My move to Nashville, by Dave Ristrim

Dave Ristrim · Post by **Dave Ristrim** » 1 May 2002 6:20 am

This is in answer to Bill Llewellyn and all else interested. I moved to Nashville from the South Bay Area of California in 1999. I had been flying back and forth for a couple of years while working with Cactus Choir, a band I joined in 1990 in California, who later moved to TN. After seeing the prices of houses in Tennessee, I convinced my wife that this is where we should be.
IMHO, the musicians here in Nashville are some of the friendliest and supportive people i've ever met. It seems that if you meet and work with one nice person, that person turns you on to another person and situation. Snowball effect. Don't get me wrong, my snowball isn't that big yet, but it is big enough to keep me happy.
I do consider myself lucky to make a living in this business. I was only here a few months when "The Sons of the Desert" hired me to go out on the road. Over two years later, i'm still with them and have also started working with the newly reformed McBride and the Ride. I do oddball pick-up gigs in dance halls, on the General Jackson showboat, Lower Broadway as well as demo sessions. I was also lucky enough to play on the new Sons Cd due out later this summer.
I also fly out to the Bay Area to do sessions once a year or so. Life is good! I don't intend that this post be a "brag" session, I just wanted to get the point across that someone can move here and survive. I haven't looked back yet.
Dave Ristrim

Bill Llewellyn · Post by **Bill Llewellyn** » 1 May 2002 8:18 am

Dave,

Great post. I think most of us, if we could really focus on music instead of a day job, would just love to be in your shoes.

Just so y'all know, Dave was my first pedal steel contact, ever. I'd gone to a local music store in '99 looking to see if I could buy or rent my first psg. They had none but the person behind the counter said, "You might want to talk to Dave, he's standing right over there." Dave gave me a lot of tips, turned me on to the Forum, and the rest is history (I'm still working on the history part). Thanks, Dave.

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Bill L | My steel page | Email | My music | Steeler birthdays | Over 50?

Gerald Menke · Post by **Gerald Menke** » 1 May 2002 8:28 am

Wow Dave, congratulations. You are an inspiration to us all. I think it is SO cool to hear of someone with the courage to do what he wants with his life; you have my utmost respect. I am curious how you weathered the transition period from playing for the "fun of it" to becoming a professional; that's the scary part for me here in NY where a closet-sized apartment is $1000 per month. Did you ever fear becoming a small fish in a big pond? That, among other things has kept me from heading to TN. [This message was edited by Gerald Menke on 01 May 2002 at 09:39 AM.]

Dave Ristrim · Post by **Dave Ristrim** » 1 May 2002 8:40 am

I don't think I ever "played for the fun of it" in the same way as you mean. Oh yes, I enjoy playing, for sure. But I started making money playing after owning a steel for only three months. So I never really had a transition period of playing at home and then trying to find a gig. The gigs found me. I still worked a day job until the mid eighties, but I guess you could say I was semi-pro from the start.
As far as becoming a small fish in a big pond, I knew I would become a minnow amongst whales in the big ocean. But, being from California, I always liked whales

Dave[This message was edited by Dave Ristrim on 01 May 2002 at 09:44 AM.]