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Did I ruin my life?

#61
im 17 as well, cant say ive never thought about leaving my current life for the fantabulous world of music lol, im sick of the high school routine (even tho being a senior isnt so bad ;D), its still my dream to make my way to LA one day and play bass, but i could never ever bring myself to do it without finishing high school first. i mean, school in of itself is kinda useless, the diplomas the thing you need to get ahead, so believe me im right there with you man.
to be honest tho, youre pretty good, a lot better than me, so stick in there, maybe well see each other down the road.
 
#62
I dropped out of high school at 15. Got my GED at 20. I play for a semi successful pop artist, touring about 6 months a year. I also play about 4-6 sessions a month. I consider myself lucky, and it helps that I know the right people, but I am living proof that despite what anyone tells you, you can make a living in music. My friend, Jerry, is a top session and touring drummer. He dropped out of Jr. High. My advice to you is, move to a bigger city. You will have the best chance at a real career in music in cities like LA, Nashville, and NYC. Play with lots of bands. Meet lots of people. Check out the musicians, and talent gigs sections on craigslist. There are tons of opportunities. Remember, things don't just happen to you, you have to make them happen. Good Luck!
 
#63
azfryguy said:
long story short here are the facts

-dropped out of highschool

-thought for sure I was gonna be a hot shot music star by now

-Im 17

-the only things I have any skill on is bass, Im not athletic or smart

With each passing day I become more and more depressed. I thought a couple years ago, I would for sure be endorsed and playing in a studio or teaching, something in music . I honstley feel as if I will never become anything in music. I had my hopes up so high. Now, I just dont know. Music is the one thing I have to make a carrier out of. I will always play but, someday, I might have to play bass in my cardboard box of a house. What can I do in music that will support me? I really want to become a studio/session musician. I do not even know were to start, I was thinking of trying to get endorsed with Ibanez and going to namm trying to get noticed or something. Can you please help me? I am having serious angxiety about this. If you wanna hear me play I'll post links to my myspace and youtube.

Thank you
Garret Fry,
Click to expand...

No. You didn't ruin your life. You've just put it on hold. Now, you need to take it off hold. Complete school. Do whatever you need to do to continue your education. Get gigs on the side, whatever. Finish your education.

At.
All.
Costs.

Don't make the same mistakes I did and put your education on hold while you chase dreams. There's nothing wrong with chasing dreams, you just have to make sure there's a contingency in place - to paraphrase Robert Burns, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

Otherwise, you'll be older, wiser, and feeling the crunch from more educated young 'uns who can't tell **** from shinola, but have a piece of paper that says they can.

I just saw this on another forum I subscribe to and it is so simplistic, so friggin true, it hurts.

"Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world doesn't care about your self-esteem.
The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault , so don't whine about your mistakes,
learn from them.

Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time..

Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one."

No, you didn't ruin your life. Yet...your move. Make it a good one.
 
#64
hey

just wanted to say i watched your youtube vids. you sound really good!

try to step back and realize that not making a living playing music is not the end of the world. all of us are human beings first, and musicians second. if you get an education, a job, and whatever else, music will be something you will always have to enrich your life.

in terms of some musical advice, just start out by going to a jam session, finding a band to play with on craigslist or something, and learning your favorite albums by ear.

if you end up being a famous musician, that's great, but if you don't, you will be fine.
 
#65
My man,

First off take your hands off the panic button!

Life is a journey and you have barely started.

I have been blessed to support my family with music for over 10 years and I thank God every day for the opportunity. "Making it" has many faces and most of the people who make a living in the industry do not have record deals, videos or public fame.

Most of us do a combination of touring/live gigs, studio work/demo's and writing. It's more about balancing a bunch
of income avenues than "making it". I have done fine and continue to thrive even in this tough economy.

That being said GET YOUR G.E.D. or HS Diploma pronto. This is a must! No question about it. Put this in motion tomorrow and "get er done".

