General Music Chat

Sometime during my lifetime, it has come to pass, that if you are old, (or) older than some, you are a useless piece of crap just takin' up space. You are assesed as not knowing anything pertinent, your not up with the present times, and certainly NOT hip.
That is some of the American youths view of us older musicians. YOU GET NO REPECT !
Lately, I have read several classifieds, posted by "older" musicians that are seeking a Band (or) someone to jam with. Some of these state, that they look younger than their actual age, they can rock with the best of em, yada,yada,yada,yada. May be true ! It's very possible!
But, the sad part,...WHY, must us older musicians, have to beg for a chance to play music. Most of us have YEARS of music experience, we have lived through several/many jaundras of music phases, own decent music equipment, etc,etc. MOST of us, don't even have an ego problem !
Then ofcourse there is the ocassional ad from a young punk----- I am 22 years old, been playing guitar nineteen years. I can really shred ! Hit me up, if interested.
Older musicians, UNITE

It's been like this since the advent of "youth culture," back in the late '50's.

Our media has loved it, & encouraged it. What could possibly be hotter than those nubile young things prancin' around like Brittney or whoever...& the guys are just as bad...so who's hot this year?

Still, when I see those hot young thingies dancin' around & lip-synchin', who's in their band? Us old farts, that's who!

Yeah, I've been with a few of them young whippersnappers what think they're so cool & stuff...when it comes time to shred & thrash for 15-20 minutes straight, they fall apart while I'm still walkin' like a speed walker dude on the bass. Sorry 'bout yer inexperience, kid. Ya gotta learn to pace yerself.

Hell, I was sorta like that, too, back when I was young & pretty...but I still learned new (old) stuff from the masters. We have a very youth-oriented culture that lacks the wisdom to see the error of separating age groups. It's been like this for my entire lifetime, & I don't see it changing anytime soon.

When I'm too old to jump up & down onstage, I'm gonna start me up an octegenarian wheelchair/walker group of flatulent oldies who will still outplay the hell out of the youngsters & leave with the jug 1/2 full after it's been emptied. (Aren't catheters wondrous thingies?) And I'll leave my colostomy bag on the stage to show my contempt for everything & everyone, cuz us old rockers got 'TUDE, man!

Yeah, it sucks.

The other side of it that really suck for me right now, is the other "older" guys in the band selling themselves short (and forchristsake.. we're only in our late 30's and early 40's). They seem to think that we HAVE to do covers to play anywhere, because we're old and will never make anything of ourselves. I refuse to put a ceiling over my head and insist that's the best I can ever do.

Hey Groove-in! Put up some toons for us, man!

www.myspace.com/lewiseedwards
This is, just me, keyboards, and drum machine.

You have an interesting point and have pretty much hit the nail on the head.
If it helps (it might not), here's a thought from an aging, 44 year old rocker who is fearing that his rock and roll fantasy is dying faster than his body. It starts with a simple question:

When you were 23, did you want to be in a band or jam with a bunch of 50+ year old hippies who played Sweet Home Alabama and Smoke on the Water over and over and over again?

The problem I am experiencing is similar in that I haven't gotten much response from a younger mix of players. But the older players, and even the ones my age, who I end up jamming with all want to play old rock, The Dead and other music that is 20+ years old and stale. So, I don't think it is so much the younger crowd not wanting to play with older players, they just aren't interested in Southern Rock, Journey, The Dead and the Beatles.

Don't get me wrong, many are and it is impressive how much the young kids know from our generations and even the old, old stuff like the Stones (Ha!). But they don't necessarily want to jam on it. They want something new, fresh, hip, modern... just like we did when we were 23.

I hope you can overcome the emotional trauma you are experiencing.
Myself, I have decided NOT to jam with any more of my peers who want to play Classic Rock and the Dead. That said, I may not be able to break my genetic rock coding, which leaves me with an empty studio and a slowly (quickly) dying fantasy.
Best of luck out there. It's a young World.
SFS

I read major artists bemoaning being out casted due to their age, heard Joe Walsh on the radio frustrated and unable to find an outlet for his catalog of new songs, record companies won’t even talk to him he attributes this to his age.

