Why do old guys play old music?

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disentangled
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What motivates us to play music ?

Post by disentangled »

The older I get and the more I discover the unending aspects of music, both with my own ability and the music of the world, the more I come to understand that musicians need to share their voice with others.

Musicians who enjoy what they are playing will propably help the listener enjoy it too and style preference will work itself out since the audience/listener is what it comes down to.

Most "non-musician" music fans don't really care how much of a technical monster a player is but what they do care about is how the music makes them feel. Music is emotion.

Music without words, no matter how increadible us musicians think a piece is (Love Supreme comes to mind among many) the general casual listener wants to hear lyrics and a beat they can tap their toe to, dance to, whatever. Most people just want to hear a song, not an arrangement. Some do which makes it worth the extra effort.

Music also has a powerful effect on memories, both good and bad. We have all been in a situation where someone reguests a certain song when it didn't fit the band, scene, set-list, etc. Earlier this year I was in a project cover band for the fun of it (remember the fun part?) and this half lit, half dizzed out hot blonde walks up to me between songs and asked me if we played any Byonce'. The band went silent for the first time ever. The male lead singer didn't hear the request, thankfully. My reply was simple. "Um, mam, we're a rock band".

Ya now what ? She wanted to hear what made her feel good, not that the martini's weren't working their magic lube just fine. She was right though.

So anyway, sorry for the long reply. I just think musicians invest so much time in honing our skills (rightly so) that we forget that everyday people just want entertained and don't give a rats ass about most things technical and want us to help them feel good, make some good memories for the night and off they go back to their regular lives.

Another aspect and frustrating for some musicians is the more refined or avant-garde the music is, the more limited the audience will be. Very limited in a small city.

The choice of style or styles is a musicians choice and I totally understand it and support it. A paying audience may not be so understanding.

In a nutshell, there are far more non-musicians than musicians and they will always determine what is popular and what is not. We don't have to like it (one way or the other) but it is worth taking some time to understand it, especially if you want to play music and actually make a few bucks along the way. Finding a way to share your music with those that appreciate it is worth the effort, but it may not pay a dime.

Playing music for our own enjoyment is fine too and I'm not looking to be flamed or agreed with here. I also agree to step outside our normal musical boundries, styles, genre, etc. and find ways to incorporate all of it in a coherent way. It may take a lifetime but isn't that what helps motivate us to play and keep learning ?

Music is the last Universal Language to survive. Do your part, whatever it is you choose to play or not play.

It's not all bad having the freedom to choose either. :)
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tiny
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Post by tiny »

Since the thread derailed into a 'slam Brother' fest...I gotta chime in with my two cents worth here. Recordstar hit it on the head.

I've known Mike and Mark for close to THIRTY years now (although if they have a bio, I'm sure the dates won't match up--that WOULD make them old guys--lol.) They are both talented musicians. Both Mark and Mike have worked more dates than most bands here will ever hope to book in their careers--not to mention Michael and Richard, the guys that make up the other half of Brother, who are experienced and talented in their own right. And as a band, they're still going strong, playing to their strengths, and entertaining crowds on a regular basis--where naysayers here and elsewhere sit at home, and wish they had a gig.

I realize that playing covers is a sin on this board. That's not a can of worms I care to open here. But for many of the people on this board that slam anything that isn't original/thrash/metal/killcore/emo/goth/punk....I don't see anyone clamoring to listen to your songs, or wanting to hire you to entertain their patrons. Instead, all I hear here is how the local community doesn't give a damn about local music. Maybe they don't. Or MAYBE....they just don't care about yours. Not all bands are as good as their members think they are. There may even be a handful that deserve neither encouragement, nor respect.

When you're to the point when you're turning away work, instead of cryassing about why no one will hire you, or begging places to let you play, THEN you can dog local musicians that have talent and drive, and go out and show it to their fans on a regular basis. Until then, I suggest you go out, sit and sip a diet cola, and listen to these guys ENTERTAIN with well done covers. Music that is known, and liked, by the masses.

To all the young guns....let's see where you are in two, five, ten, fifteen, twenty years. How many of you will even be playing at all, let alone doing it regularly, or getting anyone to come and see you? ?

