Music career in Japan?

[Elthie]

The assignment for my Japanese class had to be related to living in Japan, and I chose to look at how musicians live, how people view a career in music (aka, is music seen is not being a proper job, etc).

If anyone could give some information relating to this topic/answers to the questions below it would be greatly appreciated

1) How do opinions differ when it comes to choosing a career in music between generations? E.g. Teenagers opinions vs older people's opinions.

2) How do you get a start in the music industry? Get to know people? Try to get gigs? How?

3)Family/friend relationships? How are they affected? Are parents normally supportive? Are any expectations/responsibilities affected?

4) How do you get your music known? Make your own CDs? Flyers?

5) Importance of image in music, e.g. Beauty/appearance vs talent.

6) Any significance to cross-dressing? (Often seen in visual kei)


*Sorry if this thread is in the wrong section, I wasn't sure where it should go.

[well_bicyclically]

The assignment for my Japanese class had to be related to living in Japan, and I chose to look at how musicians live, how people view a career in music (aka, is music seen is not being a proper job, etc).

If anyone could give some information relating to this topic/answers to the questions below it would be greatly appreciated

1) How do opinions differ when it comes to choosing a career in music between generations? E.g. Teenagers opinions vs older people's opinions.

2) How do you get a start in the music industry? Get to know people? Try to get gigs? How?

3)Family/friend relationships? How are they affected? Are parents normally supportive? Are any expectations/responsibilities affected?

4) How do you get your music known? Make your own CDs? Flyers?

5) Importance of image in music, e.g. Beauty/appearance vs talent.

6) Any significance to cross-dressing? (Often seen in visual kei)


*Sorry if this thread is in the wrong section, I wasn't sure where it should go.

perhaps if you posted in a board for Musicians living in Japan...

[ttokyo]

It looks to me that you are just thinking of 'J-pop' musicians. But there is also a large classical music scene in Japan as well as a smaller number of traditional Japanese musicians (i.e. Shamizen, Koto, etc.)

If I were you, I'd do this the other way round, i.e. take examples, such as the casted group 'AKB48' (or SMAP, EXILE, Arashi,etc) to describe the 'generic' face of J-pop, the role of 'idols' and maybe contrast this to the careers of 'more genuine' Musicians such as Hikaru Utada, Kumiko Koda or Ayumi Hamasaki.

[Glenski]

Is your question about Japanese musicians or foreigners who live here/want to live here?

[Trichophyton-in-my-pants]

First of all, what you need to realize that the great body of pop musicians (I assume this is what you are talking about) are essentially living on a monthly salary comparable to average 9-17 office job.

All that other stuff that you asked is just case-by-case with no general answer. Better to rephrase your question to something more specific.

[liamoko]

It looks to me that you are just thinking of 'J-pop' musicians. But there is also a large classical music scene in Japan as well as a smaller number of traditional Japanese musicians (i.e. Shamizen, Koto, etc.)

If I were you, I'd do this the other way round, i.e. take examples, such as the casted group 'AKB48' (or SMAP, EXILE, Arashi,etc) to describe the 'generic' face of J-pop, the role of 'idols' and maybe contrast this to the careers of 'more genuine' Musicians such as Hikaru Utada, Kumiko Koda or Ayumi Hamasaki.

Kumiko Koda is a genuine musician? rofl

[Wonky]

I played in a band for a while. Met someone in a bar, jammed soon after, put an ad in the Tokyo Classified (this was a decade ago) for a bass player and that was the band.

This was a punk band. We did not get paid for gigs. I was not the one who arranged the gigs, so I don't know the details on that. But we had friends in other bands and played with them.

It was not a career, I still had my regular job.

We made flyers and also made a demo tape (like I said this was ten years ago) and passed it around to our friends.

No garages here, we had to rent a studio by the hour.

We never got signed or anything like that.

Does this answer any of your questions? Are you talking about forming a band with friends and trying to get known, or becoming an "idol," which is a 100% completely different process.

[HarryHurry]

The words 'music' and 'Japan' don't sit well together...

[KansaiBen]

As posted below you have to pay to play here. They have a system where band members have to sell a certain number of tickets or it comes out of their pocket.

Bands like SMAP and Arashi belong to huge production companies, the most famous one is Johnnies Jimusho. In Japan pop stars are packaged like a product. Actual talent has little or nothing to do with it.

They are effectively salarimen (or women), are paid a pittance and expected to run around and put on performances and promotions. At least its not as bad as Korea where to become a talent its basically indentured slavery. The casting couch is how many women make their big breaks.

The assignment for my Japanese class had to be related to living in Japan, and I chose to look at how musicians live, how people view a career in music (aka, is music seen is not being a proper job, etc).

