Tim Gaines – Life of a “Forty Something” Career Musician

This is a resent (06/11/08) blog from Tim Gaines that he posted on his myspace site.
www.myspace.com/timgainesmusic

Tim Gaines
Life of a “Forty Something” Career Musician

How is it I can live in the heart of Music City – Nashville TN, and I can’t find a band or like minded musicians to play with? This is one of the most frustrating things for me at my age right now. Nobody seems to want to get out and do anything. They have kids to raise, work, spouses … etc. I thought my thirties were a drag, but my mid forties are looking very depressing.

I have pretty much given up my whole life to play music. It is what I have always done and it is all I know how to do. I don’t have kids or any real responsibilities to hold me back. My wife is 100% supportive of my career and wants to see me on the road doing what I do best. In the past I have had a lot of success in music and have made a great living. I have been very blessed.

Gigs here in Nashville are few and far between. MIT and Berkley are spitting out thousands of newly “educated” players every year that all flock to Nashville so that they can land a “gig.” They really need the work to pay off their $80K student loans, so they all work for next to nothing. Most of them end up teaching music lessons for $10 bucks an hour at local music stores. Then there are those that are lucky and seem to have everything just fall into their laps.

I was fortunate enough to get work with a famous songwriter/ recording artist last year for a short tour. The money was good, and everything was done first class, but I don’t want to be a side guy. I want to be in a real band where everyone matters, and the fans know your name. Not this bunch of crap where you have to scramble to get your charts made up at the last minute because the artist with an inflated ego has some 50 songs for the band to learn, but can’t make up his mind which songs to play, and you are forced to play the show with little or no rehearsal, and you better not mess up or there will be a plane ticket home. I hate it, but that is what Nashville is all about. You are expendable.

This January I was hired to play bass and be music director for a famous Christian artist. I was told to go ahead and promote his new album on my website and gigs would soon follow. Well, gigs didn’t come and one by one, the band members started finding other paying gigs. For five months I waited, and still promoted the album. I took on a temp job loading trucks in a warehouse to hold me over till things took off. Then I got an email that this artist had hired a new band and would be rehearsing in Seattle for an upcoming tour. I was just being used for my notoriety by this artist’s management company to help generate record sales. It was just a big scam.

I have a lot of really talented musician friends here, but not one of them is motivated to do anything. It’s like everyone has given up pursuing the dream they once had in their youth. They still dream but life or age is holding them back.

I come from the garage band school of thought. It’s what we all did as kids…. You learn and work up a bunch of really good songs in the garage. You hang out with the band and become really good pals. You’re like a gang and everyone stands up for the other guy. It’s all about fun and enjoying the music. You become really good at what you do, and then you go out and start playing shows. The money might not be great but you just love playing so much that you don’t mind. I guess that’s what I am looking for but can’t seem to find it anywhere. At the same time, who am I kidding? I am forty five years old.

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