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Playing with older musicians

#41
KenHR said:
Amen to this. For all of last year and a good portion of the year previous to that, I was in a blues band composed of members 23 to 25 years older than me (I'm 34), and it was one of the least-disciplined groups I've ever been in. And the band broke up because of petty arguments over the guitarist's volume and our singer's ego.
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There are some older folks whose character is just flawed, or never matured. And there are some, that for some reason, they join a band and the band becomes a vehicle for expressing their immature side. I've met guys who were CEOs, business owners, good fathers, good husbands, good grandfathers, etc. who turn into whiny or passive/aggressive teenagers at rehearsal. I go scratching my head wondering "where did this guy come from?"
 
#42
If Eric Clapton asked you to jam with him....would you be concerned about the age difference??? He's a bit past 40.

Go, learn,teach, enjoy. As musicians we all can learn from each other regardless of age. In my experience, many musicians get better with age. Hoping and working on that for myself.
 
#43
I think it depends on the music. It also depends on your expectations.

If you're playing Jazz, this is a great situation. Rock & roll - you might find yourself frustrated by playing Skynard/Petty/Mustang Sally over... and over... and over the way some old guys like to do.

Me, I'd prefer to play with younger guys for that very reason - I'm sick as hell of "classic rock" and I'm 49.
 
#44
Well, if you're dissatisfied with your current band and have another band lined up, go for it. If it doesn't work out, move on to the next gig. I'm not saying you should treat every project as nothing more than a temporary distraction, but if it's really not working out, just move on. It's the only way to have a chance of finding that "lighting in a bottle" we're all looking for. Those are the ones worth fighting for.

Age can be a factor, but not one you can take for granted until you've played to them. It could be the greatest thing to ever happen to you, it could be meh, it could suck balls. One thing is certain, playing with many different types of musicians (age, style, career experience) early on will give you experience that can't be tough in books.
 
#45
Munjibunga said:

As an older dude, I can say that older musicians don't have a lot of tolerance for the kind of juvenile BS that goes on in bands with members in their 20s or even 30s.
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That's because we've been through all that and have no wish to go back there...

If you're serious and committed and can keep your ego in check, there shouldn't be any problem. I enjoy playing with younger musicians as long as the silly drama is kept to a minimum.
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No BS is no BS, at any age. Y'all are welcome to jump on up if you wanna play music!
 
#46
farbeyondwillie said:
I'd go for it man.
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Agreed completely.

farbeyondwillie said:
Those older dudes don't usually mess around or wast time. I've jammed with older peeps before and you WILL always learn something.
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Not agreed completely. A lot of the bands I was in, I was usually the youngest member. In one of them, the older cats were not stellar musicians and messed around / wasted time A LOT. Age is no prerequisite for talent or decent behaviour.

That said, current blues band I am in there is an age gap of about 20 years between the drummer and I - I being the youngest cat of the 5. I get along great with everybody, these cats don't mess around or waste time and I am learning plenty.

But I repeat:

EddiePlaysBass said:
Age is no prerequisite for talent or decent behaviour.
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#47
One of the bands that I regularly gig with has a 22 year old guitarist, keyboard player is 22 (and a total sweetie), drummer is just 19. I'm 30 years older than the drummer. The three youngsters are all real class musicians, very talented. If someone can play their instrument with skill, sensitivity and style, I'm happy to have the privilege of working with them. It seems they feel the same about me.

We have great fun on gigs, get on really well with each other and age is simply not an issue. In fact, I'd go further than that - I consider them all really good friends now as well as just bandmates.

Age differences? Pffft. ;)
 
#49
This may have already been mentioned.

All the posts are great and make a lot of sense.

The cool thing about the thread is that it's about playing with older musicians not old musicians. There's a big difference.
 
#50
zachoff said:
I'm in a band now where the guit player is 31, drummer is 42, and I am 34. I think as long as you're all into the same music and have the same the goals then it's not a big deal.
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There is not a hell of big difference in the ages you have pointed out here.
 
#51
jive1 said:
There are some older folks whose character is just flawed, or never matured. And there are some, that for some reason, they join a band and the band becomes a vehicle for expressing their immature side. I've met guys who were CEOs, business owners, good fathers, good husbands, good grandfathers, etc. who turn into whiny or passive/aggressive teenagers at rehearsal. I go scratching my head wondering "where did this guy come from?"
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I am not sure what your point is. Whatever it is I have to disagree.
 
#53
Don't be scared by the 40 year old thing! Talent is talent, and more likely than not, the older guys will have there act in order. The two best drummers I've played with recently have been 19 and 60. Age only matters if your image concious (and that can be a legitimate thing, I'm not bashing it). But if you're just interested in making good music and meeting good players, don't rule anyone out because of their age. I almost passed on the 19 year old because I thought he was too young, but he he could play!
 
#54
When I was 16 to 24 years old I consistantly played with musicians who were 3 to 4 times my age. These guys are not still gigging for no reason; join, contribute and learn. I am 62 years young and beginning a project with a 25 year old singer. Like the man said, age is just a number; but remember, there is no substitute for experience.
 
#57
I've actually been surprised with the what appears to be unanimous praise for playing with older musicians. Maybe its just the musicians I play with but I hadn't seen alot of people playing with over 10 year age gaps.

I'm really glad with the responses though, and am getting more excited with my decision to persue it!
 
#58
As long as they are not too much older to the point where it might be awkward (30+ years of difference), it's really all about the music. As long as you can get along and agree musically, I don't see a problem with it. Most people I play(ed) music with are often 8-20 years older than me. And I'm 19.

Allowing someone's age to be a factor just makes it even harder to find the right opportunity to play music with people.
 
#59
I'm old enough to be everybody-in-my-band's father.

There - - - I said it! LOL!

You know, as long as age doesn't slow you down whether you're the younger one or the older one, then it just doesn't matter.

Be Professional, Know your parts, Treat each other with Respect AND Admiration and you'll go far together.

Everyone will learn from each other, Everyone will have fun, Everyone will feel appreciated, and the band will get tight and perform well together. It's a priceless combination.

We are the privileged ones, who get to have this experience.

:cool::D:cool:
 

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