Our Chances

We have a lot of good players on this board. That's for sure.

But even with all this talent, non of us are really ultra famous or are the next big thing in guitar... bla bla bla...

What do you guys think the chances of somebody here getting signed... or getting noticed by some mega virtuoso or becoming rich and famous? Like say if one of you shredders that are still in school and you play for one of your pals, and he goes, "Wow your gonna be huge!!!" Do you really think that could happen?

I personally am putting together an album right now and over the course of this whole next year, to send out to a sh** load of people, including guitarists, record companies, producers and managers.... But really I doubt it will happen.

So what about you guys? Do you think that right around the corner there is gonna be a huge break for you? Or are you satisfied with just having a job and playing guitar on the side for fun? JW

Maybe one of us will be big.... Will we still go on the forums? A question that simply cannot be answered...

[font=trebuchet ms]Back in '71, our drummer threw a major hissy-fit and quit the band. We never did find a workable replacement, and we all drifted our separate ways. Since then, I've decided that the most effective way to take most of the joy out of doing something I love is to try to make a living at it. I've tried to turn a few of my other hobbies into careers, and I regret every one of those endeavours.

36 years after I bought my first guitar, I'm still playin' and still lovin' it. Your mileage may vary.[/font] :)

> What do you guys think the chances of somebody here getting signed... or
> getting noticed by some mega virtuoso or becoming rich and famous?

About the same as winning the lottery or getting hit by lightning?

I have a few music ideas that with some cheesy lyrics that could be the next hit..lol...its just a catchy idea..who knows..I think I could write cheesy music for ppl..Im thinkin about starting a band for fun with my friends but the other gutiarist has been playin for like only a year..I dont know about that...I am very picky
the chances are sorta low but keep tryin

There's no way to know or guess if anybody from here will hit it big. This business is just too damn fickle to even venture a guess at what will happen.

I'm going to be playing music for as long as I'm able. That much I know. I play for more than just the love of it (in fact, often in absense of it), but as a means of survival.

I'm playing for my life.

So, maybe some day it pays off and I'll be touring the country... I'll likely still post from time to time, but I'll swear those who know who I am to secrecy and I'll have to give up my moderational duties.

Originally Posted by: schmangeAbout the same as winning the lottery or getting hit by lightning?

Probably more like getting hit by lightning whilst on your way to cash in your winning lottery ticket.

When I started playing way back when, I had thoughts of dropping out of college and focusing all my energy on the guitar. The real value came, for me, in these thoughts as a means of escape from a, then, frustrating life. I play just for the joy of it now, but definately wouldn't mind putting together a bar band. Who knows it could work...

one of the guys that I play with from time to time has been playing for close to 30 years. Awesome drummer. He made the comment the other night that he hasn't made any money playing since he started... but....

he just sent in a song to a producing company and they are interested in buying it for someone else to play...

you never know


lordathestrings
"36 years after I bought my first guitar, I'm still playin' and still lovin' it. Your mileage may vary. " LMAO!!!!!!!

It's easy to sell songs once people start hearing about you. Look at Marilyn Manson, for example. Most of you here are better musicians than him and have written and performed better songs than most of his, but he sells. He could rub alunimum foil over a microphone and scream into it and sell a million copies.

That's why if any of you have the intent of becoming rich and famous you'll want to do as many gigs as possible all the time. Publicity always helps.

My band has been together for over a year and we are starting to get our names known around town. We have a full length CD out and we have it being sold at CD Warehourse ( 5 at each location in Ottawa )..we have played 7 shows at the Ottawa Super EX last week...including this talent show in which we came first place in the variety category and won $500....we have been in the small town newspaper as well as the Ottawa Sun ( one of the two biggest in Ottawa) 2 times...and on TV once with our own personal interview.

Our CD has been handed to a number of people in television and music. You never know what can happen in such a short time. Alot of the publicity stuff happened within 2 weeks.

My goal isn't to hit it big with mainstream-teenie-boppers who have 3 minute attention spans, but for jam-band fans who enjoy jams that last an hour long. The prerequisites are incredibly different.

~Incidents

I've been playing in bands for about 14 years, and I realized a long time ago that I don't want to hit it big. I don't want to live on a tour bus.....I don't want to have people all over me when I go out in public, okay, if they were all women, that would be cool. Even though music is the love of my life, I consider it a hobby and treat it that way. When it becomes work is when it's not fun anymore.

