Reno is no stranger to the arts, having hosted the Reno Jazz Festival for over fifty years, and being the popular rendezvous point for Burning man. Reno is home to the only nationally accredited art museum in Nevada. Reno’s musical history reaches back to the 60’s and 70’s, a time when young musician and singers flocked to casino ballrooms in Reno and Tahoe. Seeking a way to raise their families while furthering their musical careers, Reno’s low cost of living was the perfect fit. Unfortunately, Reno’s 24 hour lifestyle offered easy distractions to young artists and Reno fell off the map.

“There is no denying the subculture that music has,” said Tom Gordon, a sound engineer at Imirage and music professor at the University of Nevada, Reno.

So, where did the music go? Why isn’t Reno one of the big music hubs like Austin, Nashville, Chicago, Los Angeles or New York? Gordon said it’s still here, it never left, the families are either still here or their kids are. So why isn’t any of the talent being recognized? Gordon’s simple answer is that no artist in Reno has a large enough fan base. Most local artists’ fan base consists of close friends and maybe a few authentic fans. However, this isn’t enough to bring the attention back to Reno. There’s a few things that every musician, singer, producer, or engineer should understand in order to get their music into the heads of other people.

Time is money. Music nowadays is largely an individual process, advancements in technology have made it easier to record and mix music by yourself. With some education and practice, a single person can record quality music by themselves. However, a lot of young artists underestimate how much time making music should take. Music should be like a full-time job, especially if you’re working alone, this is the only way to make quality music worth hearing. The creative process is different for everyone and changes based on what you’re making. If you’re starting out, don’t underestimate how much time the creative process is going to take you. The amount of time you spend on a single song will be reflected in the final product. If you truly want to make music, you will make time for it.

“Don’t reinvent the wheel,” said Gordon, “Look for what no one is doing and go record that.”

Reno hasn’t found its way back to the music spotlight, because no unique sound has yet to be heard. The music community in Reno is divided amongst a few different genres. Hip-hop, jazz, punk rock, and metal are the biggest genres in Reno. Jazz continues to thrive off of UNR’s exceptional Jazz program. While hip-hop, punk, and metal struggle to find a voice or sound that stands out from the rest. Gordon suggests to not to completely change your sound or genre, but to see what others are doing and do differently. Now this may not always lead to the new sound that’s the next hit, but it can open up new creative processes and sounds that you weren’t aware of. A simple way to find new and different sounds is by working with other artists. Working with others will help to enlighten you on what your strengths and weaknesses are as an artist. Take what you learn from working with others, and decide how you will use it in your own creative process. If you don’t experiment with sounds, you’ll find yourself imitating other’s music. You’ll stand out the most if you make something no one has ever heard before.

Invest in your music or no one else will. Before you even think of touching a keyboard or uttering a single lyric, you should ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish by creating whatever you are creating. This can be applied to anything you do in life, if you’re doing something for the wrong reason the end result will not be what you foremost desired. If you ask yourself, Why am I recording this? And your answer brings about the face of money or financial success, you might as well forget about music. You will find yourself struggling to get people to listen to your music and share it with their friends. Before you begin any part of the creative process, find out what you are trying to accomplish with that particular piece of work. Do you have a message you wish to convey or a story you want to tell? If you don’t give meaning to your work, no one will care for it.

Lastly, finding the right balance of promoting your art without shoving it down peoples’ throats. Self promotion is key for young artists in order to get their names and music out into the world. Have a sense of your fan base and role in the music community. If you’re still starting out a song release does not deserve several tweets or pictures urging people to listen. Once you’ve grown a fan base you can expect to receive some feedback. Use this feedback in your creative process and critique yourself to serve your fans. It never hurts to respond to fans no matter what social level you are at. Remember that your fans are the reason for any success you’ve had or will have. If you disregard them then you will lose their support.