Hey there,
Very much appreciate the insights you're offering up here.
Wondering, in the session world you inhabit, how "age-ist" is it? I ask as a pro musician whose career has gone down the composer/producer path, but at the end of the day, would be really happy doing many many more bass sessions (I do them occasionally--sometimes major label demos, but no major label albums yet FWIW). The thing is, I'm no spring chicken--mid-40's, but very current with genres, vibes, etc.(as a TV composer I have to be). My gear and chops are up to the task IMHO. Can a geezer break in? It's about playing bass for me, and not at all about the dough. I sidelined the bass aspect for a while, and have been successful as a composer, but damn, I'm a bassist through and through!

Hey there,
Very much appreciate the insights you're offering up here.
Wondering, in the session world you inhabit, how "age-ist" is it? I ask as a pro musician whose career has gone down the composer/producer path, but at the end of the day, would be really happy doing many many more bass sessions (I do them occasionally--sometimes major label demos, but no major label albums yet FWIW). The thing is, I'm no spring chicken--mid-40's, but very current with genres, vibes, etc.(as a TV composer I have to be). My gear and chops are up to the task IMHO. Can a geezer break in? It's about playing bass for me, and not at all about the dough. I sidelined the bass aspect for a while, and have been successful as a composer, but damn, I'm a bassist through and through!

Anyone can break in. I have noticed some "ageist" tendencies, in the hipper recording spheres. Sometimes it's all about getting the new, hippest young dude from such and such band, rather than a tried-and-true experienced session player, but I think that's smart, because records are not widgets (I hope), and it's important to have a lot of "life" to the sound, and not have something played too "comfortably". BUt this is more in the realm of alternative rock. Other records benefit greatly by guys with mountains of experience (Dixie Chicks is one, off the top of my head).

But let's say you are older (mid '40's isn't that old, by the way, I'm talking more about '50's) and you want to break in. Well, you're probably not going to break in playing on a Beck record or an Air record or an LCD Soundsystem record. So you find YOUR market, what you are good at, and you promote like hell to everyone in that area that you think you can specialize in. Even to the extent of doing work gratis or extremely cheap to start.

Does that answer to some degree?


JMJ

Indeed! Very helpful--thanks!

An here I am thinking I was too old to have a meaningful career at 26. Great info Justin! Very inspiring. ;)

As an old(er) guy who's a career musician (46), I think I can speak with some knowledge. If you're not trying to be a rock star, it's very possible to be older and make a living in music, and maybe even snag a high profile gig if you're talented and lucky. You might want to adjust your expectations, though. If you're pushing 40, you probably won't get a gig with Justin Timberlake unless you look 20, but you might get a gig with Bowzer ;) A very few lucky folks get hooked up with a big happening band when they're over 40, but they're few and far between. So I think the older you get, the more you might want to adjust your expectations and search out gigs where age doesn't matter as much.

I'll also offer this advice: diversify. Don't just concentrate on playing bass. Learn other facets and look for other opportunities associated with playing music. Learn how to operate recording equipment. Buy a PA and lights and rent it out on your off nights. Teach. Learn how to write charts and arrange for horns and strings. Play in several bands. Double on another instrument or two. Learn how to play music you don't know or necessarily like but gets you good paying gigs. Some people are lucky enough to where they can just play bass on only music they love, but even those who are that lucky often learn other things just so they're not stuck depending on one thing.

This is all stuff I was told when I was a kid and I just wanted to play bass and write songs and rock out. Then I got older and realized that all the people that diversified were the ones that made money. It's taken me a few years to catch up to them, and I still have quite a ways to go to catch some of the ones who planned it all out when they were kids and had plenty of time not raising kids, but I'm getting there. At least I landed a halfway high profile gig that might lead to steady work in Branson in a few years ;)