Budget (Pt 2)

The key for me was to get here. I made a trip to Nashville with my parents 3 months before I moved here. It was a vacation for all of us, but it gave me a chance to learn my way around, check out the job market, check out the housing market, see how far it was and how much gas money I would need, and it motivated me big time to move. I new the route I was going to take to get there, how long it would take me, some places to stop, get some food and gas, some places not to stop, get food and gas. My parents were more comfortable with the move also.

I’ve learned that planning is good, but to focus on solutions to any obstacles I need to overcome. Emerson says to move forward in the direction of your goals and what you need will come to you. There were people who thought I was crazy for moving, and that I would fall on my face and fail, moving back home with a broken spirit. But I focused on what I did have, and found solutions, and asked for help when I needed it. I knew once I got to Nashville, I could make it. The economy was much better than what we had in Buffalo, NY, and I was making it there. I didn’t have a college degree, or any trade skills, (like being a carpenter, etc), but I was a good worker, I worked hard, showed up on time prepared to work, I got along well with others, and I enjoyed being around people, so I knew I could always find opportunities to prove myself. I’ve learned that’s what it takes.

If you have a car, and you really want to start off bare bones, or your are on a string budget, without the shoe, then you can try some alternative housing.

Tomorrow I'll talk about ideas for funding your trip, and the unique idea that helped me record my demo cd for Nashville.

Your Budget, part 1

Lower Broadway, Nashville, TN (Tootsies, Roberts', etc)

After deciding to move to Nashville, I had to make a budget and get some saved for the move. I did not know how much it would cost, other than gas to get there, rent and food. I did know I would not have a lot of money to begin with, so I thought if I knew anyone in Nashville. There was a friend of mine from high school who had moved to Nashville years earlier. I could contact him, and if he still lived there maybe he could help me out.

After I decided to move to Nashville I had to make a budget for the move. Now, how much money does it take to move to Nashville? $5000, $2500? Not if you don’t have it and want to move bad enough. I moved to Nashville with less than $400 bucks. That bought me enough gas, food, and beer, to get started. Fortunately, I did have a job waiting for me when I arrived (see job hunting), and a place to stay (a friends couch, see alternative housing ideas). My main expense was the gas to get there.

If you don’t have a car, then you don’t have to worry about that. Take the bus, get a ride from a friend that wants to take a road trip, have your parents take you, or hitchhike. You can find a job downtown Nashville near Vanderbilt or Belmont University, and rent a room for @$415. If you work a part-time job at Starbucks, 20 hours per week, at $7 per hour,(that’s what they pay in Nashville, minimum wage is not a factor for most jobs) that’s $140 per week, times 4 is $560 per month, enough to squeak by paying rent, eating peanut butter and jelly, and beans n rice, and having enough time to write, write, write, practice, practice, practice, and make contacts. I got a job at BMI within a week from applying at a temporary agency called Randstadt on music row. I worked in the mailroom, and after 2 months of proving myself, they hired me. Talk about and inside track. I delivered mail to Sheryl Crows sister, Kathy, Bradleys sister and grandson, Patsy and Clay, worked along side Harlan Howards son , and met the CEO Frances Preston, several times picking up and delivering her mail! In that area you can walk wherever you need to go, all your restaurants, grocery stored, laundry mat, etc. are right there. And you are a couple of blocks from music row. You are a few more blocks from downtown, Broadway, with Tootsies, etc, where you can get gigs or busk for some extra cash.

How I Moved to Nashville on a Shoestring Budget (to pursue my musical dreams)

I moved to Nashville from Buffalo, NY in August of 1995. I was working at a health club by day, and playing music at night. It was a good life. One day I heard a Tony Robbins tape and on that tape he said to ask yourself if you were 65 years old and sitting in a rocking chair, what would you think about your life? What risks would you wished you would have taken? Well, I knew at that moment I did not want to look back and think, “What if I had moved to Nashville and was able to make a living playing, writing, and singing music instead of working dead end jobs and going nowhere?” I wanted to stop saying, “what if”, and try. I dreamed of traveling the world, playing music and making money. I had worked in factories, and in the service industry, and was unfulfilled. I heard about people moving to Nashville and making it big. Being able to write or sing music for a living, a very comfortable living. I didn’t want to be 70 years old, in my rocking chair at a retirement home wishing I could go back in time and take a chance at living a dream. I got so fed up with the day-to-day grind, I decided I would rather try and fail, than do nothing and succeed.

I started by weighing the pro’s and con’s on wether to move or not. Let’s see, pro’s:

1.) Nashville has a better economy than Buffalo, so it had better job opportunities.

2.) The music community for country music, Christian, and a lot of pop music, is located in Nashville.

3.) Some of the best musicians in the world are in Nashville pursuing their dreams. I would benefit from the association of these people.

4.) Nashvilles’ not a big, major city like NY or LA where it is hard to meet people, hard to get around, and hard to survive. It is more like a big country town, one of the friendliest cities in America. You can bump into songwriters, producers and stars in the supermarket, church, or in a restaurant.

5.) Nashville is set up to teach songwriters to become the best, with associations like NSAI, ASCAP, SESAC,GMA, CMA, Songwriters Guild, Bluebird Café, and BMI located downtown, most within walking distance of another (usually right across the street!).

6.) The history of country music is in Nashville; with Tootsies, The Ryman (the original Grand Ol Opry),

7.) Plenty of opportunities to play for tourists downtown and at Opryland.

8.) It’s the home of Gibson and Gruhn guitars.

9.) A great, experienced independent scene. You don’t have to be on a major label to make a good living.

10.) Sony, BMG, RCA, Capitol, Curb, and all their publishers are located downtown.

11.) Top recording studios and musicians in town.

12.) Education galore(Belmont University, MTSU), seminars, networking events, showcases, books, etc.

13.) Meet people with a passion for music like myself.

Cons

1.) I don’t have the money, and I’m afraid.

Looking at the list, I could see the pro’s outweighed the con’s. I had made and inventory of the situation to help with making the decision, and the decision was made. I was going to move to Nashville! The next thing I needed to do was create a budget, so I would know “how” I was going to be able to move.