Moderators daddymack Posted September 27, 2011 Moderators Share Posted September 27, 2011 I think what I am seeing is a tendency for older musicians, with decades of experience, to find it worthwhile to forgo the whole band gestalt and go 'small'...so I thought it would be interesting to post a poll as to the ages of the participants here...think of it as social data gathering... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members richardmac Posted September 27, 2011 Members Share Posted September 27, 2011 I think you are correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Howie22 Posted September 27, 2011 Members Share Posted September 27, 2011 Well, I'm the lone "youngin" in this race right now. That being said, I'll have to change my answer in a few weeks, as I'll bump up into the next age bracket next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted September 27, 2011 Author Moderators Share Posted September 27, 2011 come back and post again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Micky Z Posted September 27, 2011 Members Share Posted September 27, 2011 I know it's early in the poll, but would it be possible to say that we boomers (I'm 56) are more motivated to play solo/duo because we had a lot of good quality music of that sort in our youth (CSN, Joni, etc.)? Perhaps the young'uns have had less, and so don't strive to emulate? Or is it just us old folks who live in this forum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltan Posted September 27, 2011 Members Share Posted September 27, 2011 Micky Z... i used to play solo while i was in college and travelling about the country because it was fun and there was a sense of freedom about being alone on stage and relying on one's self to make it work... then there were many years of being in bands and having to adjust to other's politics, their needs for "mothering", and lets not forget the drama... you put a show on the road, working for three or four years, finally get a break only to have members say they just cant handle it anymore. once more you start from scratch. whether playing drums, guitar, banjo, or saxophone, i always relied upon myself to be the best i could at my craft, working to have the ability to shine when it was appropriate and to that effect i have parted ways with several "stars" that are in the industry today, which is cool by me.. so now i'm in my early 50's, looking forward to playing solo again with the freedom to arrange and play what i feel... without the drama, without the phone calls to find the guy that forgets what day rehearsals are... and the only ego i have to deal with is mine... oh yeah, on the les paul in your avatar, are those mini humbuckers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted September 28, 2011 Author Moderators Share Posted September 28, 2011 Or is it just us old folks who live in this forum? well Micky, I dunno, that's kind of what I'm looking to find out via the poll The other forums I moderate, Cool Jam (once known as the Vet's Forum, and reknowned for its slow pace and curmudgeonly denizens ) is populated mainly by 'boomers', and it is a sort of general knowledge repository for HC, as there are a number of well educated, experienced, intelligent and genuinely good people who frequent it (and then there is me, too ) and the Music Business forum (another cooperative knowledge repository) has a changing field of vistors coming in asking business related questions, so we field from under 18 to, well, the 'super-annuated' types ( ) and everything in between. I am always interested in getting a feel for the demographics of a particular forum, in no small part to gauge how to serve the community more effectively, hence this poll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MartinC Posted September 28, 2011 Members Share Posted September 28, 2011 I started playing solo in my thirties-it was a matter of money. I went from making 50-100 a gig for playing rock to 300. and up for playing flamenco solo guitar. Now in my fifties, I'd much rather play with a group-it's easier and more fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members leftyjay Posted September 28, 2011 Members Share Posted September 28, 2011 i started my solo act in my mid 30s. basicly was fed up trying to keep a band going more than 6 months before changing members and starting over. my styles have changed the last 23 years as a soloist. i started out doing classic rock and dance pop, but now adays, i've settled into 50s-60s, some country, and a spattering of my classic rock. guess i've developed more variety and able to play more venues. i booked a few rockin gigs and pulled out my rowdy classic rock for a few jobs. wore me out real quick. no way i could play what i use to on a steady 4-5 gigs a week basis. guess age and wear and tear has caught up to my body. it may be time to find a few more dinner set gigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sgt. Rock Posted September 28, 2011 Members Share Posted September 28, 2011 Let's hope we're all still doing this when we're 70+. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jayare Posted September 28, 2011 Members Share Posted September 28, 2011 Check out Tony Bennett,Paul Mc,Mick,Willie,Connie Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dparr Posted September 28, 2011 Members Share Posted September 28, 2011 I play solo gigs on the Chapman Stick, I'm 55. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lroyb Posted September 28, 2011 Members Share Posted September 28, 2011 I thought I was old for gig'n solo 15 years ago now I'm hoping I can go way into my 70's. I'm 52 now and playing out twice a week plus the day job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockerdiva Posted September 28, 2011 Members Share Posted September 28, 2011 I started as a solo. Played since age 13 but didn't start gigging until early 20's. Started my first band at age 44 because I had always wanted to do it but never had. The band is loads of fun - but solo is still and always will be my main gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Telecruiser Posted September 28, 2011 Members Share Posted September 28, 2011 I'm 61 and my chops have never been better. I play (practice) everyday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EightString Posted September 28, 2011 Members Share Posted September 28, 2011 Well, for once I'm on the "younger" side of the curve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted September 28, 2011 Author Moderators Share Posted September 28, 2011 just wait... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members saturn1 Posted September 29, 2011 Members Share Posted September 29, 2011 I'm a late stage boomer playing in a duo. Its the most fun I've had playing on sustained basis in the 45 years I have been playing. No drama, no rock star pretensions, just a commitment to playing well, entertaining the audience and having fun doing it. On the other hand, there are those moments when you really miss playing in those tight bands with a bass player and drummer who played together and other guys who all worked to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts. Then you remember that 'drama' is a logarithmic function. Each additional member increases the potential for debilitating drama in a musical ensemble by an order of magnitude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members John Bartus Posted September 29, 2011 Members Share Posted September 29, 2011 I turn 50 December 1, I've averaged 4-5 gigs a week since I started as a full-time pro some 30 years ago (!), and I'm much better as a player and singer now than I was back then. After all these years, I still can't think of anything I'd rather be doing! I just wish that I had roadies... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted September 29, 2011 Author Moderators Share Posted September 29, 2011 if you are in the Keys, just harness up a couple dozen 'palmetto bugs'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Micky Z Posted September 29, 2011 Members Share Posted September 29, 2011 oh yeah, on the les paul in your avatar, are those mini humbuckers? That's a PRS McCarty Soapbar with P-90s - I replaced the original pickups with Seymour Duncan SP90-3's. Very nice guitar, since replaced with a R6 Les Paul goldtop (now running Kinman Noiseless Inaugural P-90s). I've just been wondering whether there is a lack of motivation on the part of younger musicians to play solo or duo, simply because they haven't had much in the way of recent examples to emulate. The 80's were (broadly speaking) synth pop, the 90's were grunge bands, the 00's were, what? Beyonce, and the coming of Lady Gaga? No Dylans, no Mitchells, no CSNs, no Loggins & Messina, no Joan Baez... Dave Mathews doesn't seem to have the same effect as Dylan did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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