Originally Posted by: JFRICKI've been playing in bands for about 14 years, and I realized a long time ago that I don't want to hit it big. I don't want to live on a tour bus.....I don't want to have people all over me when I go out in public, okay, if they were all women, that would be cool. Even though music is the love of my life, I consider it a hobby and treat it that way. When it becomes work is when it's not fun anymore.

Great!!! more for me! :)

I don't think it's a question of possibility at all. Having talked to a lot of the people on here I've met some very talented and knowledgeable people here and some that want to take music further than the garage. I, myself, have plans on taking my skills as far as I possibly can and don't doubt for a second that I'm going to be "huge" some day. Some people here treat playing like a hobby, others treat it like it's their life. I read on here about people that go weeks (dare I say months) without playing and I can't help but wonder "why". I've gone maybe 2 or 3 days without playing and found that to suck too much. I often feel pain at work because I came up with an idea and can't wait to go home and try it out. I don't care what happens, I am going to make it somewhere vital to the world in music. No one can stop me.

Yep. Sounds just like me when I was younger and just starting out and totally naive about the music industry.
You too will have opportunity to go through several bands that have flopped, several record companies that ripped you off, spending all your time on the road with a bunch of guys spending all your money on booze and smokes, realizing all your money goes towards expenses and road costs...
Then in 20 years you're saddled with a crappy job, a mortgage, a car, 3 kids, a fat wife, 2 pooping dogs a shedding cat and a home recording studio like 100 million other guys who have gone through the same thing.
Buy a lottery ticket, the chances are about the same as making it BIG in the music business. If you're lucky and hone your skills, you might be able to make a 'living' at it. If you're like a lot of guys, you'll end up doing it part-time for extra cash. If you're like most of us, you too will take your Van Halen type talent and use it to wash dishes every night.

[font=trebuchet ms]Yeah, and every red-blooded Canadian boy grows up dreaming of playing hockey in the NHL.

But, some of 'em make it.[/font]

For all out there that believe that all they need is talent and desire to make it big, hate to burst your illusion, but that's about 1% of what it takes and truth be told that 1% is the least important, so here is all you need to do to make it big, please take notes so you can follow the formula,

You must have the right music, at the right time, at the right place, meet the right people that have the right connections, that all agree that you have the right music at the right time and have the right look to reach the right market, you must have the right management and legal representation so that you can sign the right deal with the right people at the right time.

If any of these steps are skipped, the gurantee is void, so be careful to follow all steps.........................................

Its probably alot better to just play guitar as a hobby and have a good job. Playing guitar all the time for money would get boring and stressful and take the fun out of it.

That's what I'm saying here (I know this thread died down awhile ago, but I just thought of it while recording today).

Is it worth it to try for success, go to the best music school in the country, hone your talents immensely, graduate, and then end up having to get a mediocore job, just to be able to scrap by?

Or do you think it's better to pursue a steady career and play guitar on the side or play night gigs or whatever?

Like, say if you desperately want to be a huge guitar player, but you realize the small chances - would you become, then, a doctor? a lawyer? a store manager?

and is it possible to maintain your profession and still release records? (albeit, with a small record company, or maybe even a sself-managed one).

Just a few things to chew on...

If you think you have the talent and you have the thirst and the means then go for it !!

Just make sure you know what you are getting into first ! It is a hard life even if you are successful.

Im sure I don't have the talent and I don't really have the time to find out any more, not that I want a life on the road away form my wife !

So, if it is really, really, what you want go for it !! But, as with anything else, expect some casualties on the way !!

I think people believe that most people that make it big get lucky... and I know there are a lot of bands out there that where in the right place at the right time and made it big... But the majority of bands that truly make careers out of selling records are there because they dedicated themselves to it. They worked their asses off to get where they are. They quit there jobs and scraped together money to by their gear and a tiny van and they called a ton of places around the country to get gigs and they toured nonstop for 3 years before finally someone said "hey these guys got what it takes" those are the kind of stories you will hear... more than... I was playing in a bar this one time and a big-wig from Geffen was there and he slapped a contract in front of me because I had a sound that he was looking for.... blah blah. It takes hard work to get anything in life... people that go from being poor to being multi millionaires got there because they worked hard for it. People like Bill Gates... he was an average person and he worked his ass of promoting his good ideas and his technology and now look at him. If you really want something... and you're willing to go get it...anything is possible. It won't come to you though, you have to go to it.