Life After Drumming?

con struct

Platinum Member
Is it possible? I never could have imagined not playing the drums. I've been a working drummer for almost my entire life.
BUT. I'm 56 years old. My elbow joints hurt. My wrists hurt. I feel alright basically, I'm pretty thin and limber and I don't eat much, but I just can't do what I used to be able to do.
I've known this for awhile and I chose to ignore it, but now I've been offered a spot in a new band that looks as though it may actually be something. And I'm passing on it.
This is the first time in my life that I've passed on something like this, but man I just can't play like I used to. Can't do it. I don't need the money, such as it is, but the music looks really interesting. Still...there's no way I could pull it off and feel good about it.
I guess the years have taken their toll. You just can't play the drums when you're hurting, when your arms and wrists aren't working for you.
So I passed on the offer. I really don't want to get into all that rehearsing and gigging and hauling drums around anymore, doing sound checks, hanging around in dressing rooms, going back to a motel room at 3:00 in the morning. I guess I'm just burned out.
Anyway, I can't play very well anymore. Probably I should go to my doctor, but all he's going to tell me is that I've had my run and now I'm paying for my past. Okay.
So I'm going back to music school to study arranging, really study and learn it this time. And I'm going to just start taking it easy, you know, catch up on things that I haven't had the time for, read books I've been meaning to read, try to see what else life has to offer.
I'll always have my drums, but my days of being an impressive drummer are well behind me. And I'm okay with that. From now on playing the drums will be for fun, that is if I can still play at all.
 
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i'm 18 and that story scared me

Oh no, please don't be scared. You've got decades ahead of you, decades of music and life. It's very, very good, this life that we've chosen.
You're young. You don't need to do all the stupid things some of us old guys did. Life was very different back then.
Fifty six really isn't old, it's just how you live those fifty six years. Live them well and take care of yourself and you'll be just fine.
 
Reading this and the Jim Chapin RIP thread brought across a point to me:

There's going to be a day when you have to stop playing. In Jim's case, wheel-chair bound he could still watch people play, evaluate their hand technique, pass on his wisdom. Even if he couldn't get out and tear up the kit in front of thousands of people he still had a place in the drumming community.

With you, you've decided to pursue arranging. And that's a great thing. There's nothing wrong with being a 'teacher' or an 'arranger' or a 'composer', sure, they might not get the fame and glory of being a 'pro drummer' (fame and glory? hah!) , but in the end it's your life, and it's what you do with it. If your happy with your choices then good on you.
 
Thank you, oops. As to the fame and glory, well...it's all relative. But yes, I've played at arranging for some time now and this time I'm going to get it nailed. It'll take a few years but I've got those years, so I might as well use them!
 
There comes a time when you're at the crossroads in life, and which road to take can be a very difficult decision. That said, power comes from making a decision.

I made mine in my late twenties. Too many broken up bands, too many years on the road, and too many broken dreams. I'm sixty. I played for a couple hours today and my body hurts, so I know what you mean. It's not that I don't love playing drums and music. I do. It's in my DNA, but there comes a time when reality rears it's ugly head.

I joined a band a couple of years ago and after a few months it just wasn't worth the hassle. I decided it would be better to do what I do at home and not deal with all those things that caused me to leave the music biz many years ago.

I really have no regrets. I can still play when I want to and it still brings me great joy.

If you want to get into arranging, do it. I'm going to retire in a couple of years and I plan to give lessons to kids. At least get them started. My days of gigging are over.

There was a time when I played in front of 50,000 people. Things change. Sometimes you just have to face the music.

Best.
 
Maybe you should call it "Life After Gigging", you can always drum.
 
Hey Conrad, I'm getting there so i understand that fact that you are torn between your emotional needs and your physical limitations.. but I'd still say go for it. Why? Because old toothless tigers always find new ways, ways to make everything work for them.

A superlight gigging kit, early nights and some mild pain killers is all that stands between you and your pessimism ; )

g'luck.
 
I hear ya, I'm 47 & have been gigging for 34 years. My playing is probably the best that it's ever been thanks to playing every weekend and Todd Sucherman's video, but my knees are shot from arthritis, I can play fine but gear shlepping is getting harder, the inter-band drama is getting tiresome, & the occasional weekends off are getting to be more & more enjoyable. Not ready to hang it up yet, but I can see the horizon where I couldn't five years ago.
 
I'm 50 and just getting started on phase 2 of my drumming journey.
Young uns take note....take care of that bod as best as you can.
 
At 61 my gigging days are far behind me, but not my playing days. I didn't gig for a long time but feel I know where you are coming from. Now I play for me and the neighbors that are within ear shot. Some days after work I am two beat up from work to even sit on the throne without a seat belt so I just stare at my drums for a bit and move on. The knee pains, the wrist pains, shoulder stiffness and other ills, have taken their toll but nothing will stop me. I was out of drumming for too long to want to quit now that I have started again. I try to play every day but sometimes don't succeed. Slow your pace, change genres if necessary but keep doing what you love. That's why we are all here.
 
Hey Conrad, I'm getting there so i understand that fact that you are torn between your emotional needs and your physical limitations.. but I'd still say go for it. Why? Because old toothless tigers always find new ways, ways to make everything work for them.

A superlight gigging kit, early nights and some mild pain killers is all that stands between you and your pessimism ; )

g'luck.

Thank you aydee. Yeah, well, I will be there for the first informal rehearsal, where drums will be provided, just to see how it goes. But there are some young hot-shot drummers around who could ace this thing, and I'm thinking that they deserve the chance just as much if not more than I do.
 
At 61 my gigging days are far behind me, but not my playing days. I didn't gig for a long time but feel I know where you are coming from. Now I play for me and the neighbors that are within ear shot. Some days after work I am two beat up from work to even sit on the throne without a seat belt so I just stare at my drums for a bit and move on. The knee pains, the wrist pains, shoulder stiffness and other ills, have taken their toll but nothing will stop me. I was out of drumming for too long to want to quit now that I have started again. I try to play every day but sometimes don't succeed. Slow your pace, change genres if necessary but keep doing what you love. That's why we are all here.

I'm about 10 years behind you, but I know from which you speak. Arthritic knees and ankles, a bad rotator cuff in one shoulder, etc. I don't think I'll ever be without a kit again, even if it's only for me and the dog (she's already deaf). I am kind of half-heartedly searching for some local guys around my age to jam with. I don't think I have the fortitude to attempt gigging again. Maybe an occasional local festival or something, but it would really depend on finding a great group of guys with the same interests.
 
See, tonight I've been playing for about an hour and man I'm sore. My back, my arms. Oh boy.
I'm going to take my pad and just play fives over fours while I watch MSNBC, at least try to get my hands happening.
By the way, Chollyred, I see that you live in Loganville, Georgia. There's a guy down there named Paul Montineri, he's a real drum-tech wiz. Bearing edges, modifications, restoring, you name it, the guy really knows the drum inside and out. He even builds drum kits. Are you familiar with him?
 
This story makes me kick myself in the ass even harder, for not starting when I was younger...when I first had the interest and a live-in teacher. It helps me make more of everyday that I DO have, however.

I'm a life-long weight training enthusiast and recently picked the practice up again. It's been said that weight training is the fountain of youth. It's never too late to start, either. ;)
 
I'm a life-long weight training enthusiast and recently picked the practice up again. It's been said that weight training is the fountain of youth. It's never too late to start, either. ;)

Hah! Yeah, I can just see my skinny-ass 56-year-old body trying to lift weights. On the other hand, it may be something to look into. I could probably press about, oh, 20 pounds!
 
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