A bit of right place at the right time?..

leigh22 · #1 10-27-2010, 11:40 AM

Hello,

First off, i must express my appreciation for some of the tone, and creativity you have displayed over the years touring and recording with many great artists. It is always very fun to hear the music you play.

I have a question in regards to session/touring work, that you may be able to shed a bit of light on (feel free to point me to a thread, or tell me to keep looking through the forum if it has come up before).

What i am wondering is; how did you find yourself breaking into a larger session/ working (as a) musician scene. I have been working around my city, it seems going through the audition process has become quite easy. Over the past few years i have been involved with different genres, groups and artists locally. The problem has always been, local bands where the singer is a banker, and the guitarist and keyboard players are in school, the drummer is a hockey coach etc. etc... Eventually they all reach a peek, where the practice becomes a "Jam" for the week, shows stop being a priority, and a tour is simply out of the question.

Do you suggest putting together a portfolio of projects worked on, and getting in contact with studios, simply playing as much as possible?.. Or is there more of a trick to it? how much does it help being in a bigger Center, L.A, Toronto, New york, Chicago etc?

Thanks again for all the cool tunes!

Leigh.

jmjbassplayer · #2 10-27-2010, 02:32 PM

Hi Leigh, thank YOU very much!

This has come up a bunch, so I'd keep reading through this forum.

How I broke into it was by 1) being a pretty good player with taste, and 2) staying visible and being busy with whatever I could get my hands into, and 3) right place, right time.

I really don't have the answer. Things happen for many reasons. And trust me, i DON'T have all the tools as a player. I have so much to yet learn and do. I guess I just have a thing. So many dudes (my buddy Chris Chaney as a good example) who can play circles around me and who probably do more sessions. But I like the work I get, and I treasure the opportunity.

It does help living in a bigger city. Don't think about the competition, think about the access.

Best,
JMJ

leigh22 · #3 10-27-2010, 07:39 PM

Thanks for the reply!

Pretty much confirms a few ideas i already head up in the ol' noggin, I'll definitely keep reading through the forum (I joined a day or two ago)... It seems that you have allot of passion and insight, and way of answering questions that definitely keeps the askers relaxed (doesn't seem to be too heated in here).

Again thanks, and i hope your friend Chris is doing well, that on again off again addiction of his probably takes a bit of a toll. JANES is one of the safer addictions to have though i guess. I suppose its not as bad as channeling panic, or riding on taylor hawkin's coattails.

Ok enough jokes...

Thanks!

**ShoeManiac** · #4 10-28-2010, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmjbassplayer

How I broke into it was by 1) being a pretty good player with taste, and 2) staying visible and being busy with whatever I could get my hands into, and 3) right place, right time.

This is really some of the best advice out there. And it definitely rings true on a number of levels. I've been following a similar ethos lately and it really does help get you more work. I just play as often as I can with some good players. That's paid off in some decent gigs.

But the caveat I have to offer is that you need to be in areas with a good base of musicians. I'm in the NYC area and there are loads of incredibly talented people to play with here. Is there competition? Absolutely, and it's great. I don't think I'll be stealing any of Tim LeFebvre's, Will Lee's or James Genus's gigs. But there are still plenty of other gigs out there if you're a pretty good player with taste, timing and the ability to hang with people.

jmjbassplayer · #5 10-28-2010, 07:24 PM

Right on, y'all. Competition grows YOU. It stimulates development, breadth, and depth. It's all good for you.

Best,
JMJ

Jackson E · #6 10-30-2010, 01:31 AM

I personally think living in one of the music cities (LA, New York, Nashville etc...) isn't necessarily a prerequisite to having a successful career as a musician, but it certainly helps. Being at the right place at the right time certainly doesn't hurt either. I can trace my whole career as a player in Nashville to two specific instances that has lead the way to all of the work I have. One of which was selling a bass to someone on craigslist who became my friend and put my name in for an audition he couldn't do. I subsequently got the gig and it has lead to many others. Meeting my now friend was absolutely nothing but luck, but getting the gig was me preparing and auditioning well. I give that example for this reason: Luck is an enormous part of what we do, and I feel extremely lucky and blessed to continue to make a living doing it professionally. That being said though I work my ass off. Like Justin said about Chris Chaney, I too have friends that will absolutely play circles around me which gives me one more reason to work harder and try and find more and more ways to continue to be a successful musician and better player.

**ShoeManiac** · #7 10-30-2010, 07:05 AM

I hate bringing any kind of corporate-speak into a discussion like this, but it is about networking. Being in a city with a great music scene is a huge help: New York, LA, Nashville are all great places to be. But so are New Orleans, Austin, Chicago, Boston and more. Getting to a place where there are more people to work with is nothing but a positive. The work can vary: maybe there's more live work than recording, or vice versa. But you've got to get yourself out there to meet people. Give them a chance to get to know you and your playing. And in a bigger environment those opportunities increase.