Am I too old?

Dimo drummer

Junior Member
Hi there, im new to this forum so am looking forward to some good conversation with you all. I started playing drums from a very early age but over the last few years i have sadly parted with the sticks due to work changes and commitments. As i am currently unemployed and sick of dead end jobs, i have realised that drumming is something i want to make a career out of so have taken up drumming lessons at a very respected music school. However, my only concern is that i am 26 and i have left it to late to aim for the industry. What do you all think? has anyone on here become full time at a later stage in there life?
 
Re: Am i to old?

do it because you love it my man

don't go looking to make a fortune because disappointment may be in your future if you do

where I do make a fine living playing drums....enough to pay a mortgage and support my small family ....I spent many years making close to nothing and if it were not for my deep love for music and my extremely patient and wonderful wife (then girlfriend) ....I would not have made it through

believe me.....many a nights loading gear into a car double parked in Manhattan in the rain at 2 AM with a crisp $20 bill that the band leader just handed me while cabs beeped at me to get the F out of the way would have me thinking ....what the hell am I doing right now

being able to teach definitely helped pay the bills when the gigs were often pro bono or not much more

don't let the age thing get in your way

the pop scene where the millions are may be a young mans game.....but there is work out there for all of us

it is a matter of going out and getting it .......being available....and staying relevant

study hard, practice hard, love what you do, and take all the gigs thrown your way

print up some business cards and remember peoples names

you've got nothing to lose brother ........now quit reading this and go practice :)
 
Re: Am i to old?

Thanks alot mate, will take your advice on board and stop worrying. A mediocre life is what scares me the most so its now or never. Ive got great tuition sorted and live in a very vibrant, cultural city whith a fantastic music scene so your right, its down to me. Thanks again my man, you've been very inspiring.
 
Re: Am i to old?

lord knows us dysfunctional musicians need a support group :)

thank goodness for places like this ....keeps me sane sometimes......makes me insane other times....

keep us posted on whats going on

I am pretty sure there are members here form around your area........maybe try to network a bit with them

cats around here are generally awesome people all about supporting each other
 
Re: Am i to old?

A mediocre life is what scares me the most so its now or never.

No kidding. I'm living it and it sucks. Believe me, if there's a chance for you, go for it. I feel like a caged animal and I don't know what to do because it is killing my spirit, slowly...
 
Re: Am i to old?

Thanks alot mate, will take your advice on board and stop worrying. A mediocre life is what scares me the most so its now or never. Ive got great tuition sorted and live in a very vibrant, cultural city whith a fantastic music scene so your right, its down to me. Thanks again my man, you've been very inspiring.

Just don't leave your drums hanging around anywhere for too long.....

(Badum....shsssss)

That's a joke from a Manc to a Scouser mate....

Good luck with your lessons
 
Re: Am i to old?

26??? You're young! I have a student right now who started lessons with me as a 37-year-old beginner. This person decided they wanted drumming to be a career instead of a hobby, so they found a way to do 2 lessons per week and about 20 hours per week of practice. It has now been over 2 years of this. More than 2400 practice hours have been logged so far, and this drummer is BURNING. Amazing time, excellent hands, solid reading skills,...you name it. This person is absolutely a professional level rock drummer already, and is continuing to get better and better each week. I just watched this drummer do a gig the other night, and man, it was awesome.

Now...the "make a living part" is a different story. I guess if anyone has the drive to do it, it would be this student. But there are a lot of mitigating factors involved. For one thing, original rock rarely pays much money unless your band becomes an international sensation. Most of the people I know who make a living with drums either teach, or play weddings, or play in a cover band, or play musical theatre, or do any combination of these things. Some people simply don't have the heart to do the type of work I just listed. If playing in rock bars with an original rock band is a person's only interest, I could see it being very hard to make a living...unless, like I said, your band happens to become an international sensation. However, if you don't mind teaching lessons (like nearly every famous drummer does), and you don't mind playing things outside of original rock, and if you're awesome at drumming and an awesome person to deal with, I think a person has a pretty good shot at making a living - maybe not a lavish living, but a living.
 
Re: Am i to old?

Just don't leave your drums hanging around anywhere for too long.....

(Badum....shsssss)

That's a joke from a Manc to a Scouser mate....

Good luck with your lessons

Ha ha, get it all the time even on forums. Cheers for the support mate, north west is the best!
 
Re: Am i to old?