Well if it's not a job then what is it? How does one make a career in music if one is not working? Proper jobs are not just about working in an office pushing paper around.

People involved in music can be anything from professional or semi-professional musicians, singers, dancers, producers, sound engineers, lyricists, session musicians. Maybe play in a professional orchestra.
I know some people who sing classical music professionally and sing in concerts. Others arrange orchestras for weddings.

1) How do opinions differ when it comes to choosing a career in music between generations? E.g. Teenagers opinions vs older people's opinions.

That will largely come down to whether or not people think you have talent, as opposed to a wannabe trying to start a rock band. What is your musical background? what kind of training have you had? Can you get people to listen to your work? Remember older people played music too. Paul McCartney is nearly 70 and the guy almost invented Rock and roll. Some geezers are still playing in their grandpappy years. Look at Ventures, they have been playing in Japan since the 70's.

2) How do you get a start in the music industry? Get to know people? Try to get gigs? How?

Not many gaijin audition but its like anywhere, you have to get noticed. Play lots of gigs, maybe produce a CD and promote the heck out of it. Play at school festivals and open-mike nights. Most I would guess is self generated or hire a manager if you are any good. Pay for a venue, sell tickets and hope someone comes.

3)Family/friend relationships? How are they affected? Are parents normally supportive? Are any expectations/responsibilities affected?

Personally its like any job, its like some guy wants to be an actor in the movies or play in the majors. He has to be realistic about his ability and talents.

When I was at school in the 80's there were a couple of brothers in my brothers year who formed a band and started playing gigs. They got to be quite big after a few years and moved to Australia. They are still around and known as Crowded House (The Finn brothers) and last I saw they did the theme song for the RWC in New Zealand. Some is natural talent, and a lot of hard work. I used to hear when band Cheap Trick started out they were doing over 300 gigs a year, almost every day all over the Midwest of the US.

Again it comes down to talent, whether you can play/sing dance whatever. Personally I dont like Justin Bieber but it seems he must have some natural talent at 17.



4) How do you get your music known? Make your own CDs? Flyers?

Get people to come to your gigs and develop a following. People have to like your music first. Sell CDs at the door and sell tickets. Its not like Field of Dreams where you build it and they will come. You will advertise, flyers, word of mouth and hit up friends to buy tickets to your gigs and hope they come.

Enter karaoke or singing competitions. Jero got big here as he was an African American rapper singing Japanese crooner songs in the US. he had an angle the Japanese lapped up.

5) Importance of image in music, e.g. Beauty/appearance vs talent.

Visual Kei is only one genre and you have people drawn to that (L'Arc du Ciel etc). they also need to know how to play. Again most big bands in Japan are owned by the record companies so they are glorified salarimen. Indies don't really get heard or noticed, much less sell records. Being a pretty-boy helps as you may end up on TV where the cameras can spot every wrinkle or crease. SMAPS Katori Shingo kun is not exactly handsome but he does OK in the band. He also publishes books and appears in movies. Nakai Kun does a solid trade as an emcee on Japanese TV programs.

Most band members have side jobs and play on weekends or evenings.

6) Any significance to cross-dressing? (Often seen in visual kei)

Guys in skirts? I don't think so. Lots of make-up though, Being androgynous is all part of the game.

[Andun]

It looks to me that you are just thinking of 'J-pop' musicians. But there is also a large classical music scene in Japan as well as a smaller number of traditional Japanese musicians (i.e. Shamizen, Koto, etc.)

Right. The term 'musician' is just too broad. Discounting idols ― who are, more often than not, not musicians ― popular/jazz/(insert genre here) musicians pay their dues working the 'live houses'. Unlike in the West bands will have to pay for their use of the venue and do all the promotion themselves to sell tickets. Some artists have taken off just through promoting their music on J versions of sites like Myspace. Youtube is big here too now.
Going through music college is no longer a viable way to start a career in music for most. In the wedding industry I met many classically trained musicians who had a regular job and just did chorus/keyboard work at weddings on the weekends. Piano teachers aren't in demand like they used to be.
The few traditional musicians there are study under a master for many years until they make their debut ― very expensive.

[well_bicyclically]

perhaps if you posted in a board for Musicians living in Japan...

and if this is for a Japanese class, isn't rather defeating the purpose to ask the question in English in the first place???

[KansaiBen]

Having a musical career only affects your family when you suffer for your art and don't make enough to support yourself. You live at home because you cant afford to move out or you sponge off your girlfriend or wife because you cant pay your bills and they have to go out and work. Being a parasite so you can be a musician gets old really fast if you are not paying your own way. You need to consider your ability to actually be able to pay the rent and very few professional musicians these days can afford to do that unless you are in U2 or a guitarist for Metallica.

