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Is it bad?

O

oniman7

Jun 1, 2010
2,490
10
Saint Augustine, Florida
#1
I'm 16 years old in an original alternative/hard rock band. I'm in it for the music. But I want much more. I want to play packed clubs, and maybe stadiums one day. I want to record an album that sells internationally. Why stop at one even? I want people the world over to listen to what I have to say because they love our music. I want people to know who I am 20 years from now because they have my CD.

I graduate high school in 8 weeks. The other guys are Sophomores and Juniors. We're tight and have great chemistry. As RATM would put it "What better place than here? What better time than now?"

I figure, while I've got the luxuries, I should take my shot now. Many of the people on this site seem to preach accepting it for less, especially since the odds are realistically so low. But this is what I want now, and I'm thinking, is it really such a bad thing?
 
#2
hell no...

go for it... if not now, when? if not we, who?

sure, there are long odds, but so what. swing for the fence! you only get one go 'round in life... you're not up here to bunt.

would you rather be in the old folks home 60 years from now, wishing you had taken your shot when you were young? or would you rather be there, telling the grand kids what it was like in the old days?

all you can do is fail...so what...take your shot and see what happens...GOOD LUCK!

davesignatureII-1.png
 
#3
Well, I wish you the best of luck. Get your 10,000 hours of playing under your belt, and you have a better shot. Learn to play as many styles as you can, and you have a better shot. Learn some business, marketing, and networking skills, and you have a better shot.

Remember that if you have the skills, you still need to know how to market your talent, be personable, dependable, and willing to work hard to maintain high musical and personal standards. A life in music can be very rewarding, but it will remain a challenge, even if you manage to do it as your main income stream.

Remember that sometimes you will be able to work for the big, high profile stuff, and other times you will be working for the little guy, and still other times you will be working for your own start-up efforts. Just make sure you can always back up what you say you can do with real skills, but balance that with "fake it to make" when necessary.

Let us know how you do!
 
#4
I say go for it. Sure, the chance of actually making it might be slim, but if you don't even try you're GUARANTEED not to make it. I know that there are a lot of members here that will disagree with me and tell you to focus on your education and getting a job/family/minivan/kids/dog and stick to playing covers as a hobby, but frankly I feel it's pretty strange that there are so many anti-musicians on a musicians website.

The world would be a sad and empty place if nobody followed their dreams...
 
#6
Dude, there is nothing wrong with your dreams. Go for them!... but keep in mind that everything that's worth the effort in life takes A LOT of hard work, and some luck even. And that it will be hard as hell to achieve such big dreams.

But you'll never know if you don't try. May I suggest having a backup plan, like a technical or college degree, or just some skill trade? You might need it to make ends meet along the way (but hopefully not in your case).

Not trying to put you down. Just sharing what I learned (I'm almost 30, so I do have a bit more life experience than you). Best of luck, mate! Let me know when that big seller album of yours is released, so I can check it out. Alt/ hard rock is my kind of music! :D
 
#8
You're graduating high school at 16? I'm guessing you're a pretty smart kid then. If you have the means and motivation, I'd say go for it. Just don't do any of the stupid s*** that gets so many kids in trouble. Keep your head on straight, and always know that you can probably fall back on traditional school if music doesn't pan out.
 
#10
go for it while also learning a skill set that is ancillary to music -skills a that other bands/promoters/connections can use.
study recording or sound reinforcement or instrument/amp repair or promotion or graphic / webdesign or photography...etc

Not for somethign to so instead of your dream, but something that will aid you in achieving it.
 
#11
Pull up a chair and sit down son, let me give you some old guy advice.

As you go through life, you WILL begin to collect all sorts of regrets. It's unavoidable.

The very worst regrets of all will be the "what ifs".

You get one shot.

Good luck
 
#12
No better time to do it. I was in pretty much your position once, except I never had any "dreams" when it came to music - I just liked the music I made with my friends, and to be playing it as much as possible. So we hit the road after high school and toured, and ended up putting out 4 albums, one on a major label, and opening for some world-class acts. It was great!

So if I could do it, with no goals of "making it" or anything like that, I'm sure you can!
 
#13
What would you be doing with yourself otherwise with your time?

As for college and such, looking at the big picture in life, why are we often forcing kids to hit college directly after high school? Why not blow a few years of your teenage life not-being-a-robot and instead persue other interests. Sure, these other interests may not (and probably won't) be succesfull, but at age 50 are you really going to be less weathy because you started college at 20 instead of 17?

Be young when you are young, 'cause it is going to be a lot harder to do young-guy-stuff when you're old.
 
#15
If you must, go for it. But learn the BUSINESS side just as well as you learn the music side. Music is a business, and your band needs to be asute about the business side.

Also - consider continuing your education while you play. With the number of distance ed bachelor's programs available, you don't need to give up your education for music.
 
#16
Listen and consider all the good advice given here, then go for it! You're 16, and what's the worse thing that'll happen? You'll fail! So what? Hell, I wish I (along with everyone else here!) was 16 again, I'd definitely shoot for the stars myself, instead of following the safe route my old man prodded me into.
 
#17
oniman7 said:
I'm 16 years old in an original alternative/hard rock band. I'm in it for the music. But I want much more. I want to play packed clubs, and maybe stadiums one day. I want to record an album that sells internationally. Why stop at one even? I want people the world over to listen to what I have to say because they love our music. I want people to know who I am 20 years from now because they have my CD.

I graduate high school in 8 weeks. The other guys are Sophomores and Juniors. We're tight and have great chemistry. As RATM would put it "What better place than here? What better time than now?"

I figure, while I've got the luxuries, I should take my shot now. Many of the people on this site seem to preach accepting it for less, especially since the odds are realistically so low. But this is what I want now, and I'm thinking, is it really such a bad thing?
Click to expand...

Take your shot. It almost certainly will come to nothing this time, so resign yourself to keep taking your shots the rest of your life.

If I could send my 16 year old self a message back through time, it would be "Hey, kid, learn to embrace failure instead of being afraid of it."
 

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