I agree. Much of this depends upon the type of music you perform, whether or not you sing, and the audience you hope to target.

No matter where you move, you'll need some up front money to live on until you build the number of clients and get the paychecks rolling in. If you are already established in your current location nut not making enough to make ends meet, you may want to try expanding your current client list by doing some aggressive marketing.

Making a full time living in music is not a cushy way of life, though some folks would like to portray it as such. It requires more work than anyone can imagine in order to be successful. There are thousands of musicians in the NYC area, and it's likely that less than 1-percent actually make a decent living from music alone. Keep in mind that if you averaged $100 a day net profit from playing clubs and played every day of the week, this amounts to just $36,500 a year. I don't think you could live in that amount in NYC, or for that matter, any other major U.S. city.

One of the reasons I switched to the Nursing Home circuit is if you are set up properly, with a system that can be easily transported and quickly set up, you can perform at as many as three locations a day. And, in some locations there are enough of these facilities to make this possible. Under these circumstances, you can make good living, support your family and be home for dinner every night.

Good luck in your search,

Gary