milod Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Daryl M... You're not the only guy in that situation I've know who made similar decisions. I do have a friend who's kinda "retiring" and turning his band operation over to a daughter though. He did it full time on a regional basis and could make a living and raise a family. She's done it more as a weekend warrior and realized that she's gotta look "hot" (which she does at well over 30) but not scummy and will do well, I think. But the dollars in music, as noted above, ain't there as they were in the 60s forward unless there's a good road run and as you said... it's not much of a normal sorta life. Your work at Gibson likely is frustrating at times, rewarding at others... and you can still pull clean underwear out of a drawer at home 'stedda wondering when the laundry will get done on the road... <grin> m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Its odd to see how times have changed. My Dad supported my Mom and 4 kids through the late 70s and early 80s as a career musician. ... Now its 2011 and both my wife and I work full time. Combined we make more than four times what my Dad made in the early 80s, but enjoy roughly the same standard of living. ... It was the 80's man. When US inflation hit two digits, one income families were forced into warehousing the kids so they could be a two income family. There was no choice. We've never recovered from that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 ...In 1980s, people flew to Atlantic City to bet big, blow thousands on room service, and sip first growth Bordeaux. Now, the same consumers drop a fiver on the slots before lining up with their coupons for the $3 buffet. Atlantic City is suffering because they have not ridden the waves of change. ... Makes me EVER so glad my congress is contemplating land based casinos... in a big way. Sheesh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 RE: two-income families nowadays. I know today's Republicans like to blame today's Democrats and vice versa for the current near requirement for two income families, but... I look back at my youth and what I've seen happen. Here's the true dollar bottom line: Double the work force, cut the average paycheck in half. It's kinda economics 101. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harpo Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Hi, Does anyone already arrived at a crossroad of your life (36 years old in my case) where you feel yourself trapped between your professional life and your passion of music? I have had to change job and I have 4 hours drive per day only to go and back, so I will have to move, but I will move in the country, far from any big city musical night life. That 's sad, I regret time when I was a teenager There is no music or musicians in the country? DAMN!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Yeah... I got noticing that "country" is relative. Where I live a 100 km. drive to a gig would be considered "close," not "far." And... from my perspective there's not really anyplace in Belgium that is not "city" as compared to "country." In fact, in the daytime where I live, there are several directions one might drive where it is about 120 km between gasoline stations in the daytime. But then, my idea of "rural" means a population density of roughly 1 person or less per 780 hectares. (1/3 per square mile) m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 For me it happened at the age of 23-24.... I decided I was done with music... just felt old for some strange reason Yeah, I was about that same age, when I made that same decision. There were 2 things, that contributed. I too, felt "old," for some odd reason, and...the music was changing, rather dramatically, at the time. "Disco" was king, or becoming so. I wanted no part, in that. Had a good career, in Photography, for 30 years, and then started playing, a little bit, again, around 2000. Oddly/ironically, it makse me feel "younger," somehow, nowadays! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahKeen Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 At 44, I'm starting an exciting chapter in my music life. I feel like I'm 17. Thank God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 At 44, I'm starting an exciting chapter in my music life. I feel like I'm 17. Thank God. Digress a little more, to , say, 5: Mommy? can I have a toy? canIcanIcanIcanIcanIcanI pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze?????????????? Pure love, brother, pure love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahKeen Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Digress a little more, to , say, 5: Mommy? can I have a toy? canIcanIcanIcanIcanIcanI pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze?????????????? Pure love, brother, pure love. 17 is the new 5.