I'm a big 'meaning in life' kind of guy - I've always felt some sort of 'life crisis' almost throughout my entire life.

I'm fairly certain that many of you, when young, had hoped to generate some good income from your band becoming 'big' - where they sky is the limit....or - for you guys - to get the gals. I started playing at 14, more for the love of music and the hope that I could one day be in a 'wedding band'. I knew I wasn't inclined to writing songs early on, and never pushed that on myself. I thought the most realistic thing I could hope for was good income from the combination of being in a wedding band and giving lessons. Neither worked out, My fantasies might have also involved being a studio musician. I knew I wasn't a showman. None of the above worked out. I always took the 'safe' job route.

At this point - I stay with the music because of the joy that the songs in my 'formative' years brought to me - and the fact that I still LOVE listening to them.
I still find it amazing to listen to and learn how they were put togethe - the songwriting, the specific arrangement, the production. Lately I've been trying to learn covers of these oldies to the point where I could maybe perform them out - but no pressure at all on myself. It's really the joy of analyzing and learning them that keeps me going. I hate pressure - always did, always will. Some of you probably recognize my name - thanks for all the excellent advice, enthusiasm and support you've shared with me over the years.

Share some of your personal music history, if you dare : )

Best,
Joe V.

I have always been curious to know, Joe, if you came from a musical family or if you had to go it alone. It is difficult when there is no musical influence from inside the family.

I had the dreams like everybody else. I started playing slightly before age 5 and did it full time for about 12 years after doing it part time for about 10. When I was 40 I realized (admitted?) that it wasn't going to happen, went back to college for a second degree in something more useful than music and got a big boy job at 42. So as much as "aspirations" change with age and time, so does the definition of the term. After first chasing the dream of having the tour bus and maybe even tour plane, now if I could sell 10 CDs at a small venue show I'd be thrilled. My "aspirations", now called "plans", are to offer my services doing shows in RV parks as I travel, with that goal of CD sales serving to fill the gas tank on that pig of a truck with a house mounted on top of the chassis.

As stated in other forums, I continue to write, but I really write for me. People can love or hate what I do but it isn't going to change. Every song is a story about some aspect of my life, and with no friends to talk to, that is my only way to purge. So my writing is cathartic. The key is making them something everybody can relate to in an attempt to create a connection to the listener so they might want to own that CD. I am not unique in any way, and most people have gone through much of what I have gone through with the emotional turmoil that goes with the normal progression of life and aging. I want to get this second CD done before I hit the road. That way rather than selling 10 of the same CD I can shoot for 5 of each.

I really started off playing because of my older cousin, a story I shared in another post some time back.

You make a good point Eddie - I had no teachers in my immediate family - which I never really thought about that deeply...when I watch documentaries about bands, come to think they often do come from musical families. In fact - lots of careers are passed on through families, which makes a lot of sense.

I'm curious if you'd be willing to share your 'big boy' jobs...was the first degree in music ? You made it sound like the second was the backup plan.

Now I find it somewhat interesting that one of your realistic goals is to sell CD's from a practicality standpoint. It has to solely be about the connection. And the dream of somehow monetizing that hit song that everyone can relate to never really goes away...If a song is really, really good, have you thought about selling those songs to someone that might be able to more easily sell them ? Though I have literally zero knowledge in this area, I'm guessing that selling songs to someone famous is about as easy as getting your own name (or band's name) on the Billboard charts (or whatever they call them today).

I also would guess that - if you're trying to make some extra pocket money while enjoying the time you spend doing it - teaching might be the best bang for the buck. Since I live in NYC, if I wanted to do this (which I did at one time) - the population is dense enough that a good music teacher could find some students that would pay the going rate without too much problem - not so sure if that's true in lessly populated areas. Since you didn't mention anything about giving lessons - going to guess that making money in this way was never worth the time and potential ROI and personal satisfaction that writing originals and selling them was. In fact - when you do teach, the biggest market is obviously beginners, which can get pretty boring to a talented music maker.

I have a BA in Music from eight after the Army. When I was 41 I went back to college and got an Associate Degree in computer studies.



I have my doubts about the "really good" part of that.



I am the worst teacher ever. I have no patience. I have a deep rooted background in theory, and when I have tried to teach I have always found myself saying things like "How can you not know that?" The problem is that kids who take lessons don't want to learn music. They want to learn songs. I don't teach songs. I teach music. I teach you scales, keys, the chord wheel, rhythms, and mainly HOW TO READ MUSIC! Kids now don't want to learn that because they don't see the value of knowing the WHY. They just want to know the HOW.

My friend Jonathan Rauch has just published a book with St. Martin's called "The Happiness Curve: Why Life Gets Better After 50."

A short version of the dynamic social message he has tapped into could be: "After the age of 40 you don't care so much about pleasing other people and can feel free to be yourself. That is when you can really hit your stride."

