Baton Rouge is not known for its music scene the way Austin, Texas, or Nashville, Tenn., are, but several local musicians are doing their best to change that and give emerging musicians a chance.David Borne, LSU alum and local musician, hosts open-mic night every Monday from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Roux House downtown. It is a laid-back environment, with no sign-up and sets that last 30-40 minutes.For many aspiring musicians, open-mic nights like the one at the Roux House offer the time and place to practice.”It’s cool to watch people get so much better,” Borne said. “A lot of people who started here have their own gigs now.”One such musician is singer and songwriter Daniel Patterson.Patterson said he has been writing songs for five years, but was reluctant to perform in front of strangers.”I was nervous as all hell the first time I played at the Roux House,” Patterson said. “But as I got more experience, I got a lot more comfortable. I just had to take that first step.”Since his first performance, Patterson has gotten paid gigs through networking with the hosts and regulars at the various open-mic nights around town. He also won an open-mic contest at the Roux House, giving him the opportunity to open for the band Soul Haven.”I like open mic because it’s typically a pretty casual attitude,” Patterson said. “The crowd is a little more forgiving, and everyone is just there to have a good time.”Patterson liked performing open-mic night so much he decided to start his own open mic at BrewHaha coffee shop on Jefferson Highway on Sunday evenings.”I’d say it’s the best open mic for performers in Baton Rouge,” Patterson said. “The mood is very low key, the audience is attentive and enjoys the music and you don’t have to worry about 10 drunken requests for the same song.”Patterson said he thinks Baton Rouge as a music scene has taken off in the last few years, but still has a way to go to catch up with Austin,  Athens, Ga., or Nashville.”It seems as if original music has found a foothold recently and continues to expand, and I think we need to do everything we can to keep that going,” Patterson said. “There’s no reason we can’t be the next Athens or Austin. We’ve got 30,000 college kids here along with the rest of the general population and New Orleans right down the road. We’ve got to be able to make something happen.”Borne said he has had a good amount of success playing in Baton Rouge and has been able to work only as a musician since graduating in 2006.”It’s a cool town. You could actually make more money playing music in Baton Rouge than in a big music town like Austin and Nashville,” Borne said. “There’s always someone playing acoustic guitar somewhere.”Another option for acoustic performers is French Quarter Daiquiris. Benjamin Moore has been hosting the Thursday open-mic night off and on for five years. There are typically five or six performers who play a mixture of covers and original music.”It’s a smaller open-mic night, so it’s where a lot of guys start,” Moore said. “Performers get a chance to get up there and perform for people without the pressures of a three hour gig.”Moore said once performers play a few open-mics, they are usually ready to start looking for their own gigs.”You’ve got to just get out there and do it and not be afraid of what everyone thinks,” Moore said. “Once you get up there and do it, it will feel good.”But not all performers do well their first time.”There are definitely people who come in and you cut them short,” Moore said.Borne said when performers are struggling on stage, he uses his skills as a host to politely let them know they only have time for one more song. “I just smile and clap and hope nobody leaves,” Borne said. “Most people that are bad the first time get a lot better when they come back.”