The LA music scene has always been one of the most exclusive in the world. If you can make it here, however, you have a chance Wider distribution and more notoriety than perhaps any other place on the globe.
Unfortunately, what the general public sees out of the music scene in Los Angeles is not a very accurate depiction of what is actually there. Nor is it accurate to say that in order to make it, you must copy the people who are the most notable out of that scene. There are many ways to “make it,” and there are options that many people do not see unless they are an integral part of the scene in Los Angeles. This article will discuss some of the ways that a professional musician should indulge his or her efforts in order to have the best chance at a positive result in the LA music scene.
First of all, in order to make it in the LA music scene, you must be unique.
Before you get to the level of a Justin Bieber or a Britney Spears, you must make it through the LA music scene bloggers. This group of people is decidedly against anything that would make it in the wider mainstream. That is, if Justin or Britney had come from Los Angeles rather than from middle America or Canada, they never would’ve made it out of the local scene.
This drivel taste makers is also a very exclusive group. They require a great deal of attention in order to put you on their radar. This means that you should be inviting important bloggers and local media to your shows after you make sure that those shows are unique and personal to you. Do not follow the trends that you see on mainstream media – this is the quickest way to get yourself blackballed by the people who can raise you to appoint to become seriously considered by that media.
In short, mainstream media takes its cues from the LA blogger, not the other way around.
In order to make it in the LA music scene, you must have a business mind.
Yes, it is true that all of the major music companies have offices in Los Angeles, and that is why professional musicians come out into the area. If you are thinking about this move, however, you must consider yourself a business as well, not an artist who is looking to “get signed” buy one of these established institutions.
In the music world of today, the major music companies are in the business of buying out smaller music companies, not signing artists. You will need to create a viable and profitable stream of income for yourself in any way that you can. This realisation leads directly into the next tip of how to make it in the LA music scene:
Musical talent is secondary to your ability to draw.
If you want to get on the big shows in Los Angeles, you need drawing power, not musical talent. You can, of course, use your musical talent in order to create more drawing power, but this is definitely not the only component that you will need in order to get people to actually come to your shows. Competitions exist where you can get judged by the likes of Carnegie Hall’s Jeremy Geffen.
No matter what marketing use, rest assured that you will not be taken seriously by the promoters who hold the keys to your success in the scene until they recognize you as a draw. Get people to your shows using social media, street marketing and any PR that you can afford. Bring your cameras and record the fact that you have a packed house. Make this an integral part of the online resume that you send out to club owners, promoters and label executives. Keep track of your numbers so that all of these people can see that you are actually making a profit for yourself.
Be prepared to collaborate.
Before you will usually be able to draw crowds to your own shows, you will need to collaborate with artists who have already accomplished this for themselves. Use all of your talents to become an asset to individuals who can help to bring your name into the wider scene. This can mean being a studio musician for a another artist, helping another small record company with street promotion or providing music for another artistic endeavour such as a screen or a stage play.
Photo by Afonso Lima from FreeImages