I think this idea is important.

I know a lot of people who are doing their best work in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and older.

They are starting companies, writing books and music, inventing things--going gangbusters.

Since I know a lot of people like this and run in a crowd of entrepreneurs and artists of all ages, I can say that I have seen a few common denominators among people who are doing great and amazing things in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and up.

1.) They have an incredible sense of self confidence.

2.) They take care of their bodies and their minds.

3.) They realize the best is yet to be.

4.) They believe in themselves and have a huge love of life.

5.) They have a huge network.

6.) They are good to people and this earns them a lot of friends.

6.) They are compassionate and help others.

7.) They refuse to listen to "negatrons" or negative people. In their minds, negative people are the only real losers and they don't have time for that.

8.) They do what they love and love what they do.

I know a lot of people like this. I am surrounded by them. I work with them.

I say whatever your aspirations are, in any field, no matter your age is, do it. Do it now.

In music, my God, this is the age of the independent artist.

Some people keep talking on this forum about "commercial" success, or lack thereof, whatever that means. People, labels are going under. It is irrelevant. If there ever was a time to be an independent artist this is it. Yeah, we don't expect to play Madison Square Garden, but then again we don't believe in the Easter Bunny either. That doesn't mean we can't collaborate with 50 other positive, life-affirming independent artists and have the time of our lives.

See bullet points above.

And don't listen to negatrons. Just don't listen to them.

Go. Do it. These years could be your very, very best.

Do it now.

Those are my thoughts.

Gotta run.

First piano lessons: 5th grade-Finger Power and Schaum books; you know the ones.
Second piano teacher: 9th grade-taught chord theory as well as method. Learned that all of those 80’s keyboard ballads that Journey did that made the girls swoon relied heavily upon the add2 chord. Wrote first chord progression/song using add2 chords galore. Did not get a girlfriend as a result, against all hopes and dreams. First major music disappointment but I still loved ye olde add2 chords.
All years in high school-in choir and Madrigal Singers on weekdays, in a 60 voice choir on every other Saturday and an 6-8 voice ensemble every Sunday during the school year, doing concerts all over east Michigan. Began my first forays into live sound engineering as the tour choir director would have me EQ the mains by ear; he said I had a good ear.(I since have had gainful employment with sound engineering in some fashion ever since). Also allowed to play keys in Jazz Band for pep rallies thanks to ability to ‘chord’ by reading guitar chord charts, even though I wasn’t in band. Won talent show in a band at school playing Duran Duran’s “Save a Prayer”, Wham’s “Careless Whisper”, and the Police’s “Message in a Bottle”. Still no girlfriend.
Was offered a probably 50’s era Epiphone hollow body jazz guitar (single pup, deep body, wooden saddle piece, etc) with a cardboard case and rusty strings, for free. No pointy headstock so it wasn’t cool. Said no thanks. Stupid move.
Got my first guitar in 1985 as a HS graduation present: Peavey Milestone with a little 10W Peavey Backstage Amp. Taught myself how to play U2’s “I Will Follow” as anyone with one finger can do. Hooked on guitar. Played that Peavey through college and beyond.

Won a 100W KMD amp in a music store drawing. Son has that guitar now. Sold that little Backstage amp
Ensoniq ESQ1 purchased in about 87 or so. Wrote lots of songs in the sequencer on that thing, cassette tape data storage and backup.
About that time sent a cassette of my songs to Billy Smiley, a family friend, who had recently created a Christian Rock band called White Heart. Nothing ever came from that, second disappointment. However won second place in college talent show playing as a one man band, Eric Clapton’s “Forever Man”. First guitar solo in front of more than one person. However, still no girlfriend as a result.
First acoustic guitar about 1990-Applause shallow bowl. Cooked it in my car on accident in about 1997 or so. Stupid.
Married in 92.
First kid in 94.others would follow every three years until serial number 4 and we shut the production line down as my wife had a herniated disc in her back during pregnancy of serial number 4.
Home recording started in 1996 using PGMusic’s Power Tracks Pro Audio and our first PC and. Soundblaster card.
(Been having a blast writing and recording music ever since-no more musical disappointments).
1998 maybe, PG forum participation for my first time; got great advice from the likes of Mac, Russell DeMussell, rharv, and others .
Hi speed internet in about 2001 or so. Started collaborating globally.
Got turned on to VST and VSTi about the same time and this precipitated my move away from PG Music products to Tracktion. More guitars, bass, keys, and satisfaction. Collaborate regularly with people across the country and planet in a yearly songwriting challenge in February. One of my collaborators this year went to Nashville as part of a songwriter showcase and got invited by none other than Billy Smiley to do some recording. I’ve writtenprobably 200-300 songs over the years and I enjoy listening to maybe 20-30 of them. Enough to keep myself entertained. Get to play in my church’s worship band every other week; either keys or electric guitar or bass. Very satisfied.

