When I say “New York City”, I actually mean any big music city in the world. Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Berlin, London, Toronto…there are a lot of cities in the world where the entertainment industry is more concentrated, to which musicians have migrated for generations.
It begs the question – why do musicians keep moving to these places? Do you need to live in a big music city to make a living as a musician? Should you make the move?
First: you don’t need to live in New York City to make a living as a musician. I, for example, used to work very regularly as a pianist in the far suburbs of Chicago. I made a reasonable living – making a yearly income very similar to my peers at the time. I worked for schools, theatre companies, country clubs, private parties, weddings – whatever came my way. I also taught lessons, made recordings in my home studio and played with bands.
With the right networking and contacts, I would say that a career like that one is possible in any number of towns and cities all over the world. In fact, according to the 2000 census, the cities with the highest population of professional musicians per capita include cities like Lawrence, Kansas; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. With so many musicians in these cities, there must be ways to make a living there.
So, ok, you don’t need to move to New York. So why would you?
I’ve thought about that a lot over the last few years. New York can be a tough city to live in. It is, at times, expensive, crowded and unforgiving. With so many talented and trained musicians it can be hard to break into the scene. That is probably true of any major music metropolis, so why do we all keep coming here?
From my perspective, I see at least 2 reasons. First, New York is an incredible, electric, ever-moving, ever-changing place to live in. It feels like the center of the universe, and it has for more than 200 years. This is where new kinds of art are born, coddled, and cared for. In many ways this place, and places like it, offer a feeling similar to the heady opportunities that a new world offered pilgrims and pioneers in generations before us. There is opportunity to create new things here – and that idea will always be attractive to creative people.
Second, Entertainment is a winner-takes-all industry.* Mark Stern at the University of Pennsylvania wrote a very insightful paper on the topic. In it he says,
“Winner-take-all markets…are markets in which the vast majority of economic value depends on the effort of only a small number of top performers. As a result, in winner-take-all markets, a few participants reap high incomes from their work while the vast majority receives very little. Entertainment, sports, and the arts are fields in which winner-take-all markets have long been common.”
It’s clear that the higher you can climb on the ladder of the entertainment industry, the more money you will make. And here’s the thing: the top-most rungs of the music industry ladder are all located in New York City (and Los Angeles, and Nashville and Toronto, etc…). With few exceptions, the way to climb to the top is to move to a place where the top exists.
That, at least, is why I moved to New York City. To live in the center of our industry’s universe, and to live in a place where the top existed.
So should you move here? It depends on what you want. If you just want to be a working musician, it’s not necessary to make the plunge. In fact, moving to a major music hub like this one will in no way ensure that you will make a living as a working musician. Just because there are more opportunities in a place like this doesn’t mean that it is easier to make a living here. There are far more capable musicians here there are actual gigs, so finding work here can be just as difficult as finding work in a place where gigs are scarce.
However, if you want to be the best, or at least work among the best, you have to come to a place like this. If you want to try to get to the top of the business – even knowing that you might not make it – you have to come here.
This article is Part 1 of a series that discusses moving to New York City as a musician.
______________________________________
*Some might argue that the recent rise of the musician middle class (that is, independent artists that are able to make a middle class living off of internet sales and indie touring) is lessening the stronghold of this winner-takes-all phenomenon, but I would disagree. It seems to me that the rise of the independent music industry and the musician middle class has made more winners, but not made the music business any more egalitarian. The dispersal of money in the music business will likely always be top-heavy.
David J. Hahn
David J. Hahn is a Broadway conductor and keyboard player. He co-founded MusicianWages.com with Cameron Mizell in 2008. Visit his new project, Songwriter.fm and sign up for his songwriting newsletter.
I’m glad you made this post. I’ve been pondering things along the same lines for a while. I have just recently started making a decent living solely as a musician, which is a great personal relief from working in places like restaurants. I hope never to work soul-sucking jobs like that again. I teach lessons, have a church job, and now am in a band of very professional people with good connections and we will soon be gigging as frequently as we can.
I still live and work in the greater Birmingham AL area which is where I graduated from college (it’s easy to just linger sometimes). I was surprised to be making a decent living in this area but I am. But it is only temporary. I have my sights on somewhere big, most likely the greater Los Angeles area, which is partly where I grew up originally. I realize that the music world will be cut-throat out there (or any big city) but I can’t see myself doing anything else. I can’t stay in a small place like this. I’m just bidding my time and perfecting all my skills so that I can be very successful when I get there.
I would like to add one very important (necessary?) advantage to living/working in a larger city; I believe that the cultural, educational and fraternal advantages and influences are not available in the smaller centres. That being said, I believe for some people that a sensible standard of living as outlined above may be enough.
