Seeking some worldly advice from the village elders.

[Sammas]

Hey guys,

I'm a long time listener/occasional caller that has come to that big proverbial fork in
the road of life. A bit of history... I'm 25, and I love music. Love it! I have a degree in
composition and production, am always playing, writing, recording & listening to music
in my spare time. 2 years ago I had a rather wicked little studio going with a Soundtracs
IL3632 at the center which I used purely for my own purposes.

It all went. All of it except for my macbook, duet, naked eye and Baby taylor acoustic.
They went into my backpack and came to Europe with me 18 months ago and we've
been getting well acquainted ever since. For bread and butter I decided to do things
music related here in London. Running audio cables... hanging lights... building stages.
It's lead me down some surprising avenues and put me in some amazing places!
Standing on the pitch in Wembley Stadium with AC/DC. Kicking my feet up on a tour
bus as we cruised between venues in Spain & Portugal on Madonna's European tour.
Assuming the "Casual lean" to watch Oasis rehearse after setting up their back line in
a famous London rehearsal studio. Watching intently from the 5th level balcony of the
Royal Albert Hall as Herbie Hancock jammed out with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Scurrying about on stage at some of the world's most famous festivals doing stage changes.
The list goes on... and just flicking through my shoebox of "work" memorabilia is a
really humbling experience. It's the kind of thing that 5 years ago, or even 2 years
ago I would have said "yeah, it's a nice dream but it will never happen". And strangely
enough... I feel like I've done it with minimal effort. It's like it is just this city or even
this continent where opportunities like this run rampant compared to Sydney.

Now, after a fantastic 18 months my time is up and I'm packing my bags. No more visa.
I've been informally offered a job though, a rather well paying job working an important
background position for one of the worlds largest staging companies. The informal part
being "if I can get the visa". I'm convinced I can... and rather easily at that. But is it what
I want? That is the question. I still write a lot of music. I'd like to make an album... I'd like
to work in studio's or at least with sound. I have done live sound and have the experience
to do it. If I return to Sydney I've even considered going back to University to study further.

Staging I enjoy as well, and the job I've been offered is a really good job. Good pay, places
to move with routine and all the other aspects that a typical "career" provides. Plus it allows
me to stay in Europe. This place is so bursting with culture and art it makes the thought of returning
to Sydney somewhat depressing to be honest. Like I said, here opportunity runs rampant for those
prepared to work for it. Back home in Oz though... ???? I can't answer that question because I never
tried.


I'm not really expecting anyone to make this decision for me, but have any of you been in such a
situation? For some reason it reminds me of Robert Frost.




Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

[wez]

For some reason it reminds me of Robert Frost.

My whole life reminds me of Robert Frost.

My advice (for what it is worth - and it is worth really not very much at all)... take money out of the equation. Completely. See where that takes you with your thinking.

[NYMo]

Hi there,

Stay in Europe and savour what the world there can offer you...you're only 25...find a nice European girl...fall in
love...(Paris is great)....there's plenty of time to come home later on and who knows where that home will eventually be ??

F**k all happens in Australia...and we are a bunch of racist bastards to boot ! ;-)

Cheers
N
Y
M
O
(more than twice your age)

[heathen]

Nath if I were 25 again, I'd say don't come back till your ready.

[Barney Loveland]

I was lucky enough to travel and tour from my early 20's and ended up in Melbourne on my return when i was 28. I had a ball and traveled to over 60 countries and meet many amazing musos. I wouldn't change anything i've done but I sure could of traveled for longer as Aus will always be here. I reckon try and stay. The worst that could happen is you end up not liking it and head home at a later date. My 2c.

[ChrisW]

Good advice so far.
I particularly liked the comment about taking money out of the equation.
In the end, even if you are making a ton of money, if you are unhappy you'll stay unhappy..... albeit slightly wealthier unhappy.

Word of advice on relationships though.
If you plan to return to Oz one day, make sure your partner is OK with that up front.
As the person who moved to be with a partner........ it's HARD!!!

[Chinagraf]

All good advice. I didn't settle till late in my 30's. I loooooved the travelling and it's awesome to have so many great memories when you are older and have to pay your mortgage. One small thing I would say is set up a bank account and put a tiny bit away regularly. I have a friend who kept going till their mid 40's but never saved anything, and they are now working part time in retail to pay rent because the music scene here has nowhere near the sort of money they were making OS.

[graemeh]

Yeah, spread your wings and see how how high you can fly (cue cheesy strings...).

Shit, you're 25 - you're not even grown up yet!

Get the visa, take the job and see where it'll lead you... Australia's like Mum & Dad's place - it'll always be here when you want a feed or some laundry done...

[mfdu]

you're living the dream dude. grab hold of it tight and don't let go. as NYMO said, nuthin happens here in Oz that could compete with the market size available in UK (or US)

i settled down early. like, real early. good missus, solid local government job and money getting socked away into superannuation.

therefore, because i had partner / mortgage all choices i've made post-30 have been to some extent influenced by meeting mortgage repayments.

dont get me wrong, i ain't unhappy.
but i missed out on the opportunity to work for free and sleep on the couch between sessions - i had to get home and do the washing up / cooking / nice-nice husband thing.

now we've got a baby, and everything is going to be on hold for another four years till he's in child care and i can hopefully return to part-time work / part-time studio.

seriously dude - ride the tiger while you're able. you can always limp back to Oz for a beer and a good lie down.
didn't mr. massenberg say 'plenty of time to sleep when i'm dead'. well i dispute that when i have to feed to baby at 3am most mornings.

yeah - reading about your adventures is about as close as i'll get.


chris.

[Sammas]

Thanks a lot for the responses guys! I really appreciate it.

It's a mixture of both worlds though, I think. If I stay, it would be to "settle down".
Well, at least the most settled I've been. Career orientated job, more than a bag full
of possessions, etc, etc. Routine! If I head home to Sydney it would be the "free sessions
to sleep on the couch"/networking/university life style for the next few years at least.

It's a strange feeling. I'm going to try my damnedest to stay though, thanks to
you chaps. If I can't get the visa then my decision has been made... even having
the visa on the table in front of me is a once in a lifetime opportunity. There will
be plenty of chances to study/moonlight/work for free in the years to come even if
I do end up heading home.

Thanks again. I really appreciate it! ...I've been thinking about this so much lately that
it's become one of those forest through the trees scenarios. Thanks for the perspective.

[Martin]

..and a great read for those of us without the age on board to tell you what 'they would have done'


sound like the decision is actually weather to settle here or in Europe, that doesn't make a heap of difference as to weather you make an album.. do it all, and have the financial security to not have to sleep on the couch

[DaleRoyce]

Its been said here already, but i'll say again..
NOW is 'THE LIFE', you will look back on, and dream of.. when Age/life/circumstances pull you up and tell you its time to slow down or stop.
This IS YOUR LIFE. NOW. Enjoy.
Being older is great, but only if you used every moment and breath working hard at having amazing memorys and a wealth of experiances that improve you with age.
Weather you come home or stay on your ride, just make sure its a two fisted affair.
And when its hard.... remember that through resistance we grow.
No pain, blah blah..
But trust us all on this.. @ your age.. grab on tight and squeeze like your thirsty.
And In about 7 years from today ,
You'll look back and realise these ARE your glory days. X