Thankful for U2, Roger Allen, Bruce Wynch, James Stubb, Roger Longrie, Hilda Nielsen, Dan Whiteman, FAWM.ORG, PG Music forums, guitars and The funky Hammond M3 I get to play at church. All of these have challenged and encouraged me over the years.

Very inspiring David. I make it a goal everyday to try and surround myself with positive people like you and to reduce the time spent with negative people. Of course, if a “negative” person is one of my family members that makes it more difficult

Didn't you have a computer?? I had that same keyboard (Still do in fact - and will never give it up. Well, I mean, I'll die someday and it will be sold for 100 bucks at an estate sale...) and all my stuff was backed up through the MIDI interface on my little Commodore 64. We played one original that used MIDI for parts and a drum machine and that one sequence was saved in the ESQ. Still an outstanding keyboard. As long as you stayed current with the OS it was and is a great sounding board.

I know you have a sister who is an outstanding singer (as well as being gorgeous). How many siblings were there and were you all musical? Were your parents musical, thus providing influence for you?

I was born and raised in a very musical family. Dad played fiddle and harmonica, My older brother played guitar and mandolin and taught me to chord on both.

We didn't have TV until I was 14 so our favorite form of entertainment was making music as a family. I'm the youngest of seven kids and the memories are very dear to me.

We all learned by ear and played music that was basically handed down from other relatives.

I've been 'performing' since age 3. They tell me that my first song was "Pistol-Packin' Momma" which dates back to the 40s.

I formed a band in HS called The Rip Chords where we covered The Kingston Trio, Everlys, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and most Folk and R&R groups of that era.

I played countless house parties and keggers with Bob (Zimmerman) Dylan in the late 50s. I'm 2 months older than Bob.

About that same time, I joined a locally popular Standards Band, The Arrowhead Trio (actually 5-piece) which was well-booked in Northern Minnesota to the Canadian border. We were 2 accordions, 2 guitars, and the best drummer I've ever heard. I was the 'younger set draw' with my more up-to-date repertoire. I was the lead vocalist and played rhythm guitar.

One of the accordionists, a lovely lady, would harmonize with me and made me sound great. Other than the drummer, I've outlived all band members (as well as many musician friends).

In 1960, I joined the Army and ended up in Germany where I began playing in NCO Clubs where I had the privilege of meeting some top-name recording artists, many whom I still communicate with.

Today, I work backstage and out of sight and at my own leisurely pace but still music-related.

Band In A Box has put me back in the music game in a huge way! I still entertain my aspirations of writing something to leave behind for posterity but it needn't be earthshaking.

Did not have my own computer until 1994-5, after our first born came along and my wife started doing medical transcription from home. I forgot that I sold my ESQ-1 to a buddy and replaced it with an Ensoniq VFX-SD that had a built in 3.5” floppy disc drive.

My parents sang in the church choir. My sisters; all younger than me; are singers and piano players as well to varying degrees. My middle sister is the only professional musician of the lot of us. She is a studio singer and has recently started taking on sessions for one of the biggest video game franchises that exists. I’m not allowed to share which game, studio, composer, etc. I don’t recognize the video game since I just don’t know that scene, but the studio and composer, everyone reading this has heard of. When it’s released or publicized, I will post some links to the release. I’m convinced that if the Voice existed 30 years ago, she would have had a real shot of winning. She has sang the National Anthem at Indianapolis Colts and Indianapolis Pacers games. Can sight read anything and sing in any style, hence the video game call. Her normal work is recording demos for choral publishers who seem to favor Stravinsky and the like for their choice of ‘melody’ lines. I can’t sight read a thing. She calls me the real musician in the family, as she doesn’t compose at all. I disagree.

I've done quite a bit, and almost "made the big time" being the opening act for major stars of the day and having a record company court us (the deal ended over the money Motown didn't want to pay).

So I'm not a "Has Been", instead an "Almost Was".

At my age, that opportunity is now closed to me. But I'm still gigging for a living; yacht clubs, country clubs, private parties, casinos, retirement developments, and not so long ago cruise ships.

So what are my aspirations now? The same as they were when I got in my first rock and roll band while still in junior high school. To be gigging for a living until I can no longer fog a mirror.

Everything else that has happened and will happen in my favor is extra. And I hope I make the right decisions to take advantage of every opportunity I can seek out. Extra is good.

Insights and incites by Notes

I used to have dreams of "making it" as a musician. Although, as I creep up in age not only am I accepting it isn't in my cards, but my idea of what "making it" is changing as well. Being famous and rich is almost undesirable to me nowadays. I used to dream of fame and fortune - now I dream of stability and happiness. If I'm making a positive impact on someone's life each day, I consider myself doing pretty well