TromboneChat

Semi-serious question: Where are audiences that want to hear creative music, and bandleaders in that field who actually want to hire trombonists for things? They've got to be out there somewhere right? Background: I'm 29. I've been a full time professional musician in for about 6 years now, and I understand what it takes. I'm based out of Portland, Oregon USA. I feel like I'm getting close to the top of what this town has to offer me creatively and professionally.

Is it worth it to try and move to a different city? If so where to? If not perhaps I should focus more on trying to tour with my own projects, and grant writing? There aren't many markets in the pacific northwest, especially for more creative/improvisational things, extra especially if you aren't already a name. I can keep trudging along in Portland, paying the bills with funk bands and the occasional wedding, corporate gig, or musical. I just wonder if there's another way?

My honest advice find somewhere you like to live and then go from there. Places with more gigs have more musicians and there are a lot of factors that go into getting gigs. I live in New Orleans and have built up a steady stream of gigs but I have seen trombone players on both ends of the skill spectrum do better and worse than me. Just stuff to think about with a scene change but I would say yes there are gigs here. My advice if you're making enough money to survive where you are at than try and grow that situation and pursue your own musicianship as much as possible, but everyone's situation is different there are perks to being in a more active bigger scene mainly the musician quality.

I would second what DakoJack mentioned.

If you're looking for opportunities to pay the bills, you'll need to do those weddings, corporate gigs, etc. If you're looking for creative projects, you'll probably need to make your own and slowly build an audience for that. In my experience that's going to be the same anywhere, just on different scales. The other side of that coin is that some areas are more saturated with good musicians than others, so even if you're abilities are up to par with the best there are just not enough gigs to go around. It's not always the best musicians who work the most.

I assume that you're already finding ways to meet other musicians and folks who book musicians. Developing a network is important for finding gigs that pay well and gigs that are creative projects.

Dave