Music thanks to MTV in addition of playing it well has to have an image which comes with the changing times so even if you learn the current stuff you’ll still be stuck with the an outdated look and attitude.

Can’t stop the evolution of music or popular culture what was hip for us is now old, what is hip today will become obsolete in the future and so on and on.


How many realize that we age ourselves by refusing to see or hear what the new generation of music has to offer? I know I’m guilty of that when riding in my car with the radio on and switch station from a contemporary genre to a more familiar or older genre.

Rather then being frustrated by all this, find solace in the fact that you still enjoy playing music and music if it’s good is ageless.

Groove I’d like to thank you for this thread, it gave me an idea for a new song which it was completed last night, I’ve written 2 song inspired by posts on BandMix maybe you should do the same, your observation on the woes of age makes an ideal subject matter for a nostalgic type of tune.

Keep on playing disregard your chronologic age, do it for your psychological age.

Old and trecherous always wins.

I'm gonna be 49 next week and I'm going up against guys in their 20's in the clubs and we are kickin' butt! This old man is doin':Pantera, Audioslave, Velvet Revolver,Megadeath, Alice in Chains as well as the ole 80's Halen, Priest, Ozzy etc... We are eating up these younger acts and are getting offers to come back to all the new clubs we play at as opposed to the other acts playing once every 2 months!!! I DON'T WANNA FUKKIN GROW UP!! DAMMIT!!

Happy Birthday Crip. I'll be 48 on the 9th. ROCK ON !!!!

I don't care how old you are. I don't care where you are from. I don't care about your religion or political persuasion. I don't care what you look like. I don't care what your gender is or sexual persuasion (although some women can be a pain in the ass). THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU SHOW UP ON TIME SOBER, PLAY AND/OR SING YOUR ASS OFF AND SOUND GOOD. I've played with a lot of different people over the years, old, young, white, black, Jews, gentiles, etc. Music is aboout SOUNDING GOOD, PERIOD. Later...

Hey Gang,

If ya do a search on this subject you'll find several posts dating back to 2005 from when I joined..As you can see, even between US OTers (over 45 on this board established back in 2005 or so), the opinions vary greatly.Ya see Crip who obviously is NOT lacking in NRG (watch thier videos.. ) still playin the material he loves..THEN,ya see Cats doing away with their hayday music doiung what it takes to fit in with the Alt. crowd..Fretwork had some good points to ponder..And YES SF Hook, When I was 16, I WAS playin SOTW,AND SHA with 45 yr olds and enjoyin it...BUT, that reflects the time period and not age..WE had ALOT more respect for those who came before us than the youngins have for US now..I STILL have the utmost respect when I go out and see 65+ rockers crankin it out..GrooveIn , your NOT gonna find that respect out there anymore so remember where ya came from and what it took to get there..My GAWD, your a keyboard player you should have bands from a 200 mi radius hittin ya up (Gas prices are killin the regional work market though)Hang in there, you got the OT brotherhood here on the board..Keep your chops up , and put up some audio, and maybe colaborate with some of us on here...

John

IF THEY THINK YOUR TOO OLD, THEY'RE TOO YOUNG!

Im old, 49. But since sober and have ridden a bicycle as
my main transportation for years Im in pretty good shape,
good enuff not to embarass a cool kid who might get stuck
playing with me, but I really dont want to play with them.
Im sure 99% of them can blow me off the stage but I have
nothing in common with them philosophically or musically.
At this point in my life Im pretty sure I wont be looking for
groupies or needing to primp for the cover of Guitar World
so Im happy to hang out and play with cast-offs, oldies,
non-emos, hippies, bald guys and whoever else isnt cool.......
Its very unburdoning not to have to worry about that stuff anymore