Do you need to live in LA to be a pro musician?
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- Опубліковано 12 чер 2024
- ~*~ disclaimer: this is just from my perspective // i am not an all-knowing LA guru obviously ~*~
I made this video specifically because this was a really big point of contention in my life (wanting to pursue music in LA vs. being in a more sustainable personal environment) and I wish that I had been able to find a relatable viewpoint on this YEARS ago - so hopefully this can serve that purpose for someone else. This is in no way a slander video on LA, and if you watch the video at all you will find that this is actually somewhat of a love letter. Pls don't grill me I am just trying to help !!
Also this video is not sponsored
Also I know I say "like" a lot
....Ok I think that covers it
Time Stamps!
Intro/hi 0:06 - 0:56
pt 1 why I moved to LA 0:57 - 3:11
pt 2 pros of living in LA 3:11 - 6:17
pt 3 my career wouldn't be the same 6:17 - 08:22
pt 4: why career choice matters (kinda) 08:23 - 10:11
pt 5 why I left LA 10:12 - 13:38
pt 6 what am I doing now? 13:40 - 14:29
in conclusion 14:30 - 15:20
Q&A 15:21 - 19:11
Outro/bye 19:12 - 20:24
Links to my music:
Bandcamp: badsnacks.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/5gZDp...
Apple Music: / bad-snacks
Soundcloud: / bad-snacks
As per usual, let's get social:
IG: / lilbadsnacks
TW: / lilbadsnacks
FB: / badsnacks
E-mail: badsnacks@naymlis.com
Uncle Joe always told me:
"If you could suck at producing in LA, you could suck at producing anywhere."
Uncle Joe with the wisdom
Truth be told
Wowsers!
Law of averages, says most are barely not. Same across all entertainment there. It feels a bit gross tbh.
*Why are you following me?!?!*
JK, great advice 😂😂😂
As I am currently living in a small town in Germany, I sometimes ask myself if I should move to a bigger city one day. Your words encourage me to *just* pursue music now, not debating about *where* I should do it. All the best to you!
I totally agree with this comment….. except you should move to Berlin because it’s the coolest city in the world in my opinion 😄😄 and I’m in the UK (ps but only if you actually want to)
Given that I also live in a small town in Germany now ans have lived in Toronto before and Berlin before that, I'd like to wholeheartedly encourage you NOT to focus one the where for now. More than ever before can you build a good network without loving in one of thise cities. But knowing people who are there and travelling sometimes definitely helps a bit. ;)
I am in exactly this situation, also small town in Germany. But I definitely don't wanna go to Berlin. Was thinking about Hamburg, but the rents are also extremely high there and I probably can't afford it :(
I split my time between Sweden and NL and would never move to the USA much less LA
Wenn ich vor 10 Jahren nicht nach Berlin gezogen wäre, ich glaube nicht das sich meine Musik-Karriere so entwickelt hätte...
Interesting take on LA now for young people.... I moved here in 1979 and I love it today more than ever... But if I moved here now as young person I would never be able to make it.....:) but I live in the mountains next to 7 miles of wilderness-then the ocean... And I do all my work from home so essentially it's the same reality as yours and many others... And I fully agree that it doesn't matter where you live... Not anymore... And that fact is truly a great thing... We reach the world now from right at home... And Home can be anywhere
You're a legend, Tim! I love your channel and your vibe.
This is an insanely interesting video.
Jeremy !
:)
I couldn’t agree with this comment more
Is it though?
i live in a small town on the outskirts of brisbane, australia - there’s something pretty incredible about people giving opportunities to musicians in my small corner of the world, but having the access to somewhere with an established music culture is really cool, you can kinda peek into it and use it for inspiration, i love to be on the outside looking in!!
There are musicians in every major city - and tons of work (if you know folks and conduct yourself professionally). There's also a LOT more virtual work these days, since the pandemic has placed all that at the forefront. Almost all of my work that is creative (video editing, music production, etc.) has shifted to either virtual or local clients coming to my house. It's a new age for music artists; it's more in our own hands now than it ever has been. Great video and thanks for your insight, Bad Snacks!!
