I like this guy and this is a sad story about the music biz - kind of like the sports radio biz!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/ ... .intercept
LOCAL HEROES: A WEEKLY COLUMN ON MUSICIANS AND HAPPENINGS IN THE CHICAGO AREA MUSIC SCENE
Texas-size career decision awaits Nicholas Tremulis
Andy Downing
October 6, 2006

By most standards, Nicholas Tremulis has lived something of a charmed life. The Chicago-born singer has recorded with Keith Richards at the Rolling Stone guitarist's house, performed live with Rick Danko just days before the Band bassist's death in 1999 and organized a series of charity shows for Neon Street for Homeless Youth dubbed "The Waltz." The annual event, which took place at the Metro from 2000-'04, drew the likes of Billy Corgan, Alejandro Escovedo and Jeff Tweedy.

Still, Tremulis has struggled to make ends meet as a working musician--going so far as to consider a move to Austin, Texas, a city he describes as "friendlier" to veteran singer-songwriters. In a message board posting on his official site, Tremulis discussed the struggle: "It gets a little harder and harder every year to keep pushing on."

"A lot of that charm of having a band goes away as you grow older," continues the 46-year-old singer. "But when I think about doing something else I'm pretty much back to loading docks ... unless I can con somebody into making me a consultant on hair loss."

"Musicians are always hustling," says Blondie Chaplin, who will be performing with the Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra at FitzGerald's and is currently on the road as a backup singer for the Rolling Stones. "It's not as easy to make a living doing this as it used to be."

At one point, Tremulis seemed destined for big things. Signed to Island Records (U2's original label) in the 1980s, he released two funk-informed albums, aided by the likes of James Brown's horn master Maceo Parker and superstar Bonnie Raitt. The Island partnership ended in 1989; as a recent response to his growing frustration with the music industry, Tremulis conceived the 52/Reasons project, an exercise where he completed a song a week for 52 weeks and posted them for sale on the Internet. For $35 subscribers received the entire year's worth of recordings. While the project didn't net a profit (some 500 people purchased all 52 songs), Tremulis credits the experiment with helping him grow as a songwriter.

"The reality of it is I stopped taking everything for granted," says Tremulis. "If I had a dream, I analyzed it more. If I had a conversation, I analyzed it more."

Often writing in the early morning hours before his family awoke, Tremulis penned acoustic love songs, folk ditties and old-timey, banjo-pickin' throw downs. One recording, "Pontiac," written about being locked away in jail in Pontiac, Ill., has the solemn, mournful feel of a Danko tune.

"I felt like Rick was there with me the whole time," explains Tremulis. "Being a songwriter you're kind of an antenna. You don't really write songs, you just catch them. I truly believe that what I did was write a song with Rick Danko."

"Pontiac" is one of 16 songs chosen from 52/Reasons for a single disk release, "Ultraviolet," which is currently being shopped to record labels.

Tremulis has also been involved in other musical endeavors, including contributing background vocals to Marsha Hansen's "My Soul Is a Witness," a collection of African-American spirituals. The recording sessions for the album took place over three days at Richards' house (Hansen is the Rolling Stone guitarist's sister-in-law). "Those sessions were just so free," says Tremulis, who was invited to participate at the last minute when a mixing session of his own fell through. "Within five minutes Keith has already disarmed every notion you have of him."

The singer also hopes to convene one more Waltz at the Metro sometime in 2007. So is there a sense that the show could double as a going away party for the longtime Chicagoan?

"I think so," says Tremulis, his voice trailing off. "This is not a great town to be an old musician in. And I'm becoming an old musician."

Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra, 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, FitzGerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Rd. Berwyn. $15; 708-788-2118.

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localheroes@gmail.com

yeah....
musicians and artists....


that's the only reason why i decided to get a degree in something $$$ certain.

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@audioidkid

I was wondering about the ability to live as a musician. I know a girl from high school who has been working as a musician for 10+ years in NY. She has a husband with a white collar job and a family with money, so I always figured that her dream was being supported on the backs of others.

or she's super talented and plays in an orchestra instead of a rockish type band.

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@audioidkid

so it's even worse then my statement indicated....

I just got this email from a friend of mine...

I tried out for a band last week, they were kind of an
alternative-soundin' punk band. Dunno how I feel about that. They sounded
like they want to MAKE IT, MAN. WE'RE GONNA GO ALL THE WAY and I don't
know if that interests me right now, you know? The delusional band thing.

_________________
@audioidkid

Nope. She's a rocker. Sort of lipstick lesbo type of rock. When she comes to chicago she plays places like schuba's.

I guess it is nice to have a sponsor for you to live your dreams. I don't even get to dream my dreams.

My mom takes piano lessons from a 25 y.o. woman who makes about 50/k year just doing that. She gets 50 bucks an hour and thus only works 20 hrs/wk. Not great pay, but one could do a lot worse. The piano teacher isn't even that great of a player, but she knows how to suck up to people, I guess.

Tell us about your dreams, gd.

Only after whirlwind night of dinner and a musical followed by a long walk along the lakeshore.