26??? You're young! I have a student right now who started lessons with me as a 37-year-old beginner. This person decided they wanted drumming to be a career instead of a hobby, so they found a way to do 2 lessons per week and about 20 hours per week of practice. It has now been over 2 years of this. More than 2400 practice hours have been logged so far, and this drummer is BURNING. Amazing time, excellent hands, solid reading skills,...you name it. This person is absolutely a professional level rock drummer already, and is continuing to get better and better each week. I just watched this drummer do a gig the other night, and man, it was awesome.

Now...the "make a living part" is a different story. I guess if anyone has the drive to do it, it would be this student. But there are a lot of mitigating factors involved. For one thing, original rock rarely pays much money unless your band becomes an international sensation. Most of the people I know who make a living with drums either teach, or play weddings, or play in a cover band, or play musical theatre, or do any combination of these things. Some people simply don't have the heart to do the type of work I just listed. If playing in rock bars with an original rock band is a person's only interest, I could see it being very hard to make a living...unless, like I said, your band happens to become an international sensation. However, if you don't mind teaching lessons (like nearly every famous drummer does), and you don't mind playing things outside of original rock, and if you're awesome at drumming and an awesome person to deal with, I think a person has a pretty good shot at making a living - maybe not a lavish living, but a living.
Thanks so much for taking the time to write this very encouraging reply, its not only given me great insight in to what can be achieved but has made me start thinking realistically about where i can take it as a career. Again, i really appreciate the support and how helpfull yourself and everyone else has been.
 
Re: Am i to old?

Ha ha, get it all the time even on forums. Cheers for the support mate, north west is the best!

Agreed...

And Liverpool really is an amazing city...

I did a pub crawl three weeks ago around the real ale pubs across there...amazing day...bowl of scouse for my lunch as well....brilliant stuff.

Enjoy the drumming.
 
Re: Am i to old?

In my mid 60's most everyone I know of my generation would say "in your 20's if you are
not saddled with responsibility that you have to provide for, like wife, kids etc...GO FOR IT!"
Your 20's is the time to go for it but anytime after that is ok too. What I mean is, most everyone I know doesn't think much about anything they did before their 30's now because
we realize that what came before was experimenting, growing, learning, making lots of mistakes and doing a lot of things right etc. Be realistic but do go for your dreams and work
very hard at it.
 
Re: Am i to old?

if you don't try then you have no chance at all. if drumming is your passion then do it.
 
Re: Am i to old?

26?

You're just getting started brother. Never too old to enjoy any passion you may still have in life.
 
Re: Am i to old?

If you're afraid of a mediocre life you're setting yourself up to be miserable. Just being honest. I get less than mediocre gigs from time to time. So even if you do play drums for a living, that alone won't save you from mediocrity.

I might be the lone ranger here in saying it's an over saturated market in a near crippled industry. Is it impossible to make a living at it? No. But don't expect to play what you want all the time. Like any good service or business you have to be versatile and take gigs that aren't always the flashiest, or you'll get eaten by the competition. You also need the small gigs too to build the resume. Often they open new doors that lead to more opportunities. Networking!!

The older cats on here might disagree but things have changed quite a bit since they slugged it out. We're getting a tidal wave of musicians and wannabes. A gazillion of them! The bar has been raised much higher than it used to be. There are so many music institutes now, it's mind blowing.

Most drummers I know wind up having a couple gigs and teaching on the side along with some other full time or part time job. They set out to do it full time but fall back to PT after a few years. The rise in the cost of living doesn't help either.

If you have a real burning love and passion for it, an excellent work ethic, are a natural at it, don't mind playing gigs that wouldn't be your first choice and can see playing drums as your BUSINESS, then you have a shot. It is by no stretch of the imagination easy or a walk in the park.

Call me the devil's advocate but I'm just bringing some harsh realities to the table. Not trying to talk you out of it by any means. You just have to be all in if you want to make it.
 
Re: Am i to old?

I think I'm going to write up something I can just copy and paste on these relentless "am I too old?" threads.

Yes. You're too old. Give up now, kill yourself and send me your drums before you do so. 26 is ancient in the drumming world and I bet you probably physically couldn't make the movements at your old age.
 
Re: Am i to old?

Thought this was another "Just turned 76- should I start learning drums"? threads.
In the music/entertainment world I suppose 26 is considered "old" but geez....
 
Re: Am i to old?

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