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Is there a point where you're too old to 'make it'?

#61
i think you just answered your own question
you talked about music being im "your blood"
whether you "make it" or not is mostly up to fate or dumb luck

when i was in my mid twenties i also had the dream to make it
and actually played with some guys that did
in my early 30's i knew the dream had passed
and foolishly, i quit playing
i stopped playing for 16 years, i always tinkered with the idea of playing again
but was worried i would suck after all this time away
last year, i was layed up from work with an injury
bored out of my skull
i picked up the bass again, and yes I did suck.... alot......lol
but that didn't matter
i was "home"
that was 8 months ago
now I am in 2 giging bands, playing all ther time
and probably even a better player that i was in my 20's

So i guess what i want to say is
when you put your heart and soul into somthing, it becomes a part of you
and thats the real reward
 
#62
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...But I'm worried because I'm 26, and I'm married, and kids might be on the way and I haven't made it yet. Time is starting to become tighter so I'm a bit wary of not having enough to set aside to heaps of projects...
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26 AND you haven't made it, yet
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Success is a relative term, as to say it's a subjective topic. I once thought IF I hadn't attained a certain level in my music endeavors by 30...I wasn't likely to. I returned to my home based city (been on the road) right before my 31st birthday. Best thing I could have done. Reconsider what and why you expected when you began your journey. Few full time musicians live in big houses and drive expensive cars. After time taken off to ultimately get married, become better educated, meet and get to know outstanding local players with diverse styles, learn another trade...I got back into playing. No MAJOR recordings or tours - but a full, balanced, happy and healthy life. Success doesn't come any larger than that :D
 
#63
brianrost said:
Of course age is an issue. Ozzy wasn't 60 in 1970.

In rock music, 30 is "too old" in almost all cases. Yes, there have been exceptions, but not very many. Think about the 27 Club.

Your odds are better in other styles of music, but not by much. One thing is certain, though: if you're not already playing professionally in your 20s your chances go down big time.
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The corollary of this is....even if you make it in your 20s it's likely to drop off as you age. I can't think of a single exception to this in the pop world.... The closest might be U2 or the Stones but their biggest hits were all recorded years ago.

Doesn't mean you shoul give up. Just go in with your eyes open.
 
#65
I know a couple people who "made it" only to have their marriage end in divorce because of the time commitment they were obligated to the band. Between touring and not making any money, the wives were forced to have full time jobs, with little kids, and their relationship suffered. One band my buddy was in was touring with Slayer a few years back and STILL only making $100/night. Honestly, just do what you can... but don't bank on making it big because it usually just doesn't happen. I know quite a few people who made playing music their career but they live below the poverty level and work dead end jobs while they're not on tour. Hardly worth it in my opinion.

This coming from someone who almost "made it" when I was your age. I was also married and didn't have kids. Of course we tried real hard, had good support of decent labels in the USA and Europe but it never went anywhere after that. It's just not something to aspire to. You can chase that dream until you're 40 and then you'll go "uh oh, now what do i do?"

Not to be a jerk... but just play music for fun and if you get popular you do, but don't put all your eggs in one basket.
 
#66
brianrost said:
Of course age is an issue. Ozzy wasn't 60 in 1970.

In rock music, 30 is "too old" in almost all cases. Yes, there have been exceptions, but not very many. Think about the 27 Club.

Your odds are better in other styles of music, but not by much. One thing is certain, though: if you're not already playing professionally in your 20s your chances go down big time.

It's not all that different in other occupations. While there are always some people who switch careers later in life, most people are on the path they will follow by the time they are 25.
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I believe that's true, only if you believe it's true. Sorry, but I never did, and it's not been my experience either.

I wasn't in a band that got signed until I was well into my 40s. I also never played with any anwherenear well known artists until that time. Got to do headlining tours thoughout Europe, and have been having the best time of my life with music - after my 40th B'day. And I've been playing music since I'm 15.

Also... I often wonder why so many people get hung up on the past, or what things seem to be, NOW. The beatles changed musical history, as did countless others. Who knows what's to come in terms of music popularity. I or any one of us might be the first to achieve pop rock stardom at the age of 70. And if not, there's nobody to stop me from going the KISS/Gwar/Slipknot route. Throw a mask on me at 65 yrs. old and as long as I didn't turn into a fat guy nobody's gonna know nuthin. :) Imagine Mick Jagger, or any of those guys who can still run around without their wrinkled faces sticking out. You'd never know the difference between them and a 20 year old.

I'm going to continue thinking outside the box on this age thing. It's been working real well for me thus far.
 
#67
Joe Nerve said:
I believe that's true, only if you believe it's true. Sorry, but I never did, and it's not been my experience either.

I wasn't in a band that got signed until I was well into my 40s. I also never played with any anwherenear well known artists until that time. Got to do headlining tours thoughout Europe, and have been having the best time of my life with music - after my 40th B'day. And I've been playing music since I'm 15.

Also... I often wonder why so many people get hung up on the past, or what things seem to be, NOW. The beatles changed musical history, as did countless others. Who knows what's to come in terms of music popularity. I or any one of us might be the first to achieve pop rock stardom at the age of 70. And if not, there's nobody to stop me from going the KISS/Gwar/Slipknot route. Throw a mask on me at 65 yrs. old and as long as I didn't turn into a fat guy nobody's gonna know nuthin. :) Imagine Mick Jagger, or any of those guys who can still run around without their wrinkled faces sticking out. You'd never know the difference between them and a 20 year old.

