for you but at the start you;ll have to do it to convince them you're good.

Answer 2

Are you part of the local music scene where you live?  The competition in places like Nashville or LA or Brooklyn(where I live)  is unbelievable, since they attract people from all over the country.  If you start by playing where you are first you may get more gigs and will have a place to hone your own style in front of a live audience.   Check your local Craig's List for people who need a guitarist for a forming or existing band.  Don't get me wrong Nashville is great - you go from place to place listening to all kinds of music, I had great fun there when I visited, but you should come with a little seasoning.

Answer 3

i am not in the music biz but i can just say find a backing band first then make an awesome demo cd. go to the closest music corp or music corp of your choice and give it to them. and i beleive that you make your own music they give you tips but it's pretty much all you.

good luck out there, buddy.

Answer 4

Um.... it is conservatively estimated that there are at LEAST 300 unemployed guitar players in Nashville at any time... and most of them can play guitar a whole lot better than you can... for that matter... some of those young guys give ME a run for my money and I can think of a few I hope I never run up against in an audition

Same goes for singers... if there is ANYONE or ANY SKILL that is a dime a dozen in Nashville... it's SINGERS and they run the whole scale from completely lousy to brilliant... and, like the guitar pickers... the are UNEMPLOYED TOO.

Nashville is just about the toughest town to get work in if you pick a guitar or sing.

To make a record... you HAVE TO PAY FOR IT... they won't give you the time of day, let alone FREE studio time, especially to a complete unknown

WHY would you think the record companies would provide you with anything... THEY DON'T KNOW YOU... you don't even have a CD (see the above paragraph) and until you have something on your resume, the Record companies won't give you the time of day either.

Finally... YES... you need to have notes to your music because YOU HAVE TO WRITE THE MUSIC... and if you can't read music or write music... then you are lost before you can even start.