LeftyBassist.com

My nephew is a good bass player. Right now, he's young enough that he could make it in the business, and that's his obsession. He's in the process of moving from a small Wisconsin town to Madison. I'm looking for any advice anyone can give me to give to him on how to get in with a good band quickly. He just made a solo video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsfbQiwvlHU - He's not left-handed, but I am). It doesn't show his stage presence, but he's got other videos from his previous bands for that. How else can he market himself?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I'd say first of all, move to Nashville or LA or NY instead of Madison...

my advice: go to college, get a sought after degree that's employable in the business world, and nail that first good paying job. don't let his desire to be a rock star derail his future earning potential. once he has that great paying job, enjoy playing music to the extent that it doesn't interfere (too much) with career forward mobility

when he has the $$ he can buy the toys ... and he won't be forced to start back at ground zero when the singer OD's between sets at some dive in Milwaukee


unless his goal is to become a studio session bassist ... and then he needs to get his Masters from a well respected music school (hmm ... maybe Berkley?) so he's well grounded in his playing as well as his theory, and in the process of earning that degree he'll have also learned how to apply himself in ways he's not even aware of today

all the best,

R