Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
How old are you?
- Thread starter mike o
- Start date
May 25, 2023 I will be 80. My first gig was in 1963, so I've been playing for 60 years.
Looks like 30 - 69 is the core demographic here. I thought there'd be slightly more folks under that, but the board has clearly not leaned young from what I've seen over the years ... although I do remember a McCartney/Beatles bashing thread that seemed to have a lot posters not all that knowledgeable on that stuff, which had the flavor of younger members. (I mean, whatever one's opinion on those guys, it's impossible to ignore their influence if you lived through it).
Or if you’re living now. Or living the next 500 years or longer.
As someone already noticed: younger people don’t frequent a lot those « old » message boards. They are also more (I think) doing music with computers and less with real instruments but I could be wrong!
I know plenty of people as young as teens using real instruments as much as virtual stuff--heck, possibly more. But I think they don't feel the need to make such a distinction between the two approaches as some of us who started out before any of this tech was available. And yeah, you're more likely to find younger folks on different social media than something like TB.
you bad!
you first! to whom would you pass your "torch?"i ask because i'm still holding onto mine.
also, i'm 'leading by example' --- except for the part that involves beer.seriously, IME/IMO, there are tons of young/younger musicians who are tearin' it up! i'd like to think that they're way too busy with their music to post on TB as the old farts do. indeed, many have never heard of TB, and the few i've met that have = think it's for has-beens and wannabes (edit: there are those groups, no?*). also, while i'm fine with the TB format, many youngsters want a different user/engagement experience.
i don't think there's any danger of young folks wimping out on the music thing.
* i'm not excluding myself from any group, automatically.
Last edited:
Old?....LOL - I remember when we got our first "swamp cooler". We'd never heard of air conditioning. And it was just as hot then as it is now. All we had was oscillating fans and celiing fans before the swamp cooler....and open, screened windows and doors.
In winter, we'd regularly get several feet of snow and it wasn't unusual to wake up to a 4 foot snowfall. We had these rubber shoe covers called Golashes that you'd step into with your shoes on, tuck your jeans into them, then buckle them up to the shin, and head outside. My dad used to put an electric dip stick in the oil stick tube in the car just so it the motor would turn over in the morning when he went to work.
We harvested our own potatoes, green beans, black eye peas, and okra by hand at my uncles farm. And sat on the screened back porch and shucked peas for canning. In the cool evenings of summer we played outside until dark, or until Mom's whistle called us in.
We rode horses bareback to the river on hot days where we would cool off in the shallows.
Our phone was a rotary dial and we only had to dial 4 numbers to reach anyone in town.
TV? NBC or CBS was the choice. Radio was AM only and I could pick up stations from across the USA late at night on my Phillips radio. I still have that radio!
Those were the days!
In winter, we'd regularly get several feet of snow and it wasn't unusual to wake up to a 4 foot snowfall. We had these rubber shoe covers called Golashes that you'd step into with your shoes on, tuck your jeans into them, then buckle them up to the shin, and head outside. My dad used to put an electric dip stick in the oil stick tube in the car just so it the motor would turn over in the morning when he went to work.
We harvested our own potatoes, green beans, black eye peas, and okra by hand at my uncles farm. And sat on the screened back porch and shucked peas for canning. In the cool evenings of summer we played outside until dark, or until Mom's whistle called us in.
We rode horses bareback to the river on hot days where we would cool off in the shallows.
Our phone was a rotary dial and we only had to dial 4 numbers to reach anyone in town.
TV? NBC or CBS was the choice. Radio was AM only and I could pick up stations from across the USA late at night on my Phillips radio. I still have that radio!
Those were the days!
So now... what I'd like to know... is how has this information altered or influenced your thinking?
Did you arrive at any worthwhile insights other than "Well gee, there's more geezers on this forum than that one."
And if that's all you learned then what difference does it make how old we are?
I'm just really curious about what's beneath the surface of the mindset that posted this.
I think knowing that might maybe give me insight into the inexplicable decisions I've witnessed some folks make.
There must be a reason.
Seems pretty simple.
Some people are curious about the community they interact with.
Others obviously are not.
