Liam Galiano: Making a Living as a Full-Time Bassist in Lancaster, PA | Tone Tailors Podcast

He quit his actuary job, and now he's one of the busiest bass players in Central PA. On this episode of the Tone Tailors Podcast, we sit down with Liam Galiano: full-time session bassist, open mic host, and teacher, to talk about what it actually takes to make a living playing bass without ever leaving Lancaster.

Liam breaks down how he strings together income between hired-gun gigs, wedding bands (Bachelor Boys, Jordan Kahn Music Co.), his Stevie Nicks tribute band Nixon Time, teaching lessons, and BMI performance royalties most musicians don't even know they're leaving on the table. We also get into his two original projects: the instrumental solo work he releases as Liam Galiano, and All Groove, a rotating collaborative project where every song has a different lineup. Plus his (very firm) take on AI in music, and the on-stage malfunction that almost ruined a run opening for Blackberry Smoke.

In this episode:

• Why bass players are some of the most in-demand musicians locally
• How performance royalties (BMI) actually pay you
• Matching bass gear to the gig: wedding bass vs. tribute band vs. solo work
• The Lancaster, PA music scene right now
• Hosting open mics (find his full list below)
• Teaching guitar, bass & ukulele, and why guitar is the hardest to teach
• His philosophy on AI in music and songwriting

Chapters:0:00 Welcome Liam Galiano to the show0:56 From actuary to full-time bassist3:26 How performance royalties (BMI) actually work9:34 Matching bass gear to the gig16:31 Hosting open mics around Lancaster & Reading30:52 The pedal malfunction that almost ruined a Blackberry Smoke opening slot39:31 Inside his music: solo work & All Groove58:13 Where to find Liam & Tone Tailors shop info

Find Liam Galiano:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liamgaliano/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liamgalianoSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6CLKpwCurhzxSWCIsCRDZQYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@liamgalianoAll Groove: https://allgroovemusic.com/liam-galianoTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@liamgalianoUpcoming shows: https://www.instagram.com/p/Db4nUBCFnvD/?img_index=1

Find us:🎸 Shop guitars, gear & more: https://shop.tonetailors.com🛠️ Instrument repairs, upgrades & lessons available in-store📍 Lancaster, PA