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adius Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Was playing as a pro drummer at 15 in Seattle. Union card and doing casuals. Went to college and seemed to major in Rock and Roll. Got through and had a very good time doing it. Graduated in '68. RAn music store for 18 mos. Army Reserve. Lounge Lizard saving for grad school. The day before classes started, got a call from a LL buddy with a 6 month gig at Lake Louise then 6 months on a cruise ship. Existential crisis. Decided although I love music, I wasn't sure that it loved me. Decided to take up a career I enjoyed and play week-end music warrior. Have never regretted it. Lost some chops along the path but managed to do both and count myself very fortunate. Music paid most of my way through school. What I see now are hundreds of incredibly talented musicians who have the complete package to make it but there are so many of them and so few gigs that they have day jobs to support their love. Not saying it's that way for everyone because there are some who make it big but not many. I've gone to the Puget Sound guitar Workshop a couple times and saw talent in the instructors there that was just flat amazing. They're happy but hand to mouth, many of them. Know that reality when you're deciding. I play in two bands and was in one bar band for about 10 years and had a blast. Quit because it was getting in the way of my job which I also loved. Music can be a cruel mistress if you expect her to feed you. YMMV I'm usually a pretty upbeat person. Really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adius Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Nuts. How do you delete? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnastynebr Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 RE: two-income families nowadays. I know today's Republicans like to blame today's Democrats and vice versa for the current near requirement for two income families, but... I look back at my youth and what I've seen happen. Here's the true dollar bottom line: Double the work force, cut the average paycheck in half. It's kinda economics 101. m I wasn't trying to start a commentary on two income families, Milod, but its a little more complicated that econ 101. My point was that current climates are inhospitable to career musicians when many of the old timers on the forum can recall the days when bands were actually paid well. It doesn't need to be the "crossroads" that everyone on the forum seems to have reached at some point. Its easier and less expensive than ever to record music at your home and share it with your friends on facebook or youtube, or send out an email and let your friends know that your combo is playing a pub next weekend. Just because our gear consists of technology that has been outdated for the last 60 years doesn't mean that our definition of being a successful musician needs to be half a century old, too. Some of the greatest musicians in history lived broke and in squalor, only to gain fame after their deaths, so even being a true master is no guarantee of financial stability. Just keep making music. That's what its all about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awel Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 Where are you moving from and where are you moving to? I mean, if you are driving for four hours a day, say two hours each way, and you live in Belgium, you are either going to France, the Netherlands, Germany or Luxembourg. Let's face it, when you drive for a couple of hours in Belgium, you are in a different country You're right, I live in Belgium and work in Luxembourg :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 RE: two-income families nowadays. I know today's Republicans like to blame today's Democrats and vice versa for the current near requirement for two income families, but... I look back at my youth and what I've seen happen. Here's the true dollar bottom line: Double the work force, cut the average paycheck in half. It's kinda economics 101. m I'm not blaming any particular party, it was just the way it was. And, yes, I can see doubling the work force will necessarily dilute the supply which eventually drives the value down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Just a quick note, then to work... My first response, complete to the vid, just got pasted into my "history and philosophy" forum. Metaphor and allegory. How do we learn? Can we see behind music, history, our neighbors' barbecue and my own neighbors traveling to fight a flood on the Missouri? Can we see how all things contain lessons veiled in metaphor and allegory, but that we must open the doors of our minds to see them? Can we continue learning as a joy even if our personal situation might be far from joyous? When our situation might seem joyous, do we learn to recognize how it may not continue to be so and therefore consider we may sometime have need to change our pathway? m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 That's really deep Milo. Really, really deep. And profound. Sounds almost like Shakespeare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaj Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 You're right, I live in Belgium and work in Luxembourg :) I lived in Brussels for 13-14 years and my parents still do. So, Luxembourg... yes... well... I now see what you mean. There's not much going on in Luxembourg... But on the plus side, Koln and Bonn aren't too far away, maybe 1 hour. And being close to Koln would mean going to Musicstore quite often. There are always things going on in Koln so you'll probably be quite well off there. Of course, Brussels is 2 hours away and so is Frankfurt... I don't think it is all that bad if you can play your guitars, if you can meet up with good people and your loved ones, and if you're happy, then it's all good! Best of luck to you and I truly hope you enjoy life in Luxembourg! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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