Perhaps, but the work has shifted. The advancement of technology, among other things, has greatly reduced available work for instrumental musicians. Even Vinnie Colaiuta, the #1 studio drummer in LA, has said he gets fewer calls now (and this was pre-pandemic). If you just want to play an instrument, it's going to be very hard for most. It hasn't been all that easy for several decades now, but it's even harder nowadays.
As for being in one of the big 3 music cities, I guess it's a double-edged sword. There are more opportunities, and more potential contacts, but also more competition. It's probably easier to get your name out there, so to speak, in a smaller city.
I moved to LA from Melbourne, Australia (which is also a great city for music). Big move. Someone once told me that LA is full of people who were too good for their home town and I find that to be very true. It's a tough city and it makes you work super hard to avoid disaster. Everyone has experienced failure here and that is the shared experience.
I'd say you definitely don't have to live in LA or even in the USA. I live in a small town in The Netherlands and am a pro musician. My music was used in some major US productions without having any contacts.
I realize i'm extremely lucky they found me, but it proves you don't have to live in LA.
Dude, you're not lucky, you're Timecop1983!
Woah! Hey, Timecop1983, funny seeing you here. I discovered your music recently, and I've really been digging it! I've watched at least 3 of your "Live in Amsterdam" shows from recent years here on YT, and have many of your albums in my current playlist. All the best to you!
Great video! It's the hustle more than the location: just focus on making music you love and building a community. We are all out here grinding :)
I was a music student in my home town for a while. Suburb outside of Philly. I was gigging on the side, and I worked with this guy who was an AMAZING pianist, educator, conductor, and composer. He was one of the best musicians I ever worked with, to this day. And he said to me "There's work around here. I was working the whole time, but it took me about 10 years to get to the point where the work came to me." So I guess the questions are... no matter where you live... is there work, do you have the skills, do you know the people, and is it REALLY what you want? Because on the flip side, I know an underground DIY musician, also great but in a different way, who is a chemist for a living and that supports his art. He's never had trouble finding work, and he makes music every day.
as a musician who has recently traveled to LA, it was crazy how tight the community was. I met one person who had ties with everyone from system of a down to cypress hill and many others... making those needed connections seemed much easier than it would be 1000 miles away in ohio.
That person is probably exaggerating.
@@YTTraveler777 actually no. he directly works with members of system, has assisted b-real and many others. it really is much easier and closer knit than you'd expect. when these artists are tagging him in photos and thanking him by name, kinda hard to doubt the guy.
He definitely is. It’s not tight at all. There are a lot of cliques and every one is hard to penetrate
I lived in LA for 15 years working the music scene. It's tough. You have not heard of me or any of my projects probably but I had a great time and got to experience most of the things I set out to do; recorded in many professional studios, played countless live shows in all the famous venues, toured and had a ton of fun, although I never hit the level of success I'd set out for. No regrets, but I started the see the city declining in recent years and decided it was time to move on. It's a great place with amazing people for the most part, but it is not the be-all-end-all location for a career in music.
Much respect for ya fam. I'm just happy that your doing you. One of the most self aware musicians I personally know. Always kept it real with everyone around you and to yourself.
means so much coming from you dude!! hope you're good
Great insight, the other thing people can always do is visit for a few weeks at a time. I don't live in LA, but have a healthy amount of connections out there, and I always have a great time visiting friends and studios out there. I feel like I always learn something new each time I visit that city. Pretty eager to get back out there!
Thank you for such a wonderful sharing of wisdom gained from experience. It sounds like you took an excellent route, diving into the fire, making great connections, building skills then relocating to an environment that feels more suited to you personally. What an awesome thing to be a violinist who can make beats! Wishing you all the best in your new environs!
literally was researching about this today. thanks, gonna watch this after work
Thank you for sharing. This is not only relevant for the music industry! As a software developer I moved to a tiny beach town in Costa Rica and I am totally happy I did that. Finding a place that makes you live a healthy live at your own pace is crucial. This is what gives you the energy you need.
