OP --
You seem to have a single-minded, one-track mind, but life can take you in many many directions. However all you seem to see is one direction, and when that direction does not happen you get depressed. There is a simple answer to all this and it is called "balance". You have all the weight on one end of the scale, and are wayyyy to emotionally invested in one direction -- success as a bassist. It;s great to have that kind of drive, but if you have nothing to balance the lows out when they come, you are left completely empty.
You're young, and from what you say you have plenty of talent. I'm almost 54, and have no talent. Yet every night I sit down with my Tascam CD-Bt1-mk2 player and Ed Friedland's (Hal Leonard Bass) book and try and get some. It balances all the other stuff in my life. I love every minute of it, too!
At one time I was on the 'treadmill' of MOAR -- moar money, moar things, moar moar moar. Well I got a lot of moar, and I got fat, and tired, and finally "quit" (retired early) so I could actually enjoy life and bring a little more balance into it.
So here's a few decades of experience I want to share with you in a few simple sentences.
1) The most important thing in life will be your relationships with others, not your "successes" on your bass. Some of those relationships may take you where you want to go, but many of them will nurture your soul when you are having moments like you are now. A few may take you in a different direction and help you find your eventual success.
2) Success can come out of nowhere, but you may have to be realistic about what really defines success in the end. It's great to be single-minded as you chase the brass ring, but it should not be all encompassing. You'll miss out on a lot of life that way.
3) You are capable of making your own "breaks" if you really want them. I've actually taught a few people how to do this in various businesses and lines of work and they were amazed at how easy it could be. No, not all were aiming to be pro musicians, but like I said, it is the people you know who may take you where you want to go. If you want a few ideas feel free to PM me. I won't blow any smoke up your ass, just give you some basic pointers that you have to carry out my way. It certainly won't hurt you in the end.
4) Recognize that being a pro musician is much like being a pro football player. Lots of talent out there, but there is always someone better than you. Sometimes the other guy gets the breaks on talent, sometimes he just gets lucky being in the right place and the right time. This happens in the corporate world as well. Not every CEO out there is a "rock star" and plenty are fools who play well at politics. Either way, there are only so many positions at the top of the game. Not long ago I watched (on YouTube) a Steely Dan documentary about them making albums, and how they would bring in a whole different crew of studio musicians for each song. One might think Chuck Rainey would easily be good enough for anything they did, but not them. Chuck is probably not insulted or depressed about it.
5) You seem to need to learn how to do some self-promotion. The world will NOT beat a path to your door, you need to beat your own path in the world. You may be talented, nice, mellow, and humble, but that will not be enough to get your name out. I don't know what genre you want to play, but I can tell you that pro-level jazz musicians seem to be the most approachable. Here in Seattle, I can go to our best local club and pretty much meet any one of them I want after a show. They say hi, hang out a bit, etc. I have talked my way into back stage passes at times as well. You'll never get that chance with, say, ColdPlay, but you will in the jazz arena. I stood in an airport once carrying a bass to South America for a fellow TB member and Maceo Parker struck up a conversation with me. I've broken down the stage with The Rippington's one time, chatting the whole time with their bassist. And on and on... I mush have a dozen stories like this. Seriously. What are you doing to "make" your breaks?
6) They say "Youth is wasted on the young" and in some ways that's oh so true. To have the body and energy and learning ability of a young man like you at my age I would give up most of what I have now, because I know I could do it all again better and faster and with more success. There is no greater school out there than the school of hard knocks. That education is priceless, and it never ends. Although sometimes it costs a lot too. You need to tap the "oldsters" who can give you some guidance. you are getting some of it here on TB, but it can't replace what you can get "in the field" face to face.
If you feel burnt out, by all means take a break. Try the drums, they're loads of fun and will make you a better bassist. But don;t give up, just widen your horizons.
You seem to have a single-minded, one-track mind, but life can take you in many many directions. However all you seem to see is one direction, and when that direction does not happen you get depressed. There is a simple answer to all this and it is called "balance". You have all the weight on one end of the scale, and are wayyyy to emotionally invested in one direction -- success as a bassist. It;s great to have that kind of drive, but if you have nothing to balance the lows out when they come, you are left completely empty.
You're young, and from what you say you have plenty of talent. I'm almost 54, and have no talent. Yet every night I sit down with my Tascam CD-Bt1-mk2 player and Ed Friedland's (Hal Leonard Bass) book and try and get some. It balances all the other stuff in my life. I love every minute of it, too!
At one time I was on the 'treadmill' of MOAR -- moar money, moar things, moar moar moar. Well I got a lot of moar, and I got fat, and tired, and finally "quit" (retired early) so I could actually enjoy life and bring a little more balance into it.
So here's a few decades of experience I want to share with you in a few simple sentences.
1) The most important thing in life will be your relationships with others, not your "successes" on your bass. Some of those relationships may take you where you want to go, but many of them will nurture your soul when you are having moments like you are now. A few may take you in a different direction and help you find your eventual success.
2) Success can come out of nowhere, but you may have to be realistic about what really defines success in the end. It's great to be single-minded as you chase the brass ring, but it should not be all encompassing. You'll miss out on a lot of life that way.
3) You are capable of making your own "breaks" if you really want them. I've actually taught a few people how to do this in various businesses and lines of work and they were amazed at how easy it could be. No, not all were aiming to be pro musicians, but like I said, it is the people you know who may take you where you want to go. If you want a few ideas feel free to PM me. I won't blow any smoke up your ass, just give you some basic pointers that you have to carry out my way. It certainly won't hurt you in the end.
4) Recognize that being a pro musician is much like being a pro football player. Lots of talent out there, but there is always someone better than you. Sometimes the other guy gets the breaks on talent, sometimes he just gets lucky being in the right place and the right time. This happens in the corporate world as well. Not every CEO out there is a "rock star" and plenty are fools who play well at politics. Either way, there are only so many positions at the top of the game. Not long ago I watched (on YouTube) a Steely Dan documentary about them making albums, and how they would bring in a whole different crew of studio musicians for each song. One might think Chuck Rainey would easily be good enough for anything they did, but not them. Chuck is probably not insulted or depressed about it.
5) You seem to need to learn how to do some self-promotion. The world will NOT beat a path to your door, you need to beat your own path in the world. You may be talented, nice, mellow, and humble, but that will not be enough to get your name out. I don't know what genre you want to play, but I can tell you that pro-level jazz musicians seem to be the most approachable. Here in Seattle, I can go to our best local club and pretty much meet any one of them I want after a show. They say hi, hang out a bit, etc. I have talked my way into back stage passes at times as well. You'll never get that chance with, say, ColdPlay, but you will in the jazz arena. I stood in an airport once carrying a bass to South America for a fellow TB member and Maceo Parker struck up a conversation with me. I've broken down the stage with The Rippington's one time, chatting the whole time with their bassist. And on and on... I mush have a dozen stories like this. Seriously. What are you doing to "make" your breaks?
6) They say "Youth is wasted on the young" and in some ways that's oh so true. To have the body and energy and learning ability of a young man like you at my age I would give up most of what I have now, because I know I could do it all again better and faster and with more success. There is no greater school out there than the school of hard knocks. That education is priceless, and it never ends. Although sometimes it costs a lot too. You need to tap the "oldsters" who can give you some guidance. you are getting some of it here on TB, but it can't replace what you can get "in the field" face to face.
If you feel burnt out, by all means take a break. Try the drums, they're loads of fun and will make you a better bassist. But don;t give up, just widen your horizons.
