I live in LA and I'm also a musician.

1. Yes. LA is one of the best places in the country to pursue an arts career. There's a huge amount of musicians, venues, and there's a few music institutions here like the prestigious Colburn School of Music.

2. Compton is still dangerous, but not as bad as it used to be in the 90s. Popular culture has made it seem like a fucking warzone 24/7, but the area is actually not that bad. It depends where in Compton your friend lives. There's still gang violence, but it's all about being cautious, aware, and not being naive.

>>17332996
Ok, thank you.

As a jazz bassist (attending either USC or Cal State Northridge) is it possible to make a legitimate living from it?

Everybody uses the LA Times crime map:

http://maps.latimes.com/crime

>>17333005
I wish I could tell you, but I have very minimal experience in the jazz world, and no experience at university. The advice I can give is work as hard you fucking can, and network as much as you can. Don't take the film "Whiplash" as an example and just lock yourself away and practice for 12 hours a day. Of course you're going to want to perfect your technique and whatnot, but playing, listening, jamming, and exploring theory with other musicians and friends is an essential part of the experience. That's as much advice as I can give from my experience, since we're the same age.

>>17333034
Thank you for the advice. I currently practice about 3-4 hours per day, but I do realize that actually playing with a group is the best way to improve.

What genre of music do you specialize in, and what instrument do you play?

>>17332977
we gon light you up cracka