Love this all over the place. I am new to LBC (last year from SFC) and I am loving your reflections.
Thanks for this video snacks! Awesome to hear you talk about the whole journey. I wish I knew an equally fun and well spoken source for how things are over here in Europe. Thanks for sharing your experience with us all. 🍕
Man, super honest, thanks for articulating your experience so well. I feel like I learned a lot.
I also lived in LA for about 5 years to work in the music industry and moved right before the pandemic. It had its ups and downs for sure, and the access to people and the culture was insane. I was definitely ready for a break, but still have mad love for the city even though it can be disheartening at times. I think you can make anything happen anywhere, and I hope the pandemic normalizes the industry to some extent to being remote as long as the work is done. Luckily planes have been invented, so you can go anytime. Ps found your stuff recently, thanks for the inspiration to make music!
Dude, great breakdown and reality check👍 Different overall journey but many of the same reasons I left NYC. Thanks for the insight!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Best of luck to you!
Such a great video, thanks for producing it.
I think I can speak for all of us who watch your videos consistently that content like this is why we’re all big fans. Massive thanks for being so transparent and keeping it real at all times! Helps so many people!
Thanks for this, very honest and insightful. 🙏🏻
I've also lived in LA and I feel exactly the same way as you do. Great vid, thanks!
This was really interesting, honest and thought provoking. Thanks for sharing!
Hi badsnacks, I just wanna say I never comment on much but I am a 19yr old fiddle player tryna find her way and your story and sharing how you make ends meet super resonated with what decisions I have to face trying to be a professional musician (especially hearing that you didn’t decide to go to berklee was so encouraging and you decided to go straight to networking ) ❤️❤️ I just want to say thank you so so much for sharing because I don’t see a lot of role models out there doing specifically what you do for female fiddle players ….and despite being mostly a ‘social media’ based musician you feel like a genuine person and you are definitely one of my favorite youtubers now MWAH
Thank you for this in-depth video! While I'm not in the music industry (car racing and editorial, actually), the parallels are very similar. LA is the epicenter for many fields in America, and I can feel its pull. But I REALLY don't have patience for the superficial, and I'm extremely sensitive to the amount of nature I see. I plan to visit but it doesn't seem likely I'll stay. I'll keep searching for that elusive place of maximum diversity and minimum facade.
Thank you for your personal insight and experience! 🙏
You're living a fun life and your story is fascinating. Thank you for sharing.
I play guitar and make music, and while I only live in a small town in South Carolina, I appreciate the handful of listens I get on bandcamp every month. I want to play live this year. Maybe join a band?
I've lived in austin for over 10 yrs now. and this totally is something that speaks to me. This is helpful to just hear from Bad Snacks to smaller musicians/creators who enjoy your content as well your music path. and are also dealing or thinking of about this stuff constantly.
From Portland and here now…would love to know your experience! Also, this video was very very insightful! Thank you 🙏🏾
This was such an honest and balanced assessment of moving to a big city for a creative career. Your pros and cons actually hold true across pretty much all creative fields. I can only speak personally to the art/design world (which of course dovetails with music, film, etc) but everything you said is also true. The constant battle between being inspired and being used/abused/having your dreams crushed lol.
I think everyone should live in a city where their dream career is happening on the cutting edge, in their 20s. That's how you build your network. For people in my world it's LA or NYC. I ended up in Austin after living in LA (this was almost 20 years ago so it was a different Austin than today by A LOT) but I kept building my network there. For someone in tech, it's worth moving to the bay area. For someone in theater, it's gotta be NYC. Even if you only stay 5 years, you'll have those connections for life.
Thanks for being authentic and teaching newbie’s they have a chance
Very insightful video with a lot good points.
This was so helpful.. thank you!
Thank you so much for this video!
Fell in love with you at Red Rocks!