I'm going to continue thinking outside the box on this age thing. It's been working real well for me thus far.
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I don't know how old you are, but obviously older than you look :) I know from other posts that you do some serious working out and think you are vegan or vegetarian? What else do you do to stay youthful looking?

How many guys your age and in your position do you meet in the course of your work?
 
#68
fingerbun said:
I don't know how old you are, but obviously older than you look :) I know from other posts that you do some serious working out and think you are vegan or vegetarian? What else do you do to stay youthful looking?
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I'm vegetarian
I don't drink, smoke or take drugs
I try to stay away from processeed sugar
I dye my hair and I take naps :)

How many guys your age and in your position do you meet in the course of your work?
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They pop up from time to time. not many (I currently know 3 or 4 of them), but I believe it all has to do with their beliefs and attitutes. the majority of people believe the game's over by 30, and I believe that's what makes it true for them.
 
#69
Joe Nerve said:
I'm vegetarian
I don't drink, smoke or take drugs
I try to stay away from processeed sugar
I dye my hair and I take naps :)
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For some that would destroy the whole point of rock and roll :)

Joe Nerve said:
They pop up from time to time. not many (I currently know 3 or 4 of them), but I believe it all has to do with their beliefs and attitutes. the majority of people believe the game's over by 30, and I believe that's what makes it true for them.
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Agree negative thinking is a factor. Also probably depends what you see as making it. Paul McCartney would have been about 60 when he put his current band together. They are all older guys and for most of them it is probably the biggest thing they have done. But he for me also proves the converse. He still plays at a level most of us dream of, and if he had only done Wings he would still be elite, but he hasn't topped the Beatles.

OK, related question, do you play for an older demographic or do you have an approach to keep your sound current? When I was 20 I could pick the difference between young guys and old guys trying to sound young by copying current stuff. I can't any more....which suggests that anything I do is going to sound dated. Do you struggle with that?

P.S. what's the bass in the Matador clip?
 
#70
fingerbun said:
OK, related question, do you play for an older demographic or do you have an approach to keep your sound current? When I was 20 I could pick the difference between young guys and old guys trying to sound young by copying current stuff. I can't any more....which suggests that anything I do is going to sound dated. Do you struggle with that?

P.S. what's the bass in the Matador clip?
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Bass is my Big Al.

And if the other question was directed at me... I don't play for people my age. Never have. I'm usually playing with people a lot younger than myself and go with the flow. It's kind of interesting actually cuz in the 70s I was a little stuck in the 60s, 80s in the 70s - I never got caught up in the 80s, the nineties had a little bit of a hold on me... I think I'm getting used to transitions at this point. :) As for the music I create I try my best to do my own thing. That's what's in my other video below (the first one), not Matador. I didn't write Matador.
 
#74
I just turned 50 and i am hungrier now than i was in my 20s. never give up belive in yourself. you are never to old to make it unless you say you are. I know players that teach at berklee, new england conservatory that are in their 80s still going strong.remember the music biz is not what you think,even the big gigs become a job after the glow wears off. granted there are gigs that want you to be a certain age look etc. those are gigs that will tell you how to look,no belly, must be buff,even what bass to use. keep all that in mind. it comes down to what you define as making it peace jd.
 
#75
I am 58. When I walk off stage is it very common for people to come up to me and say something like, "Wow, I haven't heard bass playing like that for a long time, thank you".

That is my reward and my pleasure in making them happy about being there. No money can compensate for that.
 
#76
I'm 55 and I still love playing and think I'm going to make it even now. And I still think I'm a bad mo fo. it's never too late. Not everyone is going to be famous. Enjoy playing because you enjoy playing. I manage to rub elbows with famous bass players now and then. It's like this. I have a good paying day job, a steady career in a field that I have been working in for over 25 years. Like Anthony Wellington told me. It would be foolish to give up what I have to be a fulltime musician having to take ****** jobs/gigs just to pay the rent. At this point I can pick and choose when I want to play. I don't have to accept that low paying gig with the butthole leader I can't stand. I love playing out but once you get into the grind it's not that glamorus at all. It really is work.
 
#77
I am 24 and a couple of years back I gave up a very promising band and a lot of work as a sideman with a couple singers/songwriters to move to another country.

Since then I have started a really promising career in a completely different line of work almost by chance earning a really good amount of money and having a pretty good quality of life. It still hurts me I am bandless for almost 2 years now since the music scene here is amazing.

On the other hand I have become a close friends with a sound engineer/producer and do studio work every now and then which is something I would never expect back in my home country.

I am currently pursuing joining a band(not that hard though). I would give up my current career for ''living the dream'' in a heartbeat. At least now I know that if the dream has an expiration date I can fall back to something else. And it looks like I will try this soon enough.

I must say though this must be really, really, really tough. I have a colleague that had a band that almost ''made it'', got 2 records out, went out on tours and even played really big festivals(have you heard of Rock am Ring?) but he had to relocate and give up his band. Since then he has been really sad about this and has not found the courage to put a new band together, not even for fun(the last band were his high school buddies).

And to close this Juan Alderete has had quite a musical career but it took quite a dive in the late 80s. He got another break again almost 20 years later and he said it was because he stopped trying to ''make it'' and make money out of music and instead just play the music he loved and play with musicians he found interesting. Words of wisdom right there.

Do what you love, if it brings money and fame at your door well... well that's cool too.
 

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