Anyone NOT want to be a pro?

I wanted to be a pro since i started playing 32 years ago. I came close a few times to actually making a living at it but the ups and downs of the business wore me out. Now i'm lost in suburbia (and loving it). My focus now is to develop my technique to the best of my ability. I still would like to be a pro. I haven't ruled that out yet!
 
Too much of a good thing is not a good thing. As much as I dearly love playing the drums for audiences, I don't think I could stomach it all the time as it is now. (meaning unpaid rehearsals, booking the bands, setting up, playing, then breaking down and loading up and then unloading at home etc...)

But...

If I was one of the chosen few on that higher level, the guys who get flown around, have their gear attended to by others, who gets fed and paid well, and is treated well, then yea, I could do it.

But since that's not likely, I realize that it's probably for the best, because I have a balance. I work hard at my electrical thing, and that hard, uncomfortable, often frustrating work gives me a charge of powder that I have built up that needs to "come out" in my playing. Balance is one of the keys to satisfaction. If I didn't have to work real hard for what I have, I wouldn't have the passion I have.
 
To be honest...I don't think I can really imagine doing anything else. Any time I try to do something else I am herded back in this direction. I'm not limited to just drums, but music is, and must be, what I do.
 
I don't mean to hijack the thread but I've seen Matt Smith post this a couple of times.

And yeah, I guess that's why it's a lot tougher and why so many older musicians don't understand what's going on anymore. That especially includes the Internet part of it which is a lot more serious than some seem to want to accept. The whole thing is being rewritten as we speak.

Matt, I'm an older player, in fact our whole group is "older". Our lead singer is old school with respect to his thinking about how to "make it" or "be heard". His thinking from his experience is that you have to get in front of the record label A&R people to get any exposure.

I've put our music on Revernation and a host of other sites and have been networking like crazy. It has been quite an experience. I can't beleive the level of exposure we have achieved in just one month. Now we don't have any record "deals" from this but I think over time we will sell downloads and CD's and this "Internet thing" will help us pay for future recording sessions. We keep writing new music and hopefully this will help us with the financial end of things.

Is this some of what you have been alluding to?
 
Huh..just re read this thread. It's 2019 now. It's winter and I have no band. Got divorced and lost my basement full of gear. Got a new girl and a new home and got a band together in the new space. Tried with them and got some gigs but the keys player would never do his homework. Every rehearsal the first hour was spent re teaching him stuff from the last rehearsal. That became very unfun for me, sitting on my throne being bored. We sold that house and got married. New home only has a small rehearsal space which I had some young guns in. They loved doing open mic gigs. Me not so much, sitting around for hours to play two tunes and be tired for work. I still play a lot though, but mostly just to canned music. Makes me feel good but I do wish I had a band. I enjoy a good guitar player or keys. As I said just another winter. Missed a couple of good opportunities because I was out of town at the wrong time, but that's OK. Sold off most of what gear I had, except what I need for small rehearsals or the occasional gig.
How you all doing?
 
Hi Jim, sorry to hear about your home situation, but glad things are starting to look good again!

Bands are tricky business, it's important that everyone's on the same page, whatever that is - gigging, rehearsing for fun, creating YouTube videos to see who's watching, etc. But as long as you're having fun and aren't too frustrated with your bandmates, you're doing better than a lot of other players!

As you've probably learned, there are a lot of people lurking about who play instruments, some of them quite good. It's just a matter of finding them, and hope that they're of the same mind as you. You'll find some players soon. If they're younger than you, that's okay. You can be a bit of a mentor to them, and they might bring some fresh musical perspectives to you.

Good luck!

Bermuda
 
Going out at night gigging was a young mans game for me. Now I personally don't know how older pro musicians are able to keep going out to venues night after night.... As I get older I just prefer to be at home.
 
Going out at night gigging was a young mans game for me. Now I personally don't know how older pro musicians are able to keep going out to venues night after night.... As I get older I just prefer to be at home.

I think it varies by person, what gear they have to lug around, and the number of gigs in a week. A guitar, amp & pedal board is certainly easier to transport and faster to set-up/tear-down than a set of drums, for example. Or if it's one of those rare regular gigs, the drums can just stay there. As a 20-year-old, I had a 6 night a week gig at a Holiday Inn that lasted for about a year. My drums just lived there, even on the night off. I'd stupidly leave my cymbals on the kit, and fortunately never had a problem. That was a great situation, and made the 6 nights in a row a pleasure. I dare say that 6 nights at 6 different venues would have been less attractive, even as a 'kid'.

Relationship status and the particular gig govern how we feel about hauling gear and being out all night. If it's a project band, hanging around the venue for 5 hours waiting to do a 45-min set for no pay, I can see where a night relaxing is preferable. As soon as there's money involved, suddenly that gig has more purpose, and we tend to embrace it more.

At almost 63, I still look forward to playing, but I also don't have a very rigorous schedule while at home. Contrast that to being on tour, where it's a solid 5 days a week for 3-4 months without a break. However, the comfort level is good, I don't have to handle my gear, and the pay scale is significantly higher than I can make in town. :)

Bermuda
 
The answer is yes - at one time. I just turned 59 a month or so ago and have a good job, I like to go to bed at a normal, regular hour. So the "professional drummer" ship probably sailed decades ago. I started playing drums when I was 8-9 years old, have had a few extended periods when I didn't play, but now I just play for my own enjoyment. The last time I played in a band, George H W Bush was president. This isn't to say I would be opposed to getting together with a couple of friends to jam, but as far as playing for hire, it's just not my thing at this juncture.
 
Hi Jim, sorry to hear about your home situation, but glad things are starting to look good again!

Bands are tricky business, it's important that everyone's on the same page, whatever that is - gigging, rehearsing for fun, creating YouTube videos to see who's watching, etc. But as long as you're having fun and aren't too frustrated with your bandmates, you're doing better than a lot of other players!

As you've probably learned, there are a lot of people lurking about who play instruments, some of them quite good. It's just a matter of finding them, and hope that they're of the same mind as you. You'll find some players soon. If they're younger than you, that's okay. You can be a bit of a mentor to them, and they might bring some fresh musical perspectives to you.

Good luck!

Bermuda

Thanks Bermuda
Right now I have to get back to work after getting a stent put in. Getting old isn't what it's cracked up to be!
Some band mates will come along. I have been looking only halfheartedly.
 
I wanted to be a pro. Became a pro. Made a decent living for 15 years. Had roadies, record deal, tours. Then one day I decided to have a normal life. Still working on that. lol.
 
Still in the sail making business? I used to be a sailboat broker in Huntington and
did a lot of racing.
 
Have never had any desire to be a pro or play in a band at all.. i play for hours every night and just love it. I think if i made it a job i wouldn't love it so much.. right now i'm happy enough just playing til i'm wore out and learning as much as i can :)
 
Still in the sail making business? I used to be a sailboat broker in Huntington and
did a lot of racing.
Yep. I am designing a "light air mainsail" for a Passport 40 as we speak. Spectacularly bad idea, but whatever.
I have wound down the racing some but still enjoy the weekly beer cans in Milford across the way from you.
I was raised for a while in Northport if you are on the island.
Plus I have 3 bikes. Few things in common there!
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