Planning Ahead
Don't just sell your house, rent a U-Haul, and go. There are things you need to do, know, and think about before you pack up and head out for Music Row, Tin Pan Alley, or Hollywood. Making a permanent move is a big deal. A little planning can make the transition a much smoother one.
Surveillance and ReconnaissanceThe first thing you need to decide is which hub is right for you. While the top three hubs (Nashville, LA, and New York) have a little of everything, many of the smaller hubs specialize in one or two genres and don't offer much to songwriters outside those styles.
A songwriting organization's branch office in a given hub can be a great source of information. If you're a member of NSAI or SGA, have your local coordinator hook you up with members in various hubs and ask them about the town, the scene, and other information you should know before making a visit.
Scenes sometimes change overnight, but you can generally find the following genres (and maybe more) in the following places:
New York City: pop, hip-hop, R&B, jazz, rock, alt, punk, house, show tunes, new age, classical, experimental, blues
Nashville: country, pop, gospel, alt-country, Americana, Christian contemporary music singer/songwriter, alt, bluegrass, new folk, roots rock
Los Angeles: pop, hip-hop, salsa, rock, country, alt, punk, new age, Christian contemporary music, classical
Seattle: alt, grunge, nu-metal, hardcore
Austin: country, alt-country, singer/songwriter, Western swing, blues, rock
Atlanta: nu-soul, hip-hop, R&B
Detroit: hip-hop
Dallas: country, Western swing, jazz, blues
Miami: dance, salsa
Bakersfield, CA: country
New Orleans: Dixieland, zydeco
Chicago: blues
Memphis: blues, R&B
Cleveland/Toledo: polka (not a good way to get rich)
Make some trips to your prospective new home to get a feel for the place and the people. Make friends who can clue you in and help you find your way around. Most importantly, see if it's the right hub for the kind of writing you want to do.
Finding a PlaceBefore you move to a music hub, decide what living arrangement will suit your needs best. Do you need a house or an apartment? Will you buy, rent, or lease? How close do you want to be to the publishing district or your place of work? Ask your friends (the ones you made during your scouting trips) about things like the bad parts of town, traffic patterns, and where to get a good pizza after midnight.
It's good to fit in, but don't be afraid to let people know where you're from. In most hubs, there are people from all over. Odds are you can hook up with some homies, which gives you some instant friends with whom you already have a lot in common and helps when you get homesick.
Just because you're making the transition to professional songwriting doesn't mean that the bills will magically pay themselves. You're going to need a job in your new hometown, probably for several years. If you have a marketable trade or a college degree, a headhunter service might help you find the right job. If not, the classifieds are a good place to look. If you can live cheaply, find something with flexible hours, so that you have time to schedule co-writing sessions and publisher meetings.
No More Money Gigs?The job you won't find in a music hub is a decent-paying music gig. If you're used to making a living as a musician or singer, you're out of luck. The competition for gigs in these places is tough and some people will play for free or even pay to play just to be seen. It's not so bad in New York, but in Nashville, LA, or Austin it's tough to get a paying gig. Most of the musicians who play the strip in Nashville play for tips
