What is Your Music Future?

[Dr. Cheese]

I don't really see where I have a music future. I play for my church. That's pretty much it except for a fundraiser I play once a year. My main gig is in my den for relaxation, and I love it. I want to get better, but I also have no desire to feel pressure. Work and taking care of my family gives me plenty of that already.

This is no great revelation, but hitting fifty, and realizing that I have more days behind me than ahead of me has made me rethink my priorities. Specifically, it has really made me come to terms with the fact that GAS is a pretty pointless for me. I have young children for my age, and gear is just too expensive for me to be worrying about buying too much of it, since I have no realistic prospects of making the money back gigging.

Lessons, however, are fun, and I plan to start them again in the New Year.

[kreider204]

Good question.

In my youth, I had aspirations of making a living as a musician, and headed off to college as a music major (upright bass, classical and jazz). Unfortunately, I had to drop out thanks to a nasty case of tendinitis and carpel tunnel syndrome. I eventually got back into playing electric bass and did the bar band thing for a while, but got sick of it - I don't have the stomach to deal with all the B.S. that seems to go along with rock n roll bands.

This year, I decided to get back into upright. I bought one in March, and I'm slowly getting my chops back. I'm taking my time so as not to aggravate the ol' RSI issues. My future plan, once I've got my chops back up to minimally decent standards again (hopefully by next summer or so), is to play with my college's concert band (I'm faculty, so I'm thinking they'll find a place for me :-) and possibly find some other amateur jazz musicians to jam and maybe even play some small, laid-back gigs.

On electric, I mostly just enjoy playing at home with my CDs. Again, absolutely no desire to do the rock band thing anymore. I might jam with some folks once in a blue moon, but that's about it. Just for my own pleasure, I do continue to learn new songs and make slow but steady improvements on my chops, mostly via prog rock tunes (Lark's Tongues in Aspic, here I come!). Some day, I might want to branch out a bit and try a 5 or 6 string bass, and maybe get back into some slapping and tapping stuff (I was big into that for a while 20ish years ago).

That's about it. I'm quite happy treating music as a hobby - in fact, happier than when I was a "real" musician.

[Dr. Cheese]

Music is like any thing else, things have to fall in place through our own efforts and good fortune if we are going to do anything with it. More importantly, music is joy, and music can give us joy at any level.

[KJung]

Hey Anthony. This is a topic that takes up much of my thought lately. I am 53, and have been gigging steadily for almost 40 years (yes, my paying gigs started just after gradeschool, with my dad driving me to the gigs!).

After playing about 15 years full time, and the last 20+ as a 'semi-pro', I've about had it. The pop jazz club and restaurant gigs I loved to do are for the most part gone, and the pop/funk/dance freelance work I've been doing for the past 20 years or so has really changed... much more tracks involved, and the old Motown and 70's funk I loved to play is pretty much off the playlists.

So, I gave notice to the booking agency I worked for (two more gigs!), and will sit back and re-evaluate what I want to do.

Most likely, since I love the gear side of things so much, I will eventually associate myself with a manufacturer or something like that to keep playing and keep involved with the business.

Gigging.... I hope I can find something that is 'age appropriate' and of reasonably high musical musical quality. I'm not that optimistic.

As I've posted before, I feel very sorry for the talented young players who are in their 20's today. Very little work, and being a highly skilled bass/bass guitar side man or woman is IMO no longer a viable career as it was from the 40's through the 80's or so.

Luckily, my day gig (the consulting business I started 16 years ago) is going strong, so money is not an issue.

[DWBass]

Playing just about 40 years now. Did some fulltime touring and studio work in the early 80's. Took 10 years off to play sports. Got back into music in the mid 90's. Music is mostly a part-time thing for me these days. I play in a cover band that is new but I don't see it lasting for more than a couple years at the most. We are all late 40's to mid 50's in age. At some point, I want to concentrate on writing and recording my own music and I'll probably hit open mics and jam out every now and then until I lose total interest in playing. I'm also at the realization that I'll only ever get to play with poor to mediocre skilled musicians which is really a sad thing for me and it's had a huge effect on my playing and interest!