I live in and Cleveland and made a pretty good dent into my career as a graphic illustrator/artist within the music scene here and in LA (Still never been there) for nearly 10 years. Just recently (ish) I decided I wanted to record my own music and make an album which everyone from here to Cali are fully supportive of. I got to work with a lot of big names as well as smaller names in the industry. It seems to me you can be fine wherever, just go to LA if needed 💁♂️ but grinding/hustling, kindness, determination, and not letting a single negative thing stop you will definitely get you far
Thank you, very helpful video !
I appreciate this a lot. Thank you.
Awesome video! I sometimes wonder the same thing 🤔
Hey fancy seeing you here. Taking a break from Darude Sandstorm? 🤣
Brilliant video!
I lived in Los Angeles for two years and that time was great. But... I was like 22 back than, no kids, no fears and no career :-D I am super happy and grateful for that experience, but I would not want to raise kids there or commute to a normal job every day. I really agree with you and experienced pretty much the same. If I would not have gone there, I would have thought that THAT would have been my dream job. I worked as a freelance audio engineer. Fun times, but not for a longer time. I also live in a small city near the sea now. And I love it. Making the music that I really love is a hobby now and that´s awesome, too. Back when I made music for other people and I also HAD to take jobs that I did not like, I wasnˋt even enjoying making music myself anymore. I am a audio engineer now, but in broadcast with a very stable and solid company.
Excellent video, thanks for sharing 🎹😎🎹
I've been performing at renaissance festivals for decades and have just revisited my youthful love of electronica and quite literally don't know how to hit the reset button- you said many helpful things.
I have been wondering how to foster that LA "hustle" within the community I live in. Although it sounds almost intrinsic to the city itself! Great video.
Great video!!!
Would love to hear about your time in Portland!
Always curious about what it's like to live there
NYC music has been in free fall for years. The midtown recording studios and music stores have largely disappeared. Live music venues have moved on with the help of "developers". There still are plenty people involved in music schools, Broadway shows, classical music halls. There are some niche shows in some neighborhoods. But the biggest city in the US has moved away from music.
Yeah it sucks. I was active musically in New York for a long time. The developers killed it. It was definitely the place for much of the 2000s, and of course decades before that
Lived in Nashville. It's very similar to the LA midset. Lots of talent, motivation, etc... but a lot of parasites and straight up bullshit as well. Music is wonderful, deep, genuine, fun... the music buisness is the complete oppostite, shallow, manufacured, and terrible. Even though I was doing relativley well, and had friends and tours and gigs, something about being sorrounded by the biz was depressing enough to move. Thanks for making this video, you have some wonderful and true insights on LA as a musician.
ps. if I hear the term "cowrite" ever again, I may short circuit.
You're a so sweet and sincere person
Born and raised here. Moved to NorCal for college and ended up moving back. Caught yer set at The Lash a few years back! I’ll always remember the final Low End show, that line was miles long!
Yeah! LA we love it! Great talk. I moved to LA in the 90s and worked in sound design in Hollywood. Same. At one point I had to leave. I remember the moment. LA it’s such a global cultural hotbed. It is where I first heard the term “24/7”. Everyone had tattoos. It’s also where I first heard the term “electronica”…which has since died out…
Anyway love the vid. Glad you’re in Maine. It’s wonderful there.
Yep I guess it really does come down to your overall goals and such. If you're just a hobbyist or someone that aspires to make a living from music. I also think that any major city could probs do something similar to what LA does for people.
New England? Not sure why I thought you were Canadian. Anyway great video! It's given me a lot to think about. Any thoughts on the best way to go about a songwriting career?
Thank you for sharing
I did LA through the 90's and could not agree more with your assessment. I was fortunate to end up on some of the biggest albums coming out of there then and could not have done that anyplace else. I am back east now. I used to visit there in the 80's and said I could never live there but when I got serious about engineering and production I knew where I had to be. LA can be a love hate relationship especially for people who are not native but it is a great place and I recommend people at least go check it out. You can always pack it up and go someplace else.