Then decide do I want to be a musician or do I HAVE to be a musician. Is making music more important than making money and having stuff right now? Only you know in your heart if this is a must do thing for you. If it is go for it now while your young.

It's not gonna happen in Queen Creek, AZ... You need to head to a city with a scene and the best players/teachers you can find. If studio work is what you want get a lot of styles under your belt. Get in a good music school and learn the skills that will make you employable. A couple years of hard study there should make you ready for the real world.

You need to know real world bass styles that people will pay you for.... Tapping, slapping and flash playing are a blast but not many make a living doing that stuff.

Play for free, play every chance you get... PLAY! Play with the best players you can find... PLAY.

Get hip to image too... Sadly it's a huge component to most live work and even some studio situations. Get in shape and dress the part. Sadly IT MATTERS almost more than the playing in many situations.

Last set a time frame for getting started on all of this.

Youth is on your side man... Get the GED, get a solid music education and then get out there and give it 110% in real music city for few years.

Then if things are not happening or your are not feeling the music pull as much... Head back to college or trade school in your mid twenties...

Back up plans are great; but I seldom meet working pro's who ever had one. I think human nature is to follow the path of least resistance and if you give yourself one (ie back up plan) you will put your focus and energy there.

Music is a tough road and it get's harder the older you are as responsibilities and distractions increase. Go for it now; but get the skills you need to really make a run.

You can do this... But do it for the music not free gear, houses and cash. Put your passion and love into the music, work 110% everyday and you can make a career of it.

I think it was Steve Swallow who said something like...
"Music is an awful career choice if you want to do it; but the best job in the word if you have to."

I am living proof this is truth.

God bless and keep your chin up.

PS Your tracks on Myspace sound great. Keep it up.
 
#66
First of all calm down and don't be depressed. You're only 17 and trust me you have so much time to do things.

When i was your age i decided i would kill myself if i wasn't making a living playing music by the time i was 20. Then i turned 20 and well....when you get there you will understand haha. I'm 22 now and like you i didn't graduate or anything. I've been obsessed with music all my life and its all i want to do. Nobody has ever been able to convince me to have a backup plan because i don't want to settle for anything less than what i want. I'm not saying you shouldn't go to school though. If i didn't have to work full time right now i would go back and atleast finish highschool.

If you really want to pursue a career in music you have to spend time networking and making friends with the right people. Its not about being a musical genious. When people say its about who you know they are not joking! Get yourself out there and try and get involved with everything you can musically. Not only can it lead to great things, it will also make you feel better about life and keep you from feeling like you're in a hole and depressed. I've been there so i can speak from experience. Don't fall into the trap of depression! The older you get the more life makes sense, or does it? haha sometimes i don't even know.

Chin up!
 
#67
16notes said:
It's more about balancing a bunch
of income avenues than "making it". I have done fine and continue to thrive even in this tough economy.
Click to expand...

This is KEY these days, more than ever. It may seem that it's harder than ever to make good money as a musician these days, and that is true, if you're "just" a player. But there are more music and art-related ways than ever out there to make money. The key is technology. Whatever you do, keep yourself up-to-date as much as you can with current and emerging technology, whether that means studio/DAW stuff, computer programming, all manner of multimedia--whatever. Keep your horizons broad, stay on the tech edge . . . . and go back to school:)
 
#68
Hi,

You have certainly not ruined your life but you seem to have quite a bit of ''magical thinking'' going on.

Making a career in music is not going to be easy, in fact it is going to be quite harder than any career you could choose in regular school and the thing is that despite all the efforts you could put towards it you might not even make it...

You certaily won't go anywhere by staying in your parents basement and recording videos of you on youtube.

You won't get endorsed by any instrument company if you are not in a working succesfull band. The goal of endorsing is the marketing brands get when bands use their stuff, a guy in a basement cannot really do anything to help them towards that, if it was the case then everyone would be endorsed by a brand... that would defeat the purpose of it all.

You'll need to go out, network start or join bands and get yourself noticed in the ''scene''. You won't get known by joining the hundreds of wankers at Namm or in guitar centers.

