''Progressive All The Way''

I've been toying with the idea of getting involved in music, and I've finally decided to take the plunge. What's the best way to get started in computer music production - specifically in NYC?

What's the best way for me to get the ball rolling in creating my own music? I have some musical background: I can read sheet music, I've taken a class in musical theory but have since forgotten most/all of it, and I used to play (classical) piano a ways back. Currently, I've been playing around in Reason 4 with a small M-Audio midi control, but so far I've been limited to a few simple melodies over a drum beat and I'd like to take this much further.

Specifically I'm interested in some of the more downtempo electronic music - some of my favorite artists are Bonobo, Thievery Corporation, Mr. Scruff, DJ Shadow, Manitoba/Caribou, Four Tet and Quantic. Much of my favorite music is a merging of jazz/funk and electronic beats, and this would be the style I'd be interested in pursuing.

From browsing around previous questions on the topic, it seems that reading a book on music theory is a good way to get started on my own. Are there any definitive books on the topic?

In addition to doing this on my own, I'm interested in taking some lessons. I'm not specifically looking to be limited to Reason, but I have a feeling that a lot of programs out there are fairly complicated, and since I'm really interested in composing full songs on my own, I feel like having a teacher will help me out greatly in learning the nuances of the program as well as things like song structure, and will provide some good motivation to keep me on track. I've looked around Craigslist for the past couple of weeks and haven't really found anyone who seems to be offering what I'm looking for. Are there any better resources for finding a teacher on this topic? I live in Manhattan so local suggestions would be great, but if there are any resources online, helpful books, or anything else, I'd love to know about it. Also, I've found Reason great, but are there any better pieces of software I should be looking at for what I'm trying to do? Would I be better off with a full size keyboard/midi control rather than my small 25 key-er? This has been a longtime dream for me, so I'd love and appreciate any other advice or suggestions.

Go to music events where they play the music you enjoy. Don't go to the big event in the expensive 3000 person venues. Go to the small bar and coffee shop events. 20-30 people in the audience is ideal. Chat up the other people that attend, and find the ones that also produce music. At smaller events, you can even chat up the performers themselves. Find some cool people to hang out with, and eventually they will help you get going.