Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

Like many of you I have dedicated my life to music, Formally trained in classical (violin) from 6th thru 10th grade in public school. Then I discovered Sex Drugs and Rock & Roll, then it was to heck with that sissy little violin, I'm gonna take up guitar, played (self taught) for a few years then started to take lessons joined a band and have been playing pro for about 32 years now and still at 50 years old I have that same innocent hope that I had when I first joined a real band in 1976. It's all I think about (maybe I think to much) LOL.
I have often said that being a musician is much like a curse, it will consume your life and finances if you let it, while keeping you in the poor house with very little rewards if any. Yet we still have to go out there and do it. On the positive side I believe music is a lot like beer (helping ugly people get laid)LOL.
About 4 years ago while looking for a movie to rent at a local video store I found a video that I believe is a must veiw for young musicians wanting to get into the music biz it's entitled "The Language Of Music A Tribute To Tommy Dowdy" he was the man that was instrumental in developing the recording buisness & multitrack recording industry he started his career back in the early 1940's and died in the late 1990's. This is a documetary and really tells the history of the contemporary music biz.

Ive been looking in on a lot of the great posts from a lot of hopefull musicians at band mix for a couple of months now so i guess its time i post a reply and i cant think of a better topic. My mom got me going at 8 with some guitar lessons at a neighborhood music store. In 40 years Ive played in several different bands doing everything from top 40 pop and country to all original stuff. Ive been playing with one guy for about 25 years and we have always done it mostly as a way to stay sane and happy. We have seen alot of pretty good and bad musicians come and go over the years and we never turned anyone who wanted to play away. It seems i have forgotten more than i know. At first i felt like there was always a chance someone might hear us and we could get somewhere but its the same thing as most of us know best. im encouraged to find other people to bounce an idea or 2 off of and intend on it alot more in the future here on the mix. All we can do is keep rocking on for sanity's sake and know that nobody has to like me but me. and that the best high in life is being in front of someone who does like it cheering us on. As soon as i can learn how i will get some of our stuff in my profile so i can get some of the good criticism ive seen here. Just remember what goes around comes around its magic [Ryan Adams]

Make it so #1 LOL, just kidding! welcome to posting #1.
Thats a nice corner of the world you have going in your pix. I can't see some of the headstocks but I am sure I have Guitar envy!

Yeah man , Id like to see that film.I really like watchin movies like the Buddy H story, Les Paul story etc. when they're in the studio experimenting, trying techniques thats never been done before.Man , to have lived then , being on the cutting edge.Yeah,from 75-2000 or so, I pretty much stayed broke blowin all my $$ on plane tickets,chics, drinkin,drugs, then came hospitals... All I have to show are a few decent albums,my equipment , beat up 99 ford Van. Yeah, I have 3 young (teen)students and the innocence comes back real quick when they're over here.I listened to some "Punk" (I guess... ) last nite that I really liked, this fast 2/4 changin to 4/4 in places thats keepin me connected to the very young.( alittle SORE after playin that stuff for 2 hrs.. )Yeah , I agree with ya it IS a curse.It makes ya make some really bad ,selfish decisions.Didnt seemed to matter if I made 100$ a week, or 500$ a show. The trials and tribs were the same. .Good to have an outlet where old raod dawgs can get on here and talk about our hayday, which sadly will never be again. I hope your in a place thats still allowin ya to prosper.Im happy for the few on here that are.
ROCK ON

John

I remember when my friends would come over to jam and we would fight over the only box a sudent model stella. now i have enough for all of us to play and i cant get em to come over for hell. but the collaboratorz meet every sat night at my buds house for some satisfaction so i dont fret over it to much.like i have an acre pond in my back yardfull of nice bass and nobody fishes anymore. talk about tribulations.we wrote a song in 87 called trials and tribulations. it was about the problems our band was going through with our familys.its still one of my favs

#1collaborator wrote:I remember when my friends would come over to jam and we would fight over the only box a sudent model stella. now i have enough for all of us to play and i cant get em to come over for hell. but the collaboratorz meet every sat night at my buds house for some satisfaction so i dont fret over it to much.like i have an acre pond in my back yardfull of nice bass and nobody fishes anymore. talk about tribulations.we wrote a song in 87 called trials and tribulations. it was about the problems our band was going through with our familys.its still one of my favs

NICE BASS, now your speeking my langusge

PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

shoot I've only been playing for three years and I've realized how huge of a curse the life of a musician is....you really only want to spend half your waking day playing and the other half of the day you spend trying to learn more about your instrument...its a wretched curse who got me into this trade <scowls>