Love your video 😀
No you don't I like this video and your words. I live in a tiny village in UK and music speaks to everyone no matter where you are. And to meet and talk to people is tough but socials aid that. Concentrate on your music and what you're about ❤️
Great insight. I am a LA native, one of the few left. What you are saying is so true. It's the land of smoke & mirrors, snakes and vipers. There are more people getting burned than making it and enough emphasis can be made on having a solid attorney and connections. If you think you are going to come out here, make it big and not cover your #A#rse, you are in for a really big surprise. Listen to what she is saying, she speaks the truth!
I think the trickiest thing about moving to a new city to do music is finding the scene. "Outsiders" struggle if you don't have some kind of an in. I lived in San Diego for a couple years and I found it was really hard to do music there. On the flip side, I had a super easy time in SLC because I had a couple friends doing music so I've had constant gigs ever since I moved here.
I grew up outside of Portland, ME (the og, if we’re being candid) and though it’s been a while since I’ve been a part of that music scene, there’s a lot of great stuff speckled along Congress Street. SPACE is a cool lil contemporary arts space that could be worth checking out!
I'd be curious to hear that Portland story sometime
I retired in 2018 right before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily killed touring. I was a hired gun for all sorts of different acts from casinos to low budget indie tours and sessions. I never really needed an LA connection because I developed great business relationships in Chicago. I toured through the LA area once or twice a year, but Chicago was always my stomping ground. Wherever you are, be dependable and professional. Listen, listen, listen and don’t forget to play the song, Nothing more and nothing less. Thank you for the video
I gotta say, that goku reference made laugh really hard. Amazing video, thanks for sharing your experience!
Where you from kehd? I grew up in Ahhhhlington, moved to LA 6 years ago
Born and raised in Los Angeles and I am thinking of moving to Portland so if you could share your thoughts on your experiences in Portland one day I'd love to hear!
Really insightful video :-)
I've always wondered what motivates people to go to LA, even though it's known to be a, well, "unique" city :-p
The homeless situation is way worse now. Everything is way more expensive too. I still love it here in LA but we just moved out of the city down to South Bay (Redondo Beach). It gets ridiculously hot up in the city now but South Bay has its own chill ass climate bubble it’s so beautiful here. Not to mention smoke up in the city and valley from the fires.
Thanks for your honesty and smart insights. I moved from Germany to Oslo, Norway because of network and being a small yet capital city but the network disappeared quickly and now my wife and I live in a tiny cabin in the forest with gorgeous ocean view and I’m trying to figure out how to build a music career online or actually not a career more like a ministry of meditational lo-fi beats to inspire love, healing and creativity.
I wish you the best Tobias!
Interesting topic, i really want to move there. Visited 3 weeks ago! I think being a musician is doable almost anywhere. But being something specific in the music industry is more do able in LA, like a film composer where the industry lives and breaths. I want to be a film composer but I doubt I’ll have much success in northern Colorado
tysm
I don't know how I knew but as a fellow New Englander I had a feeling you were from here. Cheers!
I'm glad you came to LA
:)
I had no idea you were from Boston - I grew up in Woburn then Billerica and lived in Melrose before leaving. May I ask where snouts you were? I love your channel music and person!! :) keep being you!!
Longer Answer.. Absolutely Not...
Side answer, if you're from a 3rd or 2nd World country like myself
It would be a massive help
In my 20s I loved the UK London scene and had great memories and recorded some fun records. I'm a small town guy at heart though and with a young family now I think I'm at a different stage and priorities in my 30s.
I have absolutely no relation to music or production or anything but this was really interesting to hear about
Like I’m from LA. Born in LA. It’s such a foundation-based environment. Your trajectory is definitely tied to your foundation and your ability to sustain a foundation while building your career.
Without a proper foundation, I’ve seen so many people get stuck in that one step forward two steps back, cyclical pattern.
Even if you have a good community, if your foundation is shaky then one is going to put stress on the community around you.
