Very Surprised!

#1 son says the urge to create music died out in him. I got him his first guitar at 13. It was one that had traveled with Debbie Gibsons band. He still has it and some others. His first band -Scumby, got him started making music. Then years later, he and a friend started Ahisma. Wasn't really my kind of music, but I recognized the talent and thought they could go somewhere with it. Well--they broke up. Last buncha' years he's been in ninth moon black. They bought a trailer, a van and traveled the states. They had people that liked them. Now the female drummer quit and the boy is going to quit too, even though he started the band. The others in the band are disappointed---but --so it goes.

He was a natural bass player and once competed to make a band in LA against bass players from LA , Vegas and all points south. He won. They weren't serious enough--he quit.

He just looked around at his friends and others STILL traveling and not really ever making a living at it---so he's hanging his guitars up for --how long?? Who knows? It's not easy to break into the music biz and have it sustain over time. I know a son of one of the VERY,VERY biggest acts in the 50s--lives right there in Nashville--and HE can't make, good as he is.

I don't suppose he'll actually stop for all time. I don't see how a musician really could.

My gramma (born in 1884) played guitar and mandolin at 16, but fell off a horse and ruined her left hand. Music-gone. She had two sons--my dad and my uncle--no music there. Then came me and my cousins--no music there. So I was happy to get #1 going to get music back in the family. This last x-mas, I gave #1's daughter a guitar and amp, hoping that she would/will take up music as her dad had done. No progress there yet. One can hope, I guess. She's 11.

 

I think you are right in that if you have a musical talent and it comes from in you to want to play and express it is something you will always do, even if not professionally. It is just there.

It is so difficult to make a living entertaining. Sad that.

Who know, maybe in the future he will go back to it. I can also understand needing to stop for a while though.

 

making it in the music biz has a little to do with talent, and a lot to do with connections, luck, and the business end of music, imho

 

Yes, I agree with that, except for truly amazing talent that happens to be in the RIGHT place at the RIGHT time. Duane Eddy was as BIG as it gets in the 50s and he still goes to europe where some people still dig his stuff. His son is a drummer-singer is who I was referring to. He started to work with Michael McDonald on a record ---but they got side tracked.

And the 'who you know' doesn't count much on THE VOICE,seemingly. All about the voice, not presentation. I watch it and enjoy unknowns getting a shot.

 

Oh, Scratcho, I feel for you and him.

I have a very dear friend who is a vocalist/songwriter and has had his own band for all of his adult life. He is in constant angst/joy with it. There's not enough money in it to quit work and tour. It ends it costing to play lots of times.

He rants and raves and thinks moving across country will help but I remind him that he has done that several times already. He hasn't reached your son's point yet.

After all the ranting and cussing, a few weeks will pass and he is excited again. It seems to torture him.

 

only the talentless fucks making money today. Its a pathetic shame whats become of the music industry.

 

there are other creative expressions in life besides music. maybe in his mind he designs things other then sequences of sounds. certainly everyone has to have their own thoughts, dreams and perspectives.
personally i can live without most of the kinds of music most people are willing to pay money for.
(and not very many seem to relate to the kind i find inspiring to live with)

 

I don't remember who said this or if this is even the exact quote but it was basically something like "The best musicians never get "discovered", the best songs never get recorded and the best records never get played on the radio". As a musician with a son who is damn near a prodigy....this is something I've made sure he is well aware of. We are musicians because we love playing music....not because we ever think we will make it big. It sounds like maybe your son is a little burned out but I bet he'll come back around after a break. If you're a very passionate artist...I think taking breaks is kind of natural because you get so consumed with what you do that sometimes you just want to step away and let your brain settle a bit (if that makes any sense). I know that I go through intense creative phases and then I hit a wall and just get frustrated. I just have to step away and regroup (while still playing with the band but just not writing or working on anything new, etc).

 

I have a lot of musician friends and while none of them have reached a point where they are making a living at it, they have done so much to transform this area and create a musical culture that makes living here a little more fun for anyone with a modern musical appreciation. Perhaps if your son doesn't "make it" he can still figure out a way to turn it into a productive hobby.