Some 'old guys' play old songs cause they love playing....some cause it makes them money. If you're lucky, when you're an 'old guy', you'll still get to do both. Money for nothing and the chicks for free...isn't that a big part of why EVERYONE gets in this kind of work?

Just my .02.
TINY....
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tinytunesdjs.com

also occasionally on 92.3 The Fort

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Post by bassjones »

thread's not exactly going where I wanted it to go. I wasn't speaking of anyone in particular and I've never heard Brother at all. Not my thing. If they've got people coming out and they're being entertained, cool. I feel the same way about all the Plow dissing on here. They're a good band playing music THEY love. That's not what I was referring to anyway. I'm more concerned with old guys dissing new music than young guys dissing old music at any rate. The young guys will eventually discover the old stuff and learn from it (most likely, anyway). I just don't understand why some old guys (I count myself as an old guy, btw) automatically discount new music, unless it sounds like old music. I personally like music that's more challenging to play and experimental in nature and I'm always looking out for new stuff. Most new pop or pop rock music, I can't stand, but then again I couldn't stand it 20 years ago (exceptions being Duran Duran, Level 42, and U2) either. At the same time, there are young cats doing some incredible things - Hadrien Feraud for one - and I like searching for it.
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Post by Bjart Sod »

Bumping an old thread, yeah, but I have a few minutes to kill at work.

I'm not old yet (I'll hit that 30 mark in a few years though), but I was recently looking back and creating a sort of musical autobiography of things I was into at various times. And I realized that after 1996, I virtually stopped buying CDs the year that they came out with very few exceptions. I think most people go through some period like that, where the bands they liked change or break up, and they just don't become interested in new music. Around the time this happened to me, the radio was being swamped with boy bands and teenage girls.

But instead of dropping out, I started looking backwards and outwards. I started listening to the groups who influenced my favorite bands, and I fell into jazz and folk around the same time.

Others seem to treat music like a soundtrack for their lives, rather than something to explore. If all you want to play is 70s blues rock, you can easily learn what you need to know in a few years and just go on comfortably playing the same solos every night.
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And dumped him in the cold Ontario[/i]
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Post by Pullimic »

I'm having the same problem in my band brad, it's more of people get stuck in their ways, then they sit back and wonder when they're around 40 why they only know 60 or 70 songs(covers of course) originals on the other hand it's hard to keep recreating the wheel and make it different while still being a wheel and people get trapped in thier styles either by accident or by trying to please a fan base without alienating them. an example of this is the breaking away from the 1, 4, 5 topic which has been a big help to me on pushing myself further in different directions than I would go on my own. I also think alot of it has to do with personal modivation, it takes alot sometimes to push yourself to learn new material and other times it seems to come easy. 10 years ago if you would have told me that I'd learn to play country on my bass I'd look at you sideways and laugh at you, but as I grew with my bass playing I came to realize that it would help me in other forms of music.

I'll go ahead and speak on the covers thing, anyone can write a riff and call it a song, weather it's any good or not is a different story and anyone with enough practice can play a cover song. you learn something from EVERY musician you jam with, weather it be something good or a bad habit you pick up while playing you learn. the same goes for songs if you learn to play other peoples songs you learn techniques and it's good practice. also the more you get out of your "box" musically the better you will become and the better you originals should become. I realize being in a cover band isn't everyone's cup of tea but you shouldn't talk somebody down who does play covers, it takes just as much a musician to play a cover and make it sound good as it does to write a good song.
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Post by boxofrocks »

Good topic,
I just turned 31 on the 15th.
New rock is mostly aimed at kids, 16-20 something and then you are expected to move to the golden oldies station. Mainly because that's who buys music.I find it hard sometimes to be interested in an 18 year olds angst.
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Post by bassjones »

boxofrocks wrote:Good topic,
I just turned 31 on the 15th.
New rock is mostly aimed at kids, 16-20 something and then you are expected to move to the golden oldies station. Mainly because that's who buys music.I find it hard sometimes to be interested in an 18 year olds angst.
fake angst at that...
"brad!
...your tunes and your playing sound really great... all the best to you and god bless-
adam nitti" www.myspace.com/adamnittimusic

www.bradjonesbass.com
http://groups.myspace.com/northeastindianabassplayers
www.myspace.com/bassjones
www.myspace.com/whitehotnoise
www.esession.com/bradjones - hire me for your session from anywhere in the world.
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