Opportunities also exist to a greater or lesser degree in differing periods of time and place. In the 1970's to late 80's, a good steel player in Texas could make a very decent liveable wage working the popular entertainment choices in those days.

Things have changed now and it's a lot harder to make any significant money, though not impossible, of course. Just that there's a lot fewer guys doing it nowadays. Or so it looks from here.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Your right Herb, makin' money playing music is not what it use to be. I have a 6th St gig tonight that will cost me more to park than I am likely to make.

One of the things about the entertainment business is, I can take a lot of abuse as long as I'm getting a satisfactory paycheck.

[This message was edited by chas smith on 26 August 2006 at 04:09 PM.]

Maybe we considered his original post to be mostly tongue-in-cheek and that's why he's gotten some kinda silly answers.

Anyway, after playing Matt's music, I would say that he's got as much of whatever it takes to be a success in music as anyone else...musically.

Problem is, it takes more than good or even great music to really get the big bucks and recognition, and nowdays more than ever, I think.

Who knows exactly how some acts hit it big and others don't.... sometimes it's how hard you work at it, and then others it's just a lucky break. I think being in the right place at the right time is it more than anything else but it's sure hard to know where that right place and time is.

Only advice I can give is that Matt keep trying and working hard to get all the exposure he can, and I don't mean playing in a local bar or putting a soundclip on a website, although that can do it sometimes...

I think Matt needs to try bigger things, like getting a promotor or publicist (or be your own, but that's tougher) and try getting on shows like David Letterman, etc. I think his music is unique enough for a show like that, and one appearance on such a show would be a big boost. Work to get on popular local radio or TV shows, if there are any in the area.... also as many live concerts as possible.

I think his music is very unique, and he looks still young enough to have a good chance at it if he gets the right exposure.

Think big and go for it.

[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 26 August 2006 at 06:53 PM.]

I guess, marrYing an independantly wealthy women
is answer 2b to the question.

So does Paris Hilton like steel guitar?

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 26 August 2006 at 10:13 PM.]

quote:

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I guess, marring an independeantly wealthy women

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I have met lawyers,
I have met doctors too.
I have also met top end classical musicians.

I gotta say I think the doctors put in more,
and more arduous time getting there,
and staying there, in a hugely stressful, high risk environment,
than #2 the classical muscians,
who DO put in horrendous amounts of practice time.
But no 64 hour intern shifts in ER
after 7 years of med school.

If you don't play that concerto better than X or Y,
you just don't get that 1st chair symphony gig.
As opposed to giving the wrong shot
after 48 hours on your feet,
and the patient goes into encephalic shock...

Berklee has a 4 year composition major program,
but only 2% or less stay that full length.
About the same for Julliard too,
but a slightly higher finishing %.

Jazz musicians put in more hours,
I think, than lawyers after they pass the bar,
to reach their level of income and renown for a good career.
And they gotta slog their horn around town, as opposed to a large briefcase.
Granted junior partners in large firms do put in 70 hour weeks.
But so do musicians, between practice and gigs and travel.

The ONLY musicans who are making BIG money,
are :

a) Writers who control the main part of their publishing,
and perform publicly periodically,
AND get good press regularly.
Dylan and Randy Newman come to mind.

b) musican/producers who get production points
for their work on other artists,
and often play on the cuts too.
David Foster comes to mind, also Chet Atkins back in the day.

c) That super rare, super star, musician who has been both
popularly and artistically creative in more than one field/style,
as a band leader, and there fore could cut
a great deal with a lable,
because he/she is a guarunteed seller.

While occasionally doing popular forms
also maintaining rigorous artistic standards
in the traditional aritstic sphere.
Yo Yo Ma comes to mind for this.

d) And of course the musican turned
scumbag promoter/manager/producer/record exec.
milking new talent of it best years,
for the lions share of the profit.

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 26 August 2006 at 10:21 PM.]

quote:

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After a few years he saw that the time he spent polishing his skills at psg imbalanced his real priorities in life.

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quote:

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Could anyone explain to me how to become a "scumbag promoter manager producer record exec."?

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Have you tried surgically removing the part of your brain that houses your conscience?

Talent, looks, persistence, organization, serendipity, and failing that, being willing to just take what you want - I think these all can play a role in becoming successful by the usual yardsticks. I've seen real successful people get there using one or more of each of these approaches in several areas - science, engineering, music, art, business, you name it.

Consiousectomy, and avarice implants seem manditory.

quote:

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Jazz musicians put in more hours,
I think, than lawyers after they pass the bar,

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And paid WELL, too!

Right?

If we all could pull down, say, even, $50K a year, plus health insurance and other 'bennies', we'd be in steel heaven. I know I would.

Isn't it still in India, where one of the highest honors and respected positions in their society is being a musician [sitar - Ravi Shankar]?

Not in the USA, tho. Being a CEO for some faceless, greedy company is the benchmark here.