I'm even more amazed when i so often see a band and/or performer that is really grooving so hard--swinging really hard, or a Brazilian group with an infectious samba beat, or a dynamic salsa band, or whatever.... and most of the audience just sits there like lumps and not a single fibre of their body moves with the music. ARE THESE PEOPLE HUMAN? what has happened to them? their little kids, if they bring them, are hopping up and down and can't keep in their skin--some oldtimers in the crowd start to jump up and dance..the more reserved aficionados are tapping feet or moving shoulders or bobbing heads..but the majority are just sitting there..motionless. Can somebody explain this, it's a cultural phenomenon of some kind but a mystery to me. ------------------ Miami Mo

[This message has been edited by keysvocalssax (edited 09-30-2007).]

The Beatles once played for a similar crowd, Mo. Guess they're called "stiff upper lips".

"Those of you in the cheaper seats, clap your hands. And the rest of you just rattle your jewelry."

Taike

Gary and Carol Happy Anniversary, I wish you many more!

On the subject of losing skill playing with age there's a couple of ways I look at it. I certainly have lost the technique that I once had playing piano. In the last 5 years since I started playing arrangers, my left hand has become real lazy the result of just playing chords on the arranger in the left hand.

I have always been a mediocre musician which is why I chose another career path. So I probably never really had the skills that many everyday working pros have. Nevertheless I still love playing and always will and hope to as long as I'm alive. It does get frustrating when sitting at a piano and not being able to play a piece as well as I once had. For me the sure sign of that is my hands getting stiff while playing.



I walked the same path as Ian except fast lane partying stopped at 32 years of age for me. Chas for this 55 year old as crazy as this may sound it was a gift. I know that if I didn't make the sacrifice when I did I most likely would not be sitting here participating in this forum, because I most likely would have wound up dead, in jail or an asylum.

I find I have as much energy and maybe more than I was 30, before changing my life style. I have run about a dozen marathons ( 26.2 mile road races and competed for 18 years in short distance triathlons. My typical day starts at 5:15 AM reading the newspaper. By 7 AM I'm on my way to the office, hit the gym 2 or 3 days during my 1 hour lunch break. By 6 PM I'm back home for dinner a little R and r with the family. By 9 PM when the others calling it a day, I sit at one of my keyboards and play till about 11:30 to 11 midnight PM. Most nights I have to force myself to quit playing, 12 midnight is the absolute cut off. I can live easily on 5 hours sleep any less than that and I'm toast the next day.

One comment here really struck me and I gotta tell ya it was by Zuki.


That's very impressive and I admire that. I'm sure I don't work at it hard enough but I don't seem to have the patience to spend the time memorizing,( never did as a youngster either) when I do it's a real struggle to get the memorization down. I'd welcome any suggestions or tips you have for memorizing music.



[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 10-01-2007).]

Well, one common theme that keeps emerging is the importance of keeping fit as long as possible. That's tough to do if you're starting late (after the arthritis, hip replacements, heart palpitations (not the ones induced by string bikinis), etc., but is probably the single best thing as far as increasing your musical longevity. I think I'll go out for a walk. Nah, maybe tomorrow.

chas

Yeah Zuki - how the heck do you DO that?


We (the wife and I) play over 320 different (and I mean DIFFERENT) songs, and each show is never the same as the last, and whilst we have memorised (through sheer repetition) many songs, we haven't been able to learn them all - I mean some songs we wouldn't do for literally months!

40 yrs on stage feeling fine at 55 ....if it comes down to it & I can't physically play keyboard I'll go total DJ & sing if possible while sitting in a "JAZZY"
http://www.pridejazzy.com/models.shtml

I'll just extend the ARMS of the 1650
http://www.pridejazzy.com/1650.shtml


& put my Keyboard across them YEAH!


I will play music & make people happy till they carry me off the stage period.....

Life is nothing without music!

Stop complaining my friends and
PLAY MUSIC EVERYDAY....!!!!!

God gave YOU this Gift because he wants you to SHARE IT!!

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 10-01-2007).]

Folks, I was 62 Friday, and I have spent over $10,000 on new performance instruments in the last 60 days.

After 30 years of 1/2 a quart of brandy a night, I have no residual effects( quit drinking in 1988-just had my annual complete physical, including the colon thing-chose to forgo the anesthetic-WRONG CHOICE, but I survived and was back on a video shoot in 1 1/2 hours).

Thought long and hard about the new equipment, because that means I need to keep up the current schedule for about 5 years (the accountant in me comes out).

Have some long-term tendon damage from years of playing upright, arthritis in my hands, had to lower some songs because of the beginnings of limited range, but am still able to work. Music is an integral part of everything I do. My daytime work involves soundtrack production for industrial films, training programs, etc.

The secret, for me is to do for a living what I would do for fun. That's why I switched from accounting to communications teaching, consulting and production.

Slower, but smarter. And, I enjoy every time I pick up a camers, instrument or computer.

Still hanging in there,


Russ

I really feel the arthritis in my hands the day after a gig ... thank God for pain relievers ...

I've talked about a gig that a sax player friend of mine has on Thurs & Fri ... 6PM to 8PM, playing some light jazz and then mostly 'danceable' standards for a 'senior' audience ... I filled in for the kb player this past Fri, and the crowd wasn't as large as it is on Thursdays ... several of the people there, talking to us on break, were commenting on how they can't understand why more people aren't coming out to hear 'their' music ...
It was great that the ones that were there really appreciated the performance ... One fellow, aged 82 was hardly ever off the dance floor ... God bless him ....
As I get older (now 66), I like playing these venues more and more ...
t.

I'm not much of a player, just trying to learn as much as I can...always wanted to play the piano/KB.....I've been a singer all my life and now at the age of 67 I find that my voice is going...mainly in part to my abusing it by screaming all the time trying to get employees here to do the right thing....all my fault I know, however it's too late now to change...the damage is done along with the very high humidity and my allergies and asthma, it's pretty much a done thing for me....physically, besides being overweight, I feel pretty good still practice everyday, still chase after my 8 and 9 year old children and my 33 year old wife....so the body is holding up, it's the voice that has me slowing down....BTW, this is a great topic.....all you "old farts" out there keep up the good work.....keep making MUSIC.....
TR

OLD FARTS !?!?!? .... 60 is the new 35 !!!!!
t.