I do feel however, that at some point in a music career, a SERIOUS artist needs to add the “grit’ of a larger centre to have given the “best shot” edge to his/hers artform. What happens next would be out of choice should be worn accordingly.
I agree that one needn’t live in New York City or Los Angeles to make a living as a musician. I currently live in Pittsburgh, and have no desire to move to New York. I plan on moving to Orlando, Florida after I finish graduate school. I know there are plenty of opportunities there, even if it might seem like there aren’t. A successful musician doesn’t wait around to hear about an opportunity– a successful musician CREATES one.
[...] VIEW ARTICLE SOURCE [...]
This was a great post. I thought the best point made was towards the end, when you said that if any musician dreams of making it to the top, then they should make the move to at least of the biggest music cities in the world, such as New York or Chicago. It is where the best and brightest stars live, but those big cities also seem to be the main centers where famous art is created and trends are set. That would be a nice advantage to have in living in one of these art capitals, to witness the creation of new art all the time.
I thought also that your description of the music industry as a winner-take-all industry was a very accurate statement and one that still rings true. Of course the rise of a musician middle class has leveled the playing field somewhat, but with the internet and several different methods of networking today, it’s now more competitive than ever because people have access to so many options.
I agree with Michelle — New York doesn’t have to be the apex of a musical career. Musical opportunities are everywhere and you don’t need to go to a city to be successful. Creative musicians can find hundreds of ways to make a fulfilling and financially viable career.
I think that regardless of where you live you can make it to the top, major players don’t play in just one city they tour everywhere and maybe see their house or apartment one month out of the year. I would believe that they made a lot of connections in a major city before getting to the top, but it today’s world i wouldn’t be surprised to know that you can make it to the top from anywhere as long as you’re willing to tour.
I am considering making the move to New York in the near future. Some people I know seem to think it is a crazy idea– I will probably be forwarding them the link to your article. I think as a music student I would be doing myself a great disservice to not spend some time studying and listening in New York. There is a high level of playing around my area, but there is so much more great music in New York.
It does seem that the main advantage of moving to New York would be the almost unlimited number of networking possibilities. The best musicians will be tend to be concentrated in the major music cities, and if you want to have a shot at playing with the best, or eventually rising to the top, New York is for you.
On the other hand, I tend to agree with Xd in how he/she says that many musicians will be touring much of the time. Such musicians will only see their home a couple times a month, but maybe the networking opportunities could make it worth the increased cost of living in New York.
I’ve lived in NYC all of my adult life and I have to say, I make my money when I’m out of town, on tour! I love living in the pulse of NYC and it fuels my creativity and flexibility. I’m not sure if that would be true elsewhere – and who knows, with less competition elsewhere, I may tour as much as I do AND work more locally for more cash? But I do love calling NYC my home and have since the day I moved here.
I must disagree. I lived in New york and found it to be an exceptionally artistically stunted environment,considering its history. its not devoid of value, but i’ve lived in some serious amazing cities with amazing, world altering music scenes, and NYC is now just a place to go thru on tour. not a place to change to world from.
Maybe if you want to take the commercial world by storm and get your track placed in a tv show or a movie, then maaaaaybe, on a good day, but, in my opinion, NYC is far too expensive for truly artistic minds to be ableto have the time to create truly great work anymore. the kind of art that changes the world is not easy and when it is created, is NOT popular, which means you are probably not making $2500 a month to rent an apartment, which means you have a part/full-time job,which takes away time from creating great music. and the expense also contributes to the fact that venues, who are paying seriously extortionate rents, are not as interested in cultivating “the next thing”. they’ve got rent to pay, so there is an overabundance of “lowest common denominator” fare that is loud, garish and simplified for the quick effect needed to catch the attention of NYC’s A.D.D. afflicted populace.
of course, New yorker “believe” they are the center of the universe but really…what was the last great musical trend to “emerge from” new york city rather than “tour thru”? i am interested to know actually. and if you want to really see what i am talking about, go to a bookstore with international magazines and get the TIMEOUT mag for new york and the one for London. starting with the theatre section, all the way thru the club/bar section-everything listing things to do- count the number of pages in the listing. London is 3 times the number of things to do. and London boasts new genre-defining styles of music every couple of months because of less draconian laws (caberet laws?! wtf?!), a powerful indie culture and a strong pirate radio culture.
currently, I live in Berlin where I have,ironically for an afro-american electronic musician, been far better recieved for a style of music i made up (beatjazz) by playing on the street, than anywhere I ever lived in the US (and i am from the US). coupled with many more personal freedom, less crime and WAAAAAY cheaper rent. oh, and a club bar scene that is varied, diverse and generally awesome. it is also kinda the sillicon valley of music software, as well as being geographically well situated to get to anywhere in europe very easily.
