Hey Bill,

Chin up mate !

Yep, it's a real hard one. How do you be involved and meet other like minded people like yourself, doing something that you love to do ?

Since folks are telling their own story, well, here's mine.... ( I'll be brief, unlike Mr Motormouth )

As a young fellow, I'd always played music ( piano ) then got into the keys, and joined a cover band. Thankfully, we had a really good manager, who got "out there" and got the gigs. I was 20 at the time, but my band mates and the manager were in their 30's , knew the scene and knew how it worked. Knew evey club manager in town, and hence got the gigs. A great income, plus "bonuses". My wife jokes now, that she only married me because on her first date, I took her to ALL the best clubs in town, got in for free, and eveyone knew me. ( Of course ! I was playing there, or would be, next week ) A few TV gigs, and some session work as it came along.

Next, we moved to London, as I was interested in musical theatre, and my wife was a dancer. ( Proper one, classically trained ) We knew no-one except for a couple of loose leads. We got out there, myself studying music just off the West End ( behind the Coke sign ) and the girlfriend auditioning and taking classes in and around Covent Garden. Lived in a one room flat with the snow coming in. We did that for 2 yrs, and in that time met some wonderful people. People who could see your interest, and in tern would be interested themselves. We weren't there to "make it", we were there to learn.

Neither of us "made it". But the experience was invaluable, being around those that had, being invited here and there, and being around those folks imparting their knowledge, to others who were interested. ( If you were dunb enough to gherm, I don't think you'd be invited anywhere ) And the beer wasn't half bad too ! smile

Due to personal circumstance ( death ) we found ourselves back in Oz agian. After regrouping, the wife at the ripe old age of 30, says "I want to be a sound engineer, my knees are giving up, and I need a "real" job." I said "What the heck do you know about sound recording ? " Anyways, she did the course, and because we were watching a band one night and I wondered over to the audio guy and said "My wifes doing an audio course, do you mind if she sits in ? ", the guy says "Yep, no problem", and said trainee gets on the job experience for the next year lifting heavy equipment and learning reality, whilst doing the prescribed course.

Said trainee is now an Audio Director for a major TV network, and can if she wishes, fly all over the world to do the major events.

Meanwhile, your truely has decided that there is just no money in music anymore and totally quits it for ten yrs, gets a real job, and we raise a family.

Enter ( ten yrs later ) a film producer friend, who is doing a short, and is complaining about the lack of decent composers available whilst sitting around my pool guzzling ( my ) beer. The wife pops up and says "Oh, that's Ok, Geoff will do it for you" Film producer is quite shocked, that in knowing me for the past 7 yrs, I've never mentioned that I'm a musician, and have recorded for many years and did what I did. Anyways, after passing the "you're a related person, but probably not very professional test", he sent me the vision. I did the score, and sent it back. He thinks it works well, and he sends it off to the audio engineer for final mixdown. He doesn't hear back. Neither do I. He finally contacts the engineer to see if eveything is going Ok. Response ? " Mate, it's perfect, didn't even need to EQ it " Great relief all around......

And who was the engineer ?

The origional lecturer form the Australian Institute of Music, from my wife's course, 10 yrs previous.

So, I'm thinking I'm doing Ok, and fall across this internet site called JPF. Hmm, looks interesting. There's guys actually producing music, and having fun along the way. And I'm working with great people, and actually producing music again.

I'm an internet musician. It used to be a derisive term. No longer I think.

Anyways Bill, it's entirely up to you. As MAB says, if you don't involve yourself, others won't involve you. As someone who sits on the ass end of the world, if I can involve myself, then so can you.

Sorry for the long winded rant, but I just needed to get that out. Big sigh, and time for a beer. grin

cheers ( real ones ) niteshift

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