 

Well, the boy never assumed he'd hit it big---just enough to make a living at it. I think he could have "made it" if he had kept his pecker in his pants. His boy is now turning 18 and his daughter is 11. He didn't just take off ---he remained to raise his kids, which is the way it had to be. Like you said wizard--maybe he's just needing to step away for a while. He'll be 38 march 16th, so that's 25 years playing.

I think he'll rise again somehow--don't think one can play that long and just hang 'em up for too long. Thanks for commenting, you folks.

Have to add: it would be a HELL of a loss to our roofing company if he quit to play music. He absolutely KILLS on the roof. Works as hard as anyone I have seen in the trade.

 

unsung talent....

I am sorry, Scratcho....

but the show must go on, and your son needs to keep doing what he loves to do.....whatever that may be....

 

Outta' likes for today-dag-nabbit.

 

"road less travelled"


comes to mind.

 

My heart goes to all of y'all in this, my friend.

Not so surprisingly (it seems) I too come from a very musical family - on both my mother and father's side. I actually have one 1st cousin that taught music at a bible college (yes, I know...don't cringe too hard... ) but LEFT that because they were just too judgemental and narrow minded, and she is now drawing some retirement and starting up her a "new" student business, teaching piano. She is the absolute exception, tho... Everybody in the family has exceptional musical talent with the piano and/or singing, but I can assure you nobody has made a living of any type from their talent.

Your boy apparently has immense talent, so there is really no doubt that he will play...just perhaps not in the same venue as he has been doing. I can't imagine having such raw freakin talent and playing for people (for the most part) that were more interested in what they were drinking, smoking, and who they were doing. That alone would eventually make me insane.

At least at piano recitals, theater, or symphony/opera they pretend to like and know what the musicians are doing. lol

When my brother went to the College of Charleston and then later lived in Houston, for a few years, got paid gigs where he was in an acappello group, and then he was in a choir that actually had try outs and paid their singers a stipend, but certainly it was nothing you'd do for the money. lol

Just had to add in these .02 worth, and be one of those that'll send good vibes, etc your way. ....both to you and your boy.

I think its actually a healthy thing, emotionally, that he's done this. He has the courage to put it down while he's young enough BUT also old enough to do something serious about his life. It just sounds like he's considering what he's doing with his life...this innate talent he was born with won't let him put it all down, period. You know that.

Some of the most beautifully played music I've ever heard was acoustic spanish guitar. Spanish guitar made me feel :gorgeous: .

 

My project is totally anonymous unless I can hook up with a talented vocalist who I could write and produce.Writing and producing is the greatest joy to me and I'll keep on working on it till the end.I am a member of a studio in London called core arts which is specifically for people with varying degrees of mental health problems.They have macs running Logic with roving tuition,and a fully equipped jam room with outboard recording facility.They also have a dedicated well equipped tech room for people working on more complex productions.

This place is a lifeline to me.I attend on Fridays but hope to go on Wednesdays too soon.They also put on regular gigs for members to perform.I hope to get more involved as I slowly gain my confidence.

 

It's possible. I haven't performed in front of anybody except at home in about ten years. If he ends up just being a highly knowledgeable music fan, is that really so terrible? I definitely don't have a bad life.

 

I did that "yesterday", too. lol

:rofl:

I don't think my 24 hour lift on likes is up either.

 

Thanks for the input,Karen, Lynn and others. I truly wish I had kept up piano lessons. I wanted to be outside doing outside stuff.

 

But you're still a musician, regardless of whether you perform in front of anyone or not. In these past 10 years, you've used your instrument I'd bet. no really

It doesn't make a damn that I have stage fright and could not perform chopsticks without err if I had to do it with 5 people in the room listening...I just suddenly became like this at my last piano recital..but another story for another day.

I'm still a pianist.

I believe music and my piano lessons are something that will "pay off" to me for the rest of my life...

I even cleaned off the piano and have been playing these last few nights, before this thread came up.

 

Sounds like he's got a gift. Not much you can do to help gifted people, I reckon, 'cept worry they're not going to live up to their natural talents.