I love your enthusiam concerning NYC, but it hasnt been the center of the universe for a loooong time. i think it can be cool again one day though. and i do agree…go to fresh cities where art can flourish, but truthfully, NYC hasnt been that city since legwarmers were in style…the first time! but if you think i’m wrong, please feel free to tell me how.
onyx ashanti
Before we get too far with the city-bashing, I’d like to quote the first sentence:
“When I say “New York City”, I actually mean any big music city in the world. Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Berlin, London, Toronto…there are a lot of cities in the world where the entertainment industry is more concentrated, to which musicians have migrated for generations.”
My dad once told me we can either find a job in the place you want to live or find a place where you can do the job you want. I think that sentiment sums up Dave’s article nicely.
well, it was part opinion based on living in NYC for a couple of years, and partially, although informed by fact, a dig at NYC in particular because i was so let down by all the hype surrounding the city.
I do agree with the gist of your article. although it “shouldnt” matter so much where you live in this day and age, interaction with other artists and scenes is important, but i think that what will qualify as artistic hotbeds is set to change drastically and soon. right now, i hear rumblings of loads of great artists moving to places like budapest,istanbul, croatia…digital nomadic culture is allowing artists to not have to live in the established big cities to “make it” on a global scale. although thats theoretical because i’d go insane in a tiny town, even if it was full of hot artists,so…
Thanks for the motivation David. I’m moving out to New York in July and the pep talk didn’t hurt. I actually played a gig with you in Chicago a long time ago. Good to hear things are going well.
Whoa Kells – great to see you again man. I remember you from back in Chicago. Contact me when you get to NYC and we’ll get a coffee.
Regarding Onyx and NYC, it depends on what you want to do. I work in musical theatre, and this is still the center of that universe. But in a way – that proves your point more than anything. Most musical theatre is popular music, or strives to be, and that’s probably not the side of art you’re talking about.
So anyway, I get your point. I will say, although it’s probably going off topic, that the digital nomadic culture has so far been largely disappointing to me possibly in the same way NYC was disappointing to you. I hear people talking about the potential of the internet to reach fans, to sell music, to distribute internationally…but if there’s so much potential and now you can make a living anywhere – why is everyone still broke? It seems to me like the success of the digital nomad is largely theoretical, or mythical.
@ Onyx – I do understand what you’re saying about finding your niche in Berlin rather than NYC. I’m a jazz musician at heart, and NYC is supposed to be THE city for jazz, but jazz gigs simply don’t pay unless you’re at the very top of an already small scene. I consistently hear that Europe and Japan respond much more enthusiastically to New York jazz musicians than actual New Yorkers.
When it comes to this idea of a “digital nomadic culture” for musicians, and I don’t think it’s really off topic, location still matters. A lot of great things can happen online, but music is something that ultimately needs to be experienced live. It’s possible to have fans everywhere, but ultimately they want to see it in person. And it’s possible to collaborate with musicians over the internet, but nothing beats sitting in the same room and making the air vibrate in real time. It helps a great deal to be in or near a major cultural hub, and that’s why this article is spot on.
I think that being in the “center of things” is very important for alot of reasons.
However I think it’s important to resist the “deus ex machina”. Rather than thinking of New York City as an important step in a long journey, many people talk as if they’ll go there and something will “just happen”. I think that this is a fallacy. Being willing to take risks will likely bring rewards. Perhaps before considering the move, one should objectively examine all opportunities, make phone calls and send resumes. Above all, I think it’s a good idea to know what you’re looking for when you get there. While many opportunities will probably only be found in such a location, there are opportunities everywhere. A clarification of goals seems important above all else.
Having said that, I think I’d probably like to make the move myself.
True, Greg. For all the good and bad, New York is still a temptress. Part of me wanted to move here just to say I did it, and for the adventure of it. In the end it’s been hard work, grief and satisfaction.
Making all of the preparations to move here is a fine idea, but my experience was that no one takes you seriously until you get here. There are just too many people already here to give much cred to the ones that aren’t.
I’ll keep that in mind, Dave.
I think that the few people actually willing to go through such an intimidating move are a self-selected top tier. Lots of people have dreams, but probably less than 1 in 100 are willing to move away from everything familiar to achieve them.