And I walked to school every day, uphill both ways (it actually was, hill peaked in the middle
). One mile over and two miles back! (OK, maybe it was a mile each way). And I got a nice par of rose colored glasses anytime I need 'em! 
Well a few things come to mind. First, it was curiosity that the other forum was so, lopsided. I’m mean geezerville lopsided . Like mentioned before, I’ve noticed over that some younger players hang here. The survey shows that, although not as many as I expected.
So, here’s my totally uneducated guess of why that is.
I think acoustic guitar (re other forum) lends itself to older players who probably played in electric guitar in possibly bands when younger have transitioned to something more age appropriate for them? Maybe a bunch of baby boomers who had life things get in the way of musical aspirations decided to revisit on acoustic. I know for myself, my interest has floated between acoustic guitar and bass over the past 25 years. I’d hang on forums that mirrored my interests that day. Could be a bunch of things. I also believe that an electric guitar forum will be much better represented by young players that acoustic guitar. I’m 64 and still love performing on stage!!!!
So, the lingering question I have is where are the younger players hanging? I certainly hope young people are embracing music as we have since our younger years. We didn’t have the choices or distractions that children face today. Do younger people have enough attention span to learn a music instrument??? Three Channels on a B&W TV on a good day, no AC, couldn’t wait to get outside and play kickball, etc and music! Remember tapping one or two nickels to a turn table needle to slow the LP down, then retune to it. LOL
related but - I was in the mist of switching web hosting for my duo with wife. Anyone who’s done this knows it’s a challenge. So, my wife says to me over the weekend, why do we need a website? In her words regarding a website for us “why do we need a website? No one uses them any more. Everyone is on Facebook (I’m not a member thank you). Websites are like email. No one does that anymore either. It’s all texting”. So my guess is young folks are hngin* somewhere else. Ticktock?
. Like mentioned before, I’ve noticed over that some younger players hang here. The survey shows that, although not as many as I expected.So, here’s my totally uneducated guess of why that is.
I think acoustic guitar (re other forum) lends itself to older players who probably played in electric guitar in possibly bands when younger have transitioned to something more age appropriate for them? Maybe a bunch of baby boomers who had life things get in the way of musical aspirations decided to revisit on acoustic. I know for myself, my interest has floated between acoustic guitar and bass over the past 25 years. I’d hang on forums that mirrored my interests that day. Could be a bunch of things. I also believe that an electric guitar forum will be much better represented by young players that acoustic guitar. I’m 64 and still love performing on stage!!!!
So, the lingering question I have is where are the younger players hanging? I certainly hope young people are embracing music as we have since our younger years. We didn’t have the choices or distractions that children face today. Do younger people have enough attention span to learn a music instrument??? Three Channels on a B&W TV on a good day, no AC, couldn’t wait to get outside and play kickball, etc and music! Remember tapping one or two nickels to a turn table needle to slow the LP down, then retune to it. LOL
related but - I was in the mist of switching web hosting for my duo with wife. Anyone who’s done this knows it’s a challenge. So, my wife says to me over the weekend, why do we need a website? In her words regarding a website for us “why do we need a website? No one uses them any more. Everyone is on Facebook (I’m not a member thank you). Websites are like email. No one does that anymore either. It’s all texting”. So my guess is young folks are hngin* somewhere else. Ticktock?
Where are the younger players? The short answer is Instagram.
It's much faster/easier to consume content and follow players there, but there is much less room for actual discussion, which is where TB really shines.
I hope this forum never goes away.
It's much faster/easier to consume content and follow players there, but there is much less room for actual discussion, which is where TB really shines.
I hope this forum never goes away.
Heh. Nice. I wish talkbass had a laugh response. And, yes. I've stopped twice, for a couple days each, over the years. To get my fingers sharpened.
Mostly old people who act young and young people who act like old people.
It's also population demographics. Has anyone noticed the entry level labor shortage? In this regard the U.S. is in better shape than Europe which is in better shape than China. Once upon a time, children were assetts, for the last 60 years families have been getting smaller because it takes both parents working to afford the junk people think they need. (Like a house you own) Early child care is as expensive as a mortgage once was. Families don't need farm labor or waif-pick-pockets.
