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  #31  
Old 10-17-2014, 02:04 AM
dan daniels dan daniels is offline
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im 30, and i already feel too old

especially when i think about everything my heroes had already achieved by this age. john fahey had reinvented the steel string guitar by his mid-20s! john martyn released his first record at 18 years old! nick drake was only 23 when he wrote and recorded pink moon!

at what point does it become easier to accept that you're never going to be the genius artist that you aspire to? some days i feel like packing it all in...
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  #32  
Old 10-17-2014, 05:08 AM
cspencer cspencer is offline
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To the OP. I think the opposite. There's nowhere in Sydney you'll find a pub playing 70s 80s songs like Eagles, Horse with no name, He ain't heavy... that sort of genre. Perhaps in Phuket. I love that generation because it's mine. But, there are new songs today that I like too. Recently I heard a band play Hallelujah with acoustic guitar and harmonica intro. Wow. I thought. I felt the 70s. The crowd went wild.
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  #33  
Old 10-17-2014, 05:40 AM
Von Beerhofen Von Beerhofen is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dan daniels View Post
im 30, and i already feel too old,
at what point does it become easier to accept that you're never going to be the genius artist that you aspire to? some days i feel like packing it all in...
Usually that happens around 35, so you're still a bit early with it.
For me it only changed my initial goal, from trying to be famous I moved on to trying to be a knowledgeable musician.
At some point in my life I also hoped to be a games programmer but it was impossible to compete with commercial softwarehouses with large teams of programmers who had proper programming educations or just enough luck to be hired.
My new goal became to gain more understanding in programming and I just kept at it, moved on through anything I could lay my hands on and had time for to study. A few years ago I was asked to join a team but I declined as I felt I had become too old to get involved in something as hectic as commercial games programming. I'm still a programmer in my own time, having a once in a lifetime oppertunity to rewrite the sourcecode of a once very popular flightsimmulator. There's not many people interested in it anymore but it's a blast to be able to it, it will never lead to a revival of that game but the point is that I'm acquiring even more knowledge.
It's the same with music, after app. 45 years of playing you simply don't throw in the towel because the hope of fame vanishes, there's much more to music then just that. On top of this only a few will make it and the rest have to be satisfied with playing in pubs and/or jamsessions.
If you have other interests you might switch to another thing then guitar play but I've always focused on the above two things.
Life would be kind of empty if you don't have a goal, the goal to acquire more knowledge is just as good as the goal to become famous. It just doesn't pay as good but it's no reason for me to give up on what I set out to do and have fun doing it.

Ludwig
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  #34  
Old 10-17-2014, 05:48 AM
HHP HHP is offline
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It becomes easier when you realize that Fahey and others didn't set out to be a genius artist. Setting out to be a genius artist is likely the best way to guarantee you will never be one.
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  #35  
Old 10-17-2014, 05:58 AM
nycbeijinger nycbeijinger is offline
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I just turned 60 and stick to acoustic blues and country. I think music like that is ageless.
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  #36  
Old 10-17-2014, 06:01 AM
AndrewG AndrewG is offline
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Gordon Lightfoot, age 75
Willie Nelson, age 81
B.B. King, age 88 and all still gigging. I'm 62 and don't plan on giving up any time soon!

Just sayin'...
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  #37  
Old 10-17-2014, 06:03 AM
cspencer cspencer is offline
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I just turned 60 and stick to acoustic blues and country. I think music like that is ageless.
I have a set of guitarjamz blues guitar I was hoping to master. Will get to it one day.
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  #38  
Old 10-17-2014, 06:03 AM
delaorden9 delaorden9 is offline
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In my opinion I don't think it is about age. It is music. Music is timeless. It is about fun. I'm 57 and I feel good playing and singing "There's a place" yet. If you feel tired of playing just give it a break. When I do this I can feel how important is to have a guitar around and strum some chords. If you're good no matter how old you are; you're good !
Come on, never quit playing. It is the best drug for our souls.
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  #39  
Old 10-17-2014, 06:17 AM
Thorby Bislam Thorby Bislam is offline
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59 and I play acoustic music in pubs. Don't even try to stay current. The most recent song in my songlist is Price Tag (inc the rap bit) but that's only because I like it. If I like a song, I'll learn it; if I don't, I won't. Regardless of how old or new it is.
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  #40  
Old 10-17-2014, 03:58 PM
HonestCharley HonestCharley is offline
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WHAT a wonderful thread!!

