Travelling / Living Abroad

[Banjoman]

Are there any composers here who travel a lot, or perhaps live abroad? If so, where? I’m interested in taking some trips abroad and possibly moving out somewhere for a time, since I can do my music anywhere and would like to take advantage of this. It would be great to hear other people’s experiences.

 

[adam]

I have alsowondered the same. I wonder with the cheaper living costs of somewhere like Thailand if anyone’s living the dream. I’m telling you, it’s raining heavily in the uk and it’s prob not going to stop for 6 mths, finding it really depressing. I met up with a friend and she has come back from 18mths of travelling , she had such great stories fromThailand and Vietnam and south America. Very inspiring. Lives passing me by and all I do is make music and I really am feeling a massive lack of purpose. V little meaning to endless days of being indoors in a music studio, the thought of somewhere beautiful and sunny really may be possible. Is anyone doing it ? My drawback would be 1. Making noise 2. Taking an ok pair of monitors. Which leaves me to think I would just have to do it on a pair of headphones. Possible but it’s gonna go downhill. But def ok for 1 or 2 months. Very down about uk weather here. Where are you thinking banjo man ? Let’s start a commune !:-)

[Banjoman]

Hey Adam,

I’m also in the UK, and feel just like you. Depressed with the weather. Depressed with the endless solitary confinement (i.e. making music.)

I did spend a while in Mexico and that was really great, but it was made a million times easier by already knowing people there and having a lot of help getting set up with an apartment etc.

I’m now thinking about Chile, as I keep hearing such good things about it, e.g. lack of corruption, beautiful place, stable economy. I might try and go away during the UK winter, at least till Christmas. In the long run, I’m seriously considering moving abroad permanently, as the nature of our work would easily allow it.

Where are you thinking?

[woodsdenis]

UK Wet!!! Try living in Ireland LOL. I know someone who lives in Chile and loves it. Far away from us though.

[adam]

What were you doing in Mexico ? Did you do this kind of work there ? Or just holidays ?

I have been fed up with this rain for ages, I feel like I could at least go away for two months and just have some happy time.  After chatting with my friend I’m thinking Thailand as I’ve never lived in a far off place and it’s pretty westernised in a way.

I know the reality is I wouldn’t get much work done, imagine waking up and thinking oh I will go visit the elephant sanctuary or oh I will go see Mai-Linn the Thai girl who want to get married to me after one cup of coffee or oh I will sit in the sun and watch amazing waves. Or … I will stay in on this sunny say and do really boring editing on a crappy track for 8 hrs today. I fear I would nothing.

But recon for two months I could get work done just a little. Have been feeling down with the solitary life of the music stuff.

[Mark]

I’m originally from California and have been living in Barcelona Spain for the last 6 years and in New Zealand for 6.5 years before that. I like the climate in Spain which isn’t much different than Los Angeles but we can afford a place right on the beach at a tiny fraction of the cost that it would be to do the same in LA.

Moving around on a tourist visa (3 to 6 months) is one way to go but if you actually want to move abroad you need to look into residency visas which are usually complex and come with many requirements depending on the country. But as a composer that does not need a work visa you could always do the expat thing where you leave the country for two weeks every 3 to 6 months and then return on a new tourist visa.

I’d like to try living in India for up to 6 months sometime in the future.

[Banjoman]

I was working there in an unrelated field.

I think I could get music work done if I went away… I guess I’ll find out!

woodsdenis – how did your contact decide on Chile? How long have they been there?

[woodsdenis]

“woodsdenis – how did your contact decide on Chile? How long have they been there?”

True love brought him there, he has been there 4 years.

@Mark. Barcelona is a fantastic city, I love it.

[adam]

I’m just gonna have to ‘use’ the rain for its work ethic – man I look outta window and see its raining and think god I may as well carry on – when it was sunny for about a month I did nothing at all – I sat in the sun every day and got dizzy – Im not rich or succesful enough to make a leap to live the dream – but maybe one day – recon I could manage a couple months long holiday at mo tho and take a laptop and pretend I was doing the odd thing

[adam]

It is however sunny today and it does put you in a great mood – well sunny’ish – at least sky is blue – autumn is nice – a nice cold when theres a bright sky. I have to say as much as I hate the rain it really does make you work a lot – I do know a lot of people who get down during the rain – esp if you were say in an office and came out at 5pm and its dark – at least I guess we get to exercise creativity – gym is needed all through bad weather – really find it helps.

 

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