If the community around you collectively does not have enough to sustain your foundation a.k.a.
decent place to live, income and so on…, that’s also going to limit your trajectory no matter how much your talent is.
LA could be the promised land or the land of empty promises depending on the community one builds, once you manicure
all of the people who do have the ability to keep their promises.
You have to be able to understand to filter out all the people that play the game, saboteurs, clout hoppers.
The people who take shortcuts enjoy seeing other people lose because it makes them feel like they just won.
Remember this: it has to be real before you’ve earned it and before you can keep it. Anything built
on the house of cards, on empty promises, on low integrity… It’s not real and that equals nothing. :)
Very relieved this is from the perspective of someone who actually likes LA. I was ready for this to be more hate from someone who never actually made the effort to find good people and moved away in disgust. I don't you should live here if you're not basically obsessed with LA-specific things. I have a lot of friends who just like going to bars and it's like, you can do that in Cleveland and be rich. LA is an unbelievably deep and complicated city and I'm honestly surprised you were able to understand it in 5 years. Great video.
Maybe you will do shows in Brooklyn someday then decide the Brooklyn-Queens thing is good enough for long term residency. We would love to have you add more hipness to our scene when you get ready.
Did you supply the music for the Google Domains ad? At around 14 minutes in, I got that ad and it sounds so much like a Bad Snacks tune.
I did the same but in NY. Now I live in Germany but I'm from Colombia LOL! Great video !!
As you were preparing to leave the East coast, what made you choose LA over, say, Nashville? Was the prominent musical style in the two cities a factor?
Honestly, Berlin is criminally overlooked by folks in the US and also still pretty cheap while just oozing art from every crevice.
Hi! Great video. Do you think what you say still apply in 2024? Thank you
That’s how we get down in Southern California. We’re mostly players out here. Real musicianship. 👌🏾👊🏾👍🏾
I lived in LA (Silverlake area) for 11 years, and had a great time back in the 70s, rent was cheap, a new underground music scene was developing ( punk, experimental etc etc...) Madame Wong, Hong Kong Cafe,The Masque, Al's bar, and many other places ( Club X) popping up for one day and disappearing as fast ... (keeps the fire department on their toes haha), Fanzine, flyers, was how we knew what was happening in town, and the word of mouth of course. Took a while for the Whisky to catch up with the scene :>)... Anyway it was a great place to meet and exchange ideas with other musicians.
Now, I have no clue what LA is like , expensive from what I heard :
Visit L.A. once, but leave before it makes you soft; visit NYC once, but leave before it makes you hard. So to answer your title question, no. You don't need to move to the big city to be part of the happening scene, when you can make your own scene right where you are, whether it's a suburb, a small town, or even in the middle of nowhere.
Great video, thanks for your insights! I'm moving there in 2 weeks, so this video could not have been more perfectly timed for me. Is there anything you wish you'd known before moving there, or wish you'd done differently when you first arrived?
you should do a band with that Jasmine Star Music and that Sina drummer......cheers
I live here it's soooooo expensive but we have summer all year lol.
I think the stuff you’re doing on your twitch channel giving talented people opportunities to get their work heard and critiqued and to meet other talented beat makers to collaborate with is the type of new development that’s going to make it a lot less important to move to a music industry city going forward.
Living the dream on the East Coast.
Here's some advice from a smaller market (Seattle) that one of my mentors would tell me repeatedly. "Talent and Ability have nothing to do with it." Yup. Don't let it do your head in. There will always be far less talented types that ma catch lucky breaks. The music industry is just not built on meritocracy. Once you wrap your head around that, you can just get on with whatever course you are charting for yourself.
Toronto
You mentioned low end theory as places where beat scene is held...Are there other venues that you know of that caters to the beat scene in L.A? I recently moved here, but im not familiar with these kinda places and would love to find em as much as possible..
beat cinema, scenario808, beats freaks & geeks and productive culture are all great !!
@@badsnacks thank you so much! Keep being great!