I don't know who you're listening to but I think you need to rethink your future before you become just another old man shaking his head saying, "kids these days."
Ken, I don't really think it's that. Drum forums and youtube have an entire community of middle aged guys who are mad about a lot of stuff. And I'm not talking about very serious players like Steamer, the polite and ageless
soak it all in guys like Gruntersdad and mikeii, or interesting guys with a sense of humor like Jon Cable. There really are a lot of older guys who show up to these things angry, when to me that doesn't make a whole lotta sense.
Until recently I personally got all riled up about this personal attack junk, but then it was explained to me by a truly great older musician that older guys who are never present as players but position themselves as top end critics are usually not part of the life anyway. So this is their way of being around. They also are big with using
musicality as a comfortable catchphrase, throw their kids and their ages into the mix and lecture in the exact same place about how the younger guy has
growing up to do when it's them who are frustrated. I've seen it all and I'm over it.
Not that long ago, I was on another forum where I was in a really nice debate with an older 30 year pro that I thought a lot of as a person and a musician. We disagreed about something, so I thought it would be cool to see the whole both sides thing, and while doing so, learn stuff from this guy. I should also say that HE was totally cool with the idea.
Well, 2 or 3 posts into it some middle aged self proclaimed wing man joined in, telling me what a young punk I was for having the nerve to debate this 30 year vet, the youth of today, their arrogance, growing up to do, etc, etc. Then it just turned into a discussion about me and him, when the original discussion was going great. I even told him that I wasn't going to roll in the mud with him, and he kept trying to bait, sort of like this guy here. Then I just left the board, and when I came back a few days later and he was still at it. Oh well.
Well, upon investigation, I found out this guy was barely out of his 20s himself, had played maybe 12 gigs in his life, worked in random sales jobs, and his myspace was unlistenable. It was obvious that he had only joined in to bring attention to this fantasy he had created. It was no different than those guys who go on computers thinking they're Star Trek characters.
So again, I wish this guy well. I guess we all have our roles. He thinks just respecting Peart's career isn't enough. You have to consider him a god, and if you don't see it that way you're a heretic. Well I just don't see it that way, and if anything, my growing up has helped that perspective not hurt it.
I'm off this discussion for the time being. Thanks.