I´m 65 and started playing the 6-string for maybe 1,5 years ago. Music makes my life worth living! One day when I am sitting on the porch of the Old Folks Home I would never NEVER let go of my guitar.

And Amen to that!
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  #41  
Old 10-17-2014, 09:44 PM
nycbeijinger nycbeijinger is offline
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Originally Posted by HonestCharley View Post
WHAT a wonderful thread!!

I´m 65 and started playing the 6-string for maybe 1,5 years ago. Music makes my life worth living! One day when I am sitting on the porch of the Old Folks Home I would never NEVER let go of my guitar.

And Amen to that!
That's exactly one of the reasons why I still practice and play. I never want to be one of those old men who sit outside and just sit or maybe play a bit of cards. I want to be playing some Leadbelly and winking at those young 70-something chicks. -
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  #42  
Old 10-17-2014, 10:02 PM
cspencer cspencer is offline
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I want to be playing some Leadbelly and winking at those young 70-something chicks. -
This thread becoming too old!
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  #43  
Old 10-17-2014, 10:25 PM
Yamaha Man Yamaha Man is offline
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I don't want to play out for other people. I want to play for myself. I don't want to take requests for songs I don't know. I don't want to deal with any bar owners who demand you play this or that, or try to cheat you out of your pay. I don't want to play for people who won't stop talking while I'm playing. I don't want to hear anybody booing me. I don't need it. I'm very content to sit at home and play for myself. I'm very content to make recordings and share them with friends and family only. I'm very content to share a recording with a friend who will jam along with my recording and send it back to me. If I feel like playing "Freebird" I'll play it. If I feel like writing an original piece of music, I'll do just that. If I want to do a jam session with my friends I will. I'm busy enough without even thinking about playing in a stinky old bar with a bunch of drunks.
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  #44  
Old 10-18-2014, 08:10 AM
J Patrick J Patrick is offline
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...i'm 60....i've found that my desire to play out has diminished somewhat in recent years...up until maybe 5 years ago i was all in...i'd play out as much as i could....i played with just about any able musician or group that requested my services at any venue or event that was hiring...at this point in life i only want to play choice gigs with folks who i connect with on a musical and personal level...thats got me playing out maybe 10 really sweet gigs a year or so...just about perfect....
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  #45  
Old 10-18-2014, 02:37 PM
ADK ADK is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dan daniels View Post
im 30, and i already feel too old

at what point does it become easier to accept that you're never going to be the genius artist that you aspire to? some days i feel like packing it all in...
A high school friend of mine dreamed of a life as a rock star. 25 years later, he made an announcement that he was giving up. He wasn't going to play out anymore. He wasn't going to write new songs. He was going to sell off all his equipment. It wasn't sad that he was giving up; it was sad that he placed so much emphasis on 'being famous' as opposed to just enjoying playing.

I can't imagine the urge to completely pack it in. I can't imagine the utter disappointment my friend is going through to completely give up. I think everyone goes through phases, of course. For much of my 30's, I didn't play at all. I sold or packed up most of my gear. It wasn't that I was giving up or had any dreams of making it big -- I just grew bored with playing the same songs to the same types of crowds. I had a family, a new house, and a career on which to focus.

My true passion is writing fiction, and I can kind of understand the frustration part of all this. It's a tough pill to swallow when you realize all your effort does not lead you to whatever goal you define as 'success'. That definition has morphed through the years, and I've found new outlets and avenues that I never thought of before. All that said, I've never considered not writing. I'd rather write a thousand more stories that no one ever reads than to never write again.

So, you may have to have a good hard look at your true goals, but to pack it all in like my friend would be really unfortunate.



Quote:
Originally Posted by djwayne View Post
I don't want to play out for other people. I want to play for myself. I don't want to take requests for songs I don't know. I don't want to deal with any bar owners who demand you play this or that, or try to cheat you out of your pay. I don't want to play for people who won't stop talking while I'm playing. I don't want to hear anybody booing me. I don't need it. I'm very content to sit at home and play for myself. I'm very content to make recordings and share them with friends and family only.
Wow, this is exactly how I feel. Playing out and dealing with all that became so not worth it for me. I met some great folks and received plenty of compliments, but to expose myself to that kind of scrutiny ended up being a total drag.

I've been thinking about this lately: what is it in us that we feel the desire to put ourselves out there -- to share? And why is that we all have such varied expectations for external validation? Some are happy playing for themselves and maybe a spouse or a pet while others will be satisfied with nothing less than playing concert halls and stadiums. It's interesting....
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