Please go back to school, you are doing everything in reverse, you don't drop out of school hoping to get famous in the music buisness. You work your ass off, in school and in music, you seek opportunities, you create them and the day you'll have an offer from a successfull band or even the day your own band gets succesfull that's when you'll need to think about the big sacrifice wheter it be school or work.

Just don't drop out of school and wait for something to happen to you or someone to discover your awesome talent. Life is competitive, the world is full of talents, if you want to surpass them you'll have to work harder than all of them...

GO TO SCHOOL!!!!

It won't hinder you in playing in bands ir gigging.

Playing out takes money, recording albums takes money, buying gear/tour vans takes money.

School will lead you to a job where you'll make good money and guess what? if your musical carreer plans don't work you'll still have the job.

It is never too late to go back to school, a life is never ruined, you just need to work your ass off to keep afloat in all of this!
 
#71
man you guys rock I should have probably mentioned that I was in a band played like 7 or something shows not really big averaging around 100 ppl. If I have you correct I should do this

1 Get my GED (which I am already half way there)

2 Get an education in music (I think ASU would be good. Exactly though, What should I major in, I was think composition)

3 Keep my chin up! (you guys have helped with that!)

4 Just enjoy myself and keep playing (can do!)
 
#72
Yes. You have a good plan there, azfryguy. Keep it simple, get your GED, move forward, don't worry. Stay focused on your goals, and everything will end up just fine.

Best,
JMJ
 
#73
Pilgrim said:
You need options. My advice is to get a job so that you have some stability - keep working at music - and finish your GED. Everyone needs options and a plan B....and you don't appear to have one.

If you don't end up with a huge music contract- and the odds are that you won't - you will need a job and a way to support yourself. Now is the time to return to that path.
Click to expand...

+1 You need to at least finish High school, either GED or Diploma.
 
#74
azfryguy said:
long story short here are the facts

-dropped out of highschool

-thought for sure I was gonna be a hot shot music star by now

-Im 17

-the only things I have any skill on is bass, Im not athletic or smart

Thank you
Garret Fry,
Click to expand...

If you are still single and childless at 17, then the answer is NO, you have not ruined your life. You can get some edjumacation and get smart.

BTW, everyone is a dumb ass at 17. It's one of the beautiful things about being 17. That's why young people are so good looking. It makes up for their stupidity. Relax, you'll get older, marry someone who will make you miserable, have kids that will trap you and then despise you, and then you will have ruined your life. Don't worry, it's still coming, just not yet.

Keep on truckin baby!
 
#75
corinpills said:
You asked for advice so try not to resent me for giving it to you straight. At 17, it is really easy to get wrapped up in what's going on right now and hard to grasp the bigger picture, long term. Life is really long, all sorts of adventures are on your horizon.

First of all, your initial post shows that you have not yet learned the fundamentals of English grammar. If you intend to represent yourself in furthering your music, be it endorsements or getting a day job to survive while working on your music, you should go back to school and learn to do it properly. A lot of people simply cannot write a grammatically correct letter. You can put yourself one step ahead of all those people by doing so.

Secondly, if you want to do something serious with your music, you have to go to where it's happening. If you hook up with the very top regional band in your area, you have a chance of taking things to the next level from AZ. Those are pretty slim odds.

Best of luck to you. Keep the big picture in mind; it's not all about getting some company to give you a discounted bass. It's not about 3 songs on your Myspace page. It's about a lifetime immersed in music. You'll need to write hundreds and hundreds of songs and put in thousands of hours of playing time- on stage in front of paying customers. Do not get despondent, you are just at the beginning of an epic journey.
Click to expand...

+1 on all, especially the grammar part. I cannot stress enough how much learning to write properly has helped me in ALL areas of my life. I suggest a remedial grammar/writing class in addition to your high school studies.

Also, I would like to applaud the fact that you reached out for help. There are people I know who are four times your age and are still too stubborn/prideful/scared to ask for help when they need it. Your inclination to ask will serve you well in the future.

