Where should I live?
Location, location, location...
As a songwriter, musician, or artist, it used to be all about living in LA, Nashville, or New York. Then, over time, Miami and Atlanta were brought into the fold. However, no matter what music hub you called home, you were expected to be physically present with your co-writer during a session or in the studio when laying down vocals for a track.
That is not the reality anymore. The digital world has made it possible to live and create from anywhere you want, especially the comfort of your own home.
I, for one, believe that Skype is the most genius platform ever invented! It’s free and I can wear pajama bottoms while holding court! I have it on my phone as well as my computer. 75% of my work is over Skype. It saves me time and the headache of traffic (the bane of our existence here in LA).
These days, you can use the internet for a writing session, a vocal session, or a meeting with many others at the same time in different locations! As I was finishing this blog, a manager texted me about a new client on a major label who needs songs. I went into my dropbox, picked the 2 that I believe were hits and texted him back the link.
He texted immediately, “My gosh you are fast! Will check out immediately”
That said, I am a firm believer that you need to show up in person and have face-to-face time with your network, team, and community in order to enhance relationships. That is where you have the opportunity to cultivate and strengthen the bond between you and your personal, creative, and business relationships, which are ultimately the driving forces behind your success.
But, if you don’t want to live in Nashville and love to write country music, devise a plan so that you can visit every 6 weeks and cultivate writing partners who want to write with you so much that they accommodate your travel schedule. If you are a mom, have a very solid family life, live in Ohio, and you’re a fantastic songwriter who can make trips 6 times a year to Nashville, then why can’t you have a career? If you have to work a little harder to arrange and rearrange your life to fulfill your goals, then so be it.
I don’t think anything replaces living in a city that is pulsating with music and filled to the brim with others like yourself, but it can be done. And, that lands me right back to where I always begin with: “It all starts with a song”, which is what I named my songwriting retreats. When you have the calling card of great songs then you will find it easier to call the shots about where you can live.
