Friday, October 16, 2009

If i can sing and play the guitar can i survive with a job singing in cafes and do freelance shows

If i can sing and play the guitar can i survive with a job singing in cafes and do freelance shows?
I am from Singapore. Just wanna find out how the scene is like in the states.
Performing Arts - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Probably not... but people DO make a 'living' from it.
2 :
It really depends on how good you are, what kind of music you sing and play and what city you are going to be trying to survive in....
3 :
If you are good... have a pleasant voice and can play the appropriate variety of songs for the restaurant, you can earn upwards of $200-$300 an hour. Now, this depends on where you are in the states (Miami, Florida would pay a lot more than Guthree, Okahoma for example). Also, you would need to get the job. You can trust that for everyone actually playing in restaurants, there are a thousand who tried to get in and failed. Finally, understand that these kinds of things are sporadic. You can't think $200/hour means I'll be earning this much a month. No. You may work a couple of hours during one weekend and have to run around looking for another gig the rest of the month. As to the freelance shows, if you have a name, people will pay. If nobody knows you, you won't get a venue and you won't get advertising. Good luck.
4 :
It's kinda tricky here. You can perform at clubs and bars for open mic nights and everything, but you won't get paid for it. The only way to get paid in entertainment is to contact a good agent and try to get set up on paying gigs. You'll have to give the agent 10% or something, but at least you'll make money. You could probobly schedule yourself for gigs, but you'll have to do alot of calling and networking. It's a pretty hard life, but if your heart's in it then you should do okay. Still you should look for some side job that will still allow you to perform when you can. This way you can still feed yourself and/or pay rent
5 :
Yes, you can, but you need a good agent to find you a good gig! Good luck

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