That's so great to hear from someone who was once in a similar position to me, really appreciate your advice.
So if you don't mind me asking, did you just try to get big with a band? Or did you try all manner of things (random gigs, giving lessons etc?
I moved to LA with the goal of joining or forming a band, and then taking it somewhere. This was back when getting discovered was the goal.
There was one time where I ALMOST got there. Long story short, my band was checked out by a record executive during an important gig. He said that he was interested in signing us, and wanted us to go to his office.
We went, and he talked for a bit about how much his nephew loves the band. His nephew this and that. And then came the difficult word: He told me that I didn't have "the look" that a rock band needed, or that fans expected, and laid it all down, telling us that he would sign the band, but ONLY if his nephew replaced me.
I told the guys that I was going to leave, and that they should follow me if they can see that he'll do to them what he did to me. I walked out alone. They all signed without me.
The nephew turned out to be a prima donna who wasn't really all that good. The band suffered, the music suffered, and they got dropped for poor performance. It was more complicated than this, but that was it. My opinion is that they got dropped for wanting to kick the nephew out.
My story spans over 30 years, so I'll keep the anecdotes to a minimum.
Most of my bands ended up being for the sake of music, and did not make any money. My current band has been together for over 25 years, and I've only been a member for 15 years. We get a TON of love from Dr. Demento, and get some solid play in over 175 college radio markets in the US and Canada. That and ten bucks will get me a beer on the Sunset Strip, only if the bartender thinks that I'm cool enough to serve.
Joined a cover band for a while, but left after playing for 8 hours and making only $12. It happens.
I've had some students here and there, but it's all freelance and at people's homes. If you want to teach at a music store, then they want a degree on the wall.
I've done songwriting, and have submitted songs via an online service that matches songs up with artists. A few nibbles, but so far no big bites.
Right now, there are recording studios in California that are suffering, because everyone can record their own stuff. They still get business, but not as much.
Those who write and record movie scores do so over in Europe, because they can get studio musicians for $50/hour, while in the US the union players cost at least three times that amount. That's the word I got from someone who does professional mixing and mastering.
I was going to try getting some work scoring music for "adult entertainment" films, since Northridge was near where I lived at the time [the "adult" film capitol of the world, at the time]. But the internet has cut a big hole in that industry's budget.
It wasn't that long ago in LA that Josh Freese was playing on anybody and everybody's recording for almost nothing. He really lowered the rent. Wonder whatever happened to him.
That's not to say it's not impossible. There's a comedy retro metal band in LA called Steel Panther [formerly Metal Skool]. They're making BIG money in LA, San Diego, and Las Vegas. Last time I checked, that was their schedule, playing one night per week in each location. The drummer owns the project, and will show you his tattoos that represent when he was making $1,000 per week, $5,000 per week, $10,000 per week, $20,000 per week, and so on.
He owns the band and the concept, makes the backing tracks, licenses the backing tracks to other 80s tribute bands. He's also got some talented people in his band who have been at it for over 20 years before working with him, and they had relatively lower levels of success before this project.
If you can find our own niche, handle the business aspect, figure out how to monetize it, and don't mind working some previously uncharted territory, then you might be able to make something happen. For every Steel Panther, there are tens of thousands of other bands that make nothing of it.
I mention them because I don't want to be a complete downer. I gave it a shot, didn't get there, and have no regrets. I don't regret leaving university, either, because the music program at the time wasn't that great, and I'm learning more now in my individual private studies than I learned back then. Just beware of survivorship bias.
But if I had it to do all over again, I might have changed my university major to something business related and pursued a degree in that, so that the business knowledge could work in conjunction with my music knowledge. There are lots of new business models out there.
One of my guitar teachers taught in France and Spain for a while, and loved it.
I guess I can close my ramble with this:
My experience back then was my experience, and it was back then. The industry, fan expectations, purchasing habits, business models, and lots of other aspects have changed dramatically. They're not done changing. From my perspective, the environment is more hostile than ever.
You know you best, and the environment where you'll work to make things happen. Don't let me or my experience determine your decision. Instead, allow it to give you some pause for thought, to consider your own position, location, potential, and opportunities. In the end, you'll be the only one who can make the right decision. I could tell you YES or NO, and I'd be wrong in both instances.
Success, failure, benefits, consequences. They're all yours for the taking. If you try, you'll regret it. If you do NOT try, you'll regret it. That's Kierkegaard for ya.
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're going through
-- David Bowie