O-10, don’t despair too much. Let’s bring some perspective to this issue:
Bob Sheppard didn’t say that he, or the best musicians in LA (or NY) can’t make a living. What is true, and what I believe he said, was that they are not nearly as busy in the studios as they once were; they are not making as nice a living. The “best” musicians, in a sadly shrinking scene, will always make a living. I assure you that Bob Sheppard is still making a nice living. Of course, it depends on what one considers a “nice living”. For perspective:
Do you know what a top studio musician was earning each year during the heyday of the LA and NY studio scene (pre about 1990)? Several hundred thousand a year. Second and even third tier musicians would earn at least a couple hundred thousand. Fast forward to the present. A guy like Sheppard, while not as busy as he once was in the studios will now supplement the previously steady studio work by doing clinics and making solo appearances on records like the Steely Dan record that I mentioned as well as his own projects. I doubt that Sheppard earns less than $175K to $250K a year.
There was a time in NYC when the concert master of the NY Philharmonic quit his high paying job with the Phil because he could earn much more in the studios. That doesn’t happen anymore. During the heyday of the big band era there was so much work for musicians that it is fair to say that there were a lot of mediocre players earning a living in music.
In LA there is a relatively small group of “the best”, and they are incredible musicians, who play all the movie dates and are still earning a lot of money. Of course, what all this also means is that the pool of “the best” becomes smaller and smaller; ergo, more and more competitive and very very difficult to break into that scene. As Sheppard points out, they are MOSTLY symphony players. Why? Because for the music that they are required to play on all those John Williams (and others) scores, they are “the best”. As Schubert pointed out, in Jazz it is about the players and their individuality. In Classical, which is what most of those movie scores are mostly like, it is about the composer and the score. The truth is that the best Classical players are better INSTRUMENTALISTS than most Jazz players. They sound better on that type of music and they save the producers money because they need to do fewer takes; they are more accurate. Of course, Jazz soloists are sometimes needed and that is when someone like Sheppard comes in. It is true that as a result of all this many of the third tier players do scuffle to make a living. The best are ok.
Enjoy your music.
Bob Sheppard didn’t say that he, or the best musicians in LA (or NY) can’t make a living. What is true, and what I believe he said, was that they are not nearly as busy in the studios as they once were; they are not making as nice a living. The “best” musicians, in a sadly shrinking scene, will always make a living. I assure you that Bob Sheppard is still making a nice living. Of course, it depends on what one considers a “nice living”. For perspective:
Do you know what a top studio musician was earning each year during the heyday of the LA and NY studio scene (pre about 1990)? Several hundred thousand a year. Second and even third tier musicians would earn at least a couple hundred thousand. Fast forward to the present. A guy like Sheppard, while not as busy as he once was in the studios will now supplement the previously steady studio work by doing clinics and making solo appearances on records like the Steely Dan record that I mentioned as well as his own projects. I doubt that Sheppard earns less than $175K to $250K a year.
There was a time in NYC when the concert master of the NY Philharmonic quit his high paying job with the Phil because he could earn much more in the studios. That doesn’t happen anymore. During the heyday of the big band era there was so much work for musicians that it is fair to say that there were a lot of mediocre players earning a living in music.
In LA there is a relatively small group of “the best”, and they are incredible musicians, who play all the movie dates and are still earning a lot of money. Of course, what all this also means is that the pool of “the best” becomes smaller and smaller; ergo, more and more competitive and very very difficult to break into that scene. As Sheppard points out, they are MOSTLY symphony players. Why? Because for the music that they are required to play on all those John Williams (and others) scores, they are “the best”. As Schubert pointed out, in Jazz it is about the players and their individuality. In Classical, which is what most of those movie scores are mostly like, it is about the composer and the score. The truth is that the best Classical players are better INSTRUMENTALISTS than most Jazz players. They sound better on that type of music and they save the producers money because they need to do fewer takes; they are more accurate. Of course, Jazz soloists are sometimes needed and that is when someone like Sheppard comes in. It is true that as a result of all this many of the third tier players do scuffle to make a living. The best are ok.
Enjoy your music.