Richard Ogle-Violinist

Author

Rachel French

What is their occupation? 
-Full time student at Ivy Tech and a violinist in a country band mainly on the weekends.
How did they get started? 
-My mother played the violin and I played it all through school and continued after I graduated.
What services do they offer? 
-We typically do shows on the weekend wherever we can get a spot. 
What are your clients looking for? 
-Our clients are looking for upbeat music and to have good music to dance to. 
What do you like about the business? 
-Hmm... Well what I like quite a bit is that, at least in Indiana, the music scene is a relatively close knit group who are all for each other. I've sat in with bands, and members from those bands have set in with my bands, and networking is great in that there isn't this idea of cutthroat competition. We all want to see each other do well, and we all want to help each other out.
What do you find most challenging? 
-The pay is not enough to be a full time musician so thats a downside but it's mostly about providing that upbeat atmosphere. 
What is the biggest change you've seen in the business in the past 5 years? 
-The desire for certain music changes over time and it's interesting to see the music needs of different people as time goes on. 
What are your plans next year? 
-I will still be in school and still finding venues to perform in. Basically I plan on doing what I am doing right now. 
What opportunities do you see in Indiana? 
-In Indiana, although there is a chance to "make it", going in with that mindset can be a problem. If you go in with the mindset that you will get to play the music that you love in a lot of really cool venues, there are a ton of opportunities. There are so many startup labels and studios, venues and bars are popping up all the time, and if you really love playing and put in the time, you will get to spend a lot do time playing music for a lot of people who appreciate you.
Do you have any advice to people considering going into this business?
-Be realistic with your expectations, but you have to have fun doing what you're doing. If you're in it for money or anything such as that, people will see through the BS, and you just aren't going to be fully in it yourself.