Hi Marion. GREAT question....in fact the BEST question I've seen here in a while.

MOst of the folks that I've known who've locked themselves into one area have done it because of family responsibilties, rather than "establishing a base or a network".

Music does NOT pay well, unless you're very well established in the mainstream. And......it's paying less every day.

For many years I made visits to Hospitals, Schools, Old folks' Homes etc. I made union scale, which in today's dollars would have been between 200 and 300 bucks per show. Not "adult" money,(cuz it wasn't consistent) but for a musician, enough to live on when it was added to the money you'd make from clubs, occasional coffee house and folk gigs (in those days (late 60s. '70s and 80s'), playing commercially was the 'kiss of death' as far as being hired for folk venues)

Today, virtually ALL venues are 'price negotiable', which basically means you're gonna make WAYYYYYYY less than a few years ago. In Toronto the RULE now for experienced Jazz, Blues and Rock players, is SEVENTY FIVE BUCKS A NIGHT! That is HALF of what it was, when I decided to get out of the bars and concentrate on teaching. This comes from my best friend (mentioned many times in Mudcat) who has won numerous awards and is possibly the finest guitarist I've ever seen. Wanna drop down to the Rex and see veteran musicians playing world class JAZZ? Be aware that the whole band is makin' is makin' 300 bucks....ughhhh.

So it boils down to "are you inventive"? "Can you think 'out of the box"? "Are you smart enough to keep ahead of the crowd"? If you are, then you can work ANYWHERE. At decent money.

Don't forget that it costs a lot to live in Toronto, or New York or London etc. So if you wanna stay in some beautiful rural area for a year or so.....you can cut your teaching rate in half and do BETTER than you might in a Metropolis. There are ALWAYS folks who want/need music in their lives, wherever you go. "Guitar Teacher" (with fiddle, mandolin and banjo) may not be as much of a financial 'lock' as undertaker.....but it's close.

When I lived (for a short time) in Amsterdam, I'd go out everyday and plunk myself on a park bench. Pull out the banjo, put a smile on my face, and sing, play, and try and talk to folks. Payed for a lot of trips that way.

Cheers

Rick