[LyraAlluse]

I don't have a music career in Japan but I do have a music career in the United States which has connections with people have a music career in Japan. I will answer your questions based on what I have seen.

1) How do opinions differ when it comes to choosing a career in music between generations? E.g. Teenagers opinions vs older people's opinions.

From what I have seen, many musicians in Japan don't really choose a music career. In fact, many of them are average people who get pulled off the streets to do a voice recording for a television show and get a career based on the success of their initial recording. In very recent times, Japanese people have attempted music careers as side jobs (never a main profession) to their office jobs or other full time positions. Sometimes this leads to a professional career and other times it remains a side job or side creative profession/ pursuit. That is not to say that there are not Japanese people who don't strive to be famous because there are. It's just that many Japanese musicians are either randomly picked out from a crowd (very common practice in Tokyo) or become famous or well known after playing in local bands or groups.

2) How do you get a start in the music industry? Get to know people? Try to get gigs? How?

Many Japanese musicians as I have mentioned get their start in local bands, making connections with local business owners where they play their music, which leads to bigger gigs and tours. The internet has become key in helping Japanese bands promote themselves both locally and internationally.

3)Family/friend relationships? How are they affected? Are parents normally supportive? Are any expectations/responsibilities affected?

Th family and friend relationships depend on the situation. Parents generally are supportive if they are supportive of their child in general. If they are not supportive of their child in general, then they will certainly not be supportive of a music career. It really depends on the family dynamic and friendship dynamic of the individual. There are no real social laws for musicians, just like in the United States there are no social laws for musician. My family disowned me because I am a woman who refuses to be controlled by a man and sought my own career path. They obviously don't support my music career. This is their choice and is not socially influenced. This is what I mean when I say it depends on individuals not social rules.

4) How do you get your music known? Make your own CDs? Flyers?

The internet is the biggest tool for helping Japanese bands get their name out there. There is a lot of software that helps local composers/ bands/ etc. become household names over night. Online stores that distribute music recordings help with the promotion of their music.

5) Importance of image in music, e.g. Beauty/appearance vs talent.

In Japan talent and beauty seem to be equally important, just like in the United States but individual fans will like bands/ singers for their own reasons.

6) Any significance to cross-dressing? (Often seen in visual kei)

In Japan from what I understand from the Japanese bands I have worked with, cross dressing is normal for both sexes and is considered visual expression/ artistic expression. It's a way to draw attention to the band, promotional tool.

I hope that this answers some of your questions. If you have any more about the recording industry here or abroad feel free to message me and I will help you out.

[naciri]

The words 'music' and 'Japan' don't sit well together...

yo..take it easy and don't be too negative. I can see that you are suffering in Japan then I'd like to advise you: LEAVE ASAP.
Cheers !!

[HarryHurry]

yo..take it easy and don't be too negative. I can see that you are suffering in Japan then I'd like to advise you: LEAVE ASAP.
Cheers !!

Or I could do an extensive re-training program and become a DJ...

[NorthByNorthwest]

For those hoping for "fame & riches at the top", it's a 'tournament business' according to Freakonomics authors, Dubner & Levitt. In Hollywood, you see an awful lot of wanna-be and struggling part-time actors and actresses waiting on tables; they forgo college and other opportunities because they dream they can "make it" - few ever do. In Japan, a lot of similar wanna-be's and hopefuls in the music industry do a variety of part-time 'arbeit' jobs. Others in the same category of tournament business players include beauty pageant contestants, crack cocaine dealers and those hoping to make it big in professional sports:

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=...1#.TyXXisXrr9I

...
Another provocative question the team asks on "20/20," is "How are beauty pageant winners like crack dealers?"

"The answer to that is they're both engaging in what's really a tournament," Dubner said. "You could call it the tournament of life. Where many professions have a post at the top that looks great, a lot of money, and power, but the route to get there is very difficult. Most people will not get anywhere near there, so they drop away."

A successful crack dealer at the top of his game may make a lot of money, but the ones below make minimum wage, Dubner said. Similarly, a beauty queen does all right, but the ones at the top do very well.

That's why so many crack dealers still live with their mothers, Dubner said.

Robin Harmon knows all about the tournament life. She once dealt crack on the streets of Hagerstown, Md., and she was also once Miss Maryland.

After the glory of her beauty pageant win wore off, Harmon turned to crack. She was caught selling it and served 11 months in jail. She now lives in a halfway house. She knows only a few leaders of the crack game who make money.

"A lot of times we look at life and just see the tip of the iceberg and assume that's the whole thing and it's not," Dubner said. "I don't mean to discourage people from entering tournament situations -- journalism is one, politics, sports -- but it pays to be realistic and not have unrealistic expectations because those can obviously be dashed."