Life is difficult. The wisest people I have encountered accept each moment for what it is and then give their all in whatever way they can.

Best of luck to you!!!

p.s. I'm really inspired by the outpouring of support from people here. Just goes to show that you are in great company--bass players are the coolest people on earth!!! :-)
 
#76
16notes said:
My man,

First off take your hands off the panic button!

Life is a journey and you have barely started.

[Long post filled with incredibly sound advice and pearls of wisdom]
PS Your tracks on Myspace sound great. Keep it up.
Click to expand...

Didn't want to quote the whole thing because it was so long, but I have to say that this was one of the best posts I've ever seen on Talkbass, especially on a topic like this.

I had quite a few things to say and 16notes covered pretty much all of them.

The bottom line is that you need to decide whether you REALLY want to try to make a living playng music.

If you do, make a plan to move (to L.A. most likely) find a job that will let you pay your bills and start playing. Play with anybody and everybody. Expand your horizons. Treat studio time like gold and soak up every bit of knowledge you can. Learn skills that can get you into a related job (soundman, any position in a decent studio, etc) that will get you in touch with even more people to network with.

You absolutely CAN make a living playing music if you want to. The question is if you are willing to make the necessary sacrafices and put in the work. You might be one of the lucky few who catch on with a band that "makes it" but more than likely you'll be one of the many more who make their living playing anything and everything they can and slowly building a reputation. And that may mean many years of struggling to get to a point where music does support you. And even then you may not be making a whole lot of money.

I am a HUGE proponent for education, but if this is really what you want to do I don't agree with those talking about backup plans. Of course I think you should get a GED, but the idea of working towards a college degree and a backup path will only get in the way of making a living as a musician. You have to be absolutely commited.

But here's the biggest takeaway of all. You are 17. You could spend the next 10 years of your life struggling to make it as a musician and still only be 27 with plenty of time to decide to go to college and get a degree and go in a completely different direction.

And on the other hand, if you aren't prepared to sacrifice everything for the goal of music as a career then by all means go to a JC now and start working towards a degree and a career while keeping music as a huge part of your life. It's what the vast majority of guys on this site are doing.

Ultimately, you have to decide what you want, and how badly you want it. You're 17 with no attachments. You have the freedom to do whatever you want. There's no possible way that you've ruined your life at this point. But you'll be a lot happier when you really start working at making your life the way you want it to be.
 
#77
azfryguy said:
man you guys rock I should have probably mentioned that I was in a band played like 7 or something shows not really big averaging around 100 ppl. If I have you correct I should do this

1 Get my GED (which I am already half way there)

2 Get an education in music (I think ASU would be good. Exactly though, What should I major in, I was think composition)

3 Keep my chin up! (you guys have helped with that!)

4 Just enjoy myself and keep playing (can do!)
Click to expand...

That's a plan, little bro.
Honestly, there are very few things you can do to ruin your life at age 17. There are some - doing something that gets you jailed for an extended period of time, developing a drug habit, dying, or giving up on life and victimizing yourself.
Most other things, like quitting school, can be recovered.
Get that GED. Do other things in addition to playing music - college can be a great event in your life and can make you connections that drive your musica career. Also, you'll be a lot more interesting as a musician if you broaden your life and perspectives. There's little more boring to listen to than a guy who only has one thing to express musically, and that one thing is "all I've done in life is practiced for 10 hours a day". Give me the guy who's travelled, experienced life, had his heart broken once or twice, and practiced one or two hours a day - he probably has something to communicate as well as the tools to do so.

OK, 'nuff said. Sounds like you're gonna be OK - rock on.
 
#79
Have you ever heard of the Musicians Institute in Hollywood? I personally know 9 people that went there, that are currently making a living touring and doing sessions. The thing about it is that none of them actually needed the schooling, but going there opens a lot of doors, and helps you meet a ton of useful people in the industry. A lot of major label acts find their bandmembers at M.I. I think it would worth looking into. Good luck!
 

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