What are some good jazz, R&B and soul songs to play?

28 years old musician/songwriter, should I go overseas (international) to pursue my utmost music dreams?

• Long story short, I have somewhat regretted a lot of my youthful times by following parents' wants & expectations. I feel very tired with staying in my 7-years day job in a factory, and feel that I've wasted so much of my potentials, by doing what my parents expect/told me to do. Now I certainly am not a bragging type of person,.but truth be told, many (if not all) people have told me that I have a "rare, unique" music talents. I can play piano (classical & jazz), keyboard, guitar, bass guitar, I also love to write songs & compose many different genres of music, including orchestral/symphony pieces for movies or video games type. My ongoing problem/dilemma is that for my type of music, unfortunately, I don't think it would be popular or appreciated by mainstream people in my home country here (I'm in Indonesia). My music style does involve an electronic and also orchestra/symphonic & jazz tunes combined altogether. And I've always felt (also after listening to some friends' stories) that I might have a BETTER chances at overseas countries, than in my home country, because my music would fit a LARGER market/audience there & got more appreciations than here. However, what I'm always afraid and in constant questions is 2 things: 1. is it too LATE already, let's say, if I just "burn the bridges" and boldly go to overseas country and basically "start from zero", but with a probability of a better chances? 2. HOW or from WHERE should I start? should I BEST start by going back to Music school, and make a network/connections there? or it's not that necessary? also I'm afraid the problems is Money...and plus, I have to be ready if my parents totally reject my idea and view it as 'crazy, unrealistic' , and hence use my OWN money..! Or should I just go the 'thick-skinned' way of finding out & knocking out every producer or label's door on that overseas country, showing my music demos, in a HOPE for someone to really take notice for my talents and give me a chance/opportunity?? (I know one Indonesian artist/singer Anggun C. Sasmi who're actually succeed now because she used THIS kind of 'thick-skinned' way, and now she's quite popular internationally, and her talents got truly appreciated instead of going to major waste!) OR, should I really, really take the commonly-suggested more 'conventional, safer' way of : try making a head start at my own home country (regardless of whether mainstream people would appreciate my music or not), while keep doing my music compositions/songwritings, and when there's a CHANCE, *then* I go to that overseas country? But the problem is I'm afraid that I'll just WASTE even more times here in a country which I (& some of my music teachers & experts' opinions & suggestion to me) certainly KNOW that the market for my music is just very very terribly small,...whereas I KNOW that my music style could better be much more appreciated overseas/internationally! (oh, and I also always write/compose in English language, for my every song). I basically just need a really really sound, workable, practical advices & insights on what should I do at this time, and better be quick,..because I'm NOT that young anymore, and I certainly don't want to end up in my 30's getting into a soul-crushing office/business type of jobs 'forced down' my throat by my 'practical, very pragmatic-minded' parents (they even already put soo much pressures nowadays for me "get real" and have "real job", get married, have kids, house, all those kind of 'normal life' things, while I still don't want that!). I don't want my dreams to get crushed & forever buried, and I'll end up crying & resenting my life, like what I've read so many people on their 40s, 50s on the internet forums! I want to be the BEST, fullest of me, and share my insights to the world thru my music talents & passion! please help!!

• Answer:

  That MUST be about the longest question I have ever seen on here and I'm not going to answer it in kind. All I can do is tell you my own experiences. I went to Continental Europe when I was 17. I had a one month Youthrail pass, my passport, my guitar, my ability to play piano and $1000 USD in my pocket. I discovered BUSKING and made a good living at it.. playing guitar on street corners or in subway stations during the day and playing piano in bars at night for the tips. My original plan was to stay one MONTH and it lasted 3 YEARS and the only reason I quit was my parents were threatening to disown me if I didn't come home and go to college. For young singers and songwriters and musicians, who are willing to depend on their own resources and abilities and don't mind sleeping on other people's couches or taking the occasional handout.. then EUROPE is the place to go. Look at it this way.. if worse comes to worse, you can take your experiences and go back to your jerkwater job.. IT'S BETTER TO BE A HAS BEN THAN A NEVER WAS.