[KJung]

Originally Posted by DWBass

Music is mostly a part-time thing for me these days. I play in a cover band that is new but I don't see it lasting for more than a couple years at the most. We are all late 40's to mid 50's in age. At some point, I want to concentrate on writing and recording my own music and I'll probably hit open mics and jam out every now and then until I lose total interest in playing. I'm also at the realization that I'll only ever get to play with poor to mediocre skilled musicians which is really a sad thing for me and it's had a huge effect on my playing and interest!

Sounds like we are in the same boat. Your last point is key for me. I'd kill myself before I'd do that 'guys getting together playing classic rock badly in a bar' sort of thing (nothing wrong with that of course, but just can't do it). I've been very lucky to pretty much only play with full time professional players for my entire 'career' (more to do with my work ethic than my chops!).

There are very few IMO and IME 'part time players' who put in the time to keep their chops and skill at 'full time level'. I said if I ever had to play with a wedding band type thing, where part time low skilled players rehearse their 30 songs and play them gig after gig, I'd quit. Of course, I still play a ton of weddings, but not with 'wedding bands' per se.

It will be interesting to see what is out there for someone like me (i.e., a reasonably skilled 'side man' who doesn't write/compose, etc.).

[MalcolmAmos]

Music came late for me. I took lessons and started playing banjo after I retired at 65. Joined a Country band that played a lot of retirement and nursing homes plus anything else if asked. Pretty lay back - street dances, fairs, bar-b-que, etc. Switched over to rhythm guitar after only a year with the banjo.

A year ago Tom and I formed another band where we play a local nursing home every Thursday. I play bass in this one. I see a double bass in my future, no real reason beyond I want one. We are all in our mid 70's now and fill the music in the after-noon niche. Glad to say there is a need for this - we average 6 to 7 gigs a month.

Several of us would like to start playing pure acoustic at the town gazebo - as is done at Mountain View, Ark. The double bass would be used for that. Or that can be the reason I rationalize the NEED for it.

Music till I die.

[ual]

I know near nothing about music so I'm currently taking lessons with one guy and I plan on doing a course or something. I'd love to be able to do whatever I want on the bass guitar and I aspire to being a musician, even if it's not as a career. I am also teaching myself the drums and would like to learn the piano aswell.

[skidrawk]

I will continue music in whatever capacity my health, family, and schedule allows. When I needed a break from the stage I started a home studio project to capture my songwriting ideas. Two years ago I got the call to come out of retirement to play in a tribute band. Earlier this year as the result of a facebook joke my old metal band reunited. I will keep work on these two projects as long as everyone else is into it. I do this for fun and make a little pocket cha-ching in the process. I still have my project studio to fall back on if and when it is time to retire again. I am passing the music torch to my children. I will support them in any manner I can if they are interested.

[MNAirHead]

Cheese..

Wow.. what a timely topic.

----

I recently became a father (also at SR age). My wife wasn't expected to carry them to full term.

It's been an entirely new life learning how much more work and stupidity local/regional bands are - I've probably learned more about people in the last year than the prior decades.

I've been reevaluating stuff and trying to figure out how to do the next phase.
====

So whats next?

-I put together a trio of tenured and trained folks -- running it like a road act (plans, image, materials etc).... I'm positioning it with clothes and image that removes the geezer band opportunity.

Funny/sad/silly - we've been approached by a bunch of folks to be a backing band --- we may have hit a vibe and not know it.


-I'm scouting for youngsters who REALLY want to learn.... I have been blessed to work a young guy from being cumbersome holding a major scale together to having a paid BList cover band job.


-I've become fairly active in the church circuits. The music level has really grown since I backed out. It's been a blast.

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Summary --- my ambition is to pay for the daughter's college via the three above.

I won't give the parent's lie and say "changing diapers is the greatest job" when a well funded well ticketed tour calls on the phone -- I hear a back swell of Rollin Stone after I hang up.

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Opinion -
Cheese from what I know of you - I'm sure you'd make a great one on one coach to someone passionate about learning. It does leave a great legacy behind -- it's rewarding to watch your efforts out in gig land.

