No I'm not quitting just wanted to start a conversation among a group I feel is closest to my situation in the business.
I'm glad you did.....I'm getting a lot to think about from this thread.
I'll keep going as long as I can find the right kind of gigs which is getting harder as I get older. I'm 65 but don't think I look it, and I know I don't act it but that ain't 40 or 30 or a 20 something which is what most of the working musicians here are. There's still the stigma of an older guy (me) walking into a place and asking for the mgr. to give him a card. Put yourself in his place and you know what he's thinking.
I hear you on this one. I'm also viewed as looking younger, feeling younger, thinking younger than I am, but the bottom line is I'm NOT younger and that's a heavy cross to carry in the music business. In other countries, they're not concerned about age...it's about the kind of music you're producing. Here's it's all about image and quality takes a back seat!
I was treated so rudly at a place in Cape May I told the female mgr. "Do me a favor, don't throw my card away until I pull out of the lot"
Ouch..that one really hurt. It's another testimonial to NJ. You have to live here to understand the mentality. It makes me think even more about leaving this area before I end up as "damaged goods" myself.
Thing is I got spoiled a few weeks ago and posted about it. House party where I played piano and sang and was treated with respect. I was on a high for two days. Wish I could get more like that.
Yes, those few piano jobs are my life support right now.
The positives here are I have found that you do get treated better than up North, people in general are more polite
So it's not my imagination. I think if people had to judge the USA based on this tri-state area, they would ostracize this country and kick us out of the United Nations!
Mark
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