Quit talking about me like I can't hear you.
Here I am in Birmingham, working with our Lawyer man, Jarrod. He is actually doing quite well. Has been really listening AND applying what we have talked about. His songs have come from rambling five verse, poor poor pitiful me, songs to actually taking some really nice shape. And his performing ablities are coming together well. He has been a performer for years, but going to doing ORIGINAL stuff by yourself, no band, is a different deal. Especially when you start being invited into writers nights as opposed to the open mics. Big difference. And the pressure is more and harder to get people's attention. When you are playing the latest cover songs, or the classic hits,it is easy to have people hook into what you are doing. Just like drinking and karoke, something anyone can do. But when you are having to depend on nothing but your own songs, performing abilities and one guitar, it is a different animal. He is finding that out. Hope he'll come back over soon.
Phil, if you DON'T slow her down and get her to look at this calmly, you are not being a friend. I cannot stress this enough. NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER (GET THE HINT) let someone even THINK about moving to this town, WITHOUT MAKING AT LEAST THREE TRIPS . Ever.
The first is just to be overwhelmed. You don't know what to do or where to go, and still are thinking you know what you are talking about. The second, is to refine what you learned the first time and to learn about the reality of the town. Remember, there are 600 a week who move here, 1200 a week WHO MOVE HOME. Most will never last past 6 months. The people who "sell their house" and all that, are the fastest to die. Because often they don't SELL their house. They put it on the market, move to Nashville,get another house, thinking their's is "SURE TO SELL" and three years later (after they have moved back home and have to put their NASHVILLE HOUSE on the market and CAN'T SELL it either, find themselves with TWO MORTGAGES, TWO TAX BILLS, TWO INSURANCE PAYMENTS, TWO FURNITURE FIASCOS. Most people who do this find the meaning of another couple of terms. UNDER WATER and FORECLOSURES.
The third trip would be to understand cost of living, getting at least two of your three needed jobs, find out what part of town you can afford, of course which is 50 miles each way from where the jobs are, and what neighborhoods to avoid, (which of course is RIGHT WHERE YOU END UP.) And after you have been broken into twice, have your car stolen, and can't collect the insurance (because of a small loophole in your policy that you didn't see) you have a lot to figure out. And all of this is LONG before you can take anything serious about doing music.
Their are 85,000 people here trying to do something with music. There are roughly 1300 music related jobs. There are 315 actual songwriter's jobs, with half of those the hit and upcoming artists, the other half with the hit writers.
There are NOT GOING TO BE WRITER'S JOBS IN THE FUTURE. no one can afford to pay writer's salaries and make no money. The writers deals now don't even come until AFTER they have something on the radio. And that is after they have been groomed, observed, and stick around for 5-10 years. So that means, anyone over 30,better be prepared to DIE here.
If you move here, you have to want to LIVE here, not be a part of the music business. if she is unhappy, have no kids, family ties, financial responsiblities, and just have to move, so be it. BUT MAKE HER VISIT FIRST.
If she wants to make the right moves, come to do a tour with me. Need reality first.
MAB