I am a musician (bassist) and I studied classical music though never truly loved it. I was never able to commit to that music due to my back ground. I came to NYC not for music but for a job. I got out of school right in the middle of the financial crisis and the only place I knew I would be able to work some way of making a liing on my own was NYC which my parents live about an hour from. It really has been hard with crappy roommates and the shock of striking out on my own. I live in Manhattan but most friend musicians live in Brooklyn making it hard to get my butt and stuff over the bridge to practice. There’s also the issue of having a large deep acoustic instrument in a small apartment, making practice hard to come by these days. I’ve been hanging out with a manager and she’s hooking me up with a pretty good singer songwriter. I’ve lived here for nearly a year and I am working at this soul sucking job, things are getting better, but by no means has it been easy. My one word of advice is to anyone moving to a big city is to watch out for manipulative people. Make sure your living situation is with someone who respects you and is responsible, it will prevent you from doing a lot if you don’t.
Another jazz player here. I’m in a box and have been for a long time – I don’t like New York, but my particular jazz passion (classic jazz) doesn’t seem to make sense anywhere else.
Like Onyx, I find NY too big and exclusionary to too many musicians. The competitive noise some call “electricity” drives me inward and keeps me from using my full ability. At the same time, the music I love – especially the “Great American Songbook,” which I always found a rich source of inspiration – seems more and more to belong to a certain generation and social group, mostly New Yorkers or people with that sensibility.
I bounced around town for 10 years or more hoping I’d find some kind of a place. I know now you have to make a place. NY isn’t the place for a guy like me to write his own ticket – but what I do has no context anywhere else.
Geographically the music circuit differs in every state. I am a female sax player from Birmingham, Alabama and I have the opportunity to experience the music scene in Atlanta, Georgia. It is slightly different on the caliber of musicians. However, I can also say the city of Birmingham, on the quality of musicians, are slept on. Even after the discovery of Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks, and Bo Brice, the city has incredible musicians that are undiscovered. Economically, Atlanta can accommodate musicians financially because there is a vast amount of revenue, venues, and events going on in and around the city. It is also known for its connections with high caliber professionals in the music industry around the world. In addition, high caliber industry professionals reside and operate companies in the city.
I found by communicating with some well-known local musicians that there are some struggles that most musicians are trying to move from and by discovering the issues, I can identify the same with local well-known musicians in Birmingham. Musicians feel they are not being paid what they are worth. But that can sometimes be questionable and accounts on the professional quality of a musician. It can also be the affects of a geographical area with the help of the economy. I am learning when it comes to geographical revenue, to research and observe the level of musicianship, musicians and the level of networks they are connected to that are not affected by any economical and geographical pressure and move in that direction using discretion, discernment, observation, and research. I agree that sometimes just because you move into a metropolis like New York does not necessarily mean you will become a working musician. You will have to work harder to stand out to cut through the huge pool of musicians there. As a female sax player, I am learning to be the fresh face and a little aggressive in a metropolitan city.
That is certainly true, Kimberlye. You are putting in the groundwork that, hopefully, will serve you well.
What we need to realize, is that [i]every[/i] market has more musicians than it can handle. Demand is not elastic – there is no easy way to create one’s own opportunities to play out, and in some places without venues or money, no way at all.
I think you’re lucky to be in the South. There will always be a basic love and place for music in your culture!
I currently live in jacksonville fl. Between teaching lessons and gigging 1-4 gigs a week i have managed to make a decent living here. I often travel out of town to st. Augustine, fernandina beach, new smyrna beach, jax beach etc. Jacksonville is close to all of these towns. I also perform with 10 differnt groups, 3 of which i am the primary drummer. I have 2 backups for each group.. i have found that networking will get you more gigs than talent. Check out your competition and make them friends
Well said.
Ditto to Dave. I went to school at UNF. Too bad we never met. I don’t think we have.
[...] Note: If you’d like to do this type of work but are not in proximity of film makers, you have to consider moving. [...]
Your article really hit home with me. I am going on 55 years old/young and in 1985 I was living in New York where I was born and raised. I loved gigging and I recorded and produced my first vanity vinyl album. I sold the first 2000 by going business to business in New York and the Tri state. Eventually I sold over 30,000 copies of 3 separate releases and was selling them by bulk to vendors who contacted me from Goldmine magazine. Even with three kids and a day job I was teaching music, playing bars, weddings hosting a Public Access music show and rented out the Tarrytown Music Hall in 1987 which was then dilapidated. In May of 1991 I was bitten by a deer tick and was not diagnosed with Lyme’s until March of 1992 and by then I was sick and couldn’t even make a quarter of my declared income. I moved my family from New York to rural Wisconsin because that is where my wife was from. Homes were cheap and jobs were plentiful while in New York there was a severe recession. I regret getting sick but I raised now 4 kids in farm land. New York is the place to be if you are an entertainer, especially a musician. No other place has the feel, excitement and culture. I will always be a New Yorker and 20 years removed still seems like yesterday because what one can do in a day-lessons, day job and night gigs one would have to hope for a good month where I am now.