[Essen]

Im young, so have still have dreams
I'm not aiming for world fame, but I'd be really happy if I could make a living of music.
In order to make it happen, I'm currently attending one of the finest music colleges in my country, while my guitarist/singer is sitting at home writing songs. Every two weeks or so, he sends me recordings, each song sounds even better than the last. Wile I'm trying to be a realist, his songs are really giving me hope for the future.

Most importantly, I know I'll be willing to make sacrifices in order to make this happen. Part time job + band, spending a couple K's on recording studio, then tour, and repeat.

[lomo]

I'm 47 and started at 39 with no prior musical knowledge. It's all about fun for our cover band. We play charity benefits, parties and the odd bar gig or wedding. More than 6 or 8 gigs a year would be a drag for us, as we are all swamped with day jobs. After we played a local wedding at a ski lodge in July, the bartender entheusiastically asked for a card and told us he'd like to recommend us to people booking the lodge, but we decided that dealing with the occasional bridezilla and playing anything other than what we like would be a drag. No Macarena for me, LOL.

[zachoff]

dives, dives, and more dives for $50-$100 a night. Thankfully, music's not a career.

[dalkowski]

I'm 47 with 2 kids. After a long (9-10 year) hiatus from the instrument (played in some Boston indie rock bands), I started on lessons (for the first time in nearly 30 years) and simultaneously started up a jazz/blues/roots trio. We gig every other month and make almost nothing. But we have fun and get lots of love. It's a satisfying hobby.

At this point, I have two goals in music: Enjoyment and improvement

[Tampabass]

There's a future in live music?

[Disco Batman]

Currently I'm a bedroom rockstar. And honestly I have no problem with that. I gigged when I was younger, but spent 9 years in the military. That pretty much relegated me to the occasional jam, and bedroom playing.

It's a great stress relief for me. I plan on actually taking some lessons to see if they are worth while even though I've been playing for 15 years. I don't know a damn thing about theory. But I can learn songs through a combination of tab and by ear.

The itch is getting me to play out again, I just want a rock cover gig a few times a month. Haven't found anything worth while at this point, but if the right opportunity arrises I will jump on it.

[Gasman]

I too have a family and good day job, so I'm not (nor have I ever) looking for music to be a career for me. That said, I have a great band- guys that I have become friends with, all mature enough to give and receive constructive criticism, all with the same goals as me. Since we don't have aspirations to "make it", we feel we have tremendous freedom to write and play the music we want, not what will necessarily be popular. As it turns out, when we gig we are very well received, and we are now recording a demo ourselves (again, good day job!). Go figure!

[THand]

I'm 47, and I don't anymore know my music future than I do my breathing or eating future. It's just one of the things I do. My Dad liked to fish, I play bass. Cheese's statement, "My main gig is in my den for relaxation, and I love it" hits a thread of truth with me. Where as he calls it "relaxation", I call it "therapy". Playing helps me sorts through the things life throws my way and is one of my necessary coping skills. It doesnt matter to me if I gig or not. Honestly, alot of times I would prefer not to gig, just because of egos...and if it is going to involve late nights, I'd simply rather be home with my wife and kids.

But it does matter if I get to play or not. Sort of like a runner wanting to run everyday, if I miss a day everything feels out of wack. Sometimes it expands my mind through learning and discovering things others have done, sometimes it is a method of venting anger, or sorrow, sometimes it may be mindless muscle memory, and sometimes it is like Communion with God.

[jp58]

I'm in my 20's and I play almost exclusively for fun, whether it be a jam session, playing with cd's, or with friends.

I'm pretty deep in college right now and that's providing me with plenty of stress. No need to go out and join tons of bands and get burned out on what is my zen place.

[Skitch it!]

I'm 42 (today actually) and as long as I still get the buzz for playing and learning that I got 26 years ago when I picked it up, then I'll be happy.

It's been my living since the age of 25 and lifestyle since the age of 17, the tragicomic ride will continue I suspect, together with self improvement of some sorts (hopefully)