Mark's Music School Diary.
- Thread starter Mark Wein
- Start date
I don’t know. As far as social relationships go I’m really too old to hang out with a bunch of 19-22 year olds. They all love me on social media because I post funny shit but I’m definitely in the wrong lane socially and that’s OK. As far as working relationships go many of them are young enough that they have their own networks that revolve more around smoking weed or original music that doesn’t generate much revenue. And none of them (with a few exceptions) really play well enough for me to want to put something together with. The older students I’m not so sure that I want to work with. The thing about guys my age returning to school is that their career either isn’t all that hot for a reason or they are inexperienced players who are looking for a mid-life career change and have no practical experience. I’m a little disappointed to be honest. Things may change but my useful networking seems to be more with the faculty. They seem to be happy treating me as the curve breaking mascot that gets all of their dad jokes and 70s references.
I’m just happy when I get some good sounding jazz floggery going.
gtrjunior
Wannabe
As I see it, you’re exactly where you wan to be. Like you, I have absolutely nothing in common with a 20 y/o. And if the old guys our age don’t float you musical boat....that’s fine.
It’s the instructors that have the connections you can use...make friends with them...
Some video of me not enjoying combo rehearsal: https://instagram.com/p/BaukRZHFE4N/
jelloman
Couch'd Tater...
Can't watch it from work...is it THAT combo class?
Yeah.
jelloman
Couch'd Tater...
shoeless
Riffin'
That and a $15 gift card...
My term paper is cursed. I bought a full album of Palestrina madrigals from itunes and the titles were all fucked up and now Microsoft OneDrive evaporated my paper from the cloud. In years of using icloud, dropbox and Google Docs I have never had a single problem like this. The one time I use OneDrive because it's part of my free student Microsoft subscription and they fuck me in the ass. Another reminder why I quit using windows a decade ago. And iTunes is a piece of shit too.
Danhedonia
Noted duckfat enthusiast
Mark, I read your post about the other students and it prompted many thoughts. Hope you don't mind an overly long and speculative response.
1. I'm of a certain age, and 'not musically dead yet.' I'm more musically compatible with, say, 25 year olds than people my age. One thing is, you may surprise yourself that you don't need to smoke dope with dope-smoking kids to have a good session with them. I am guessing you and I share a dislike of that 'scene,' but sometimes, you can get around it fairly easily.
2. It's school; most people aren't meant to be your friend. One, two or three good contacts from any life situation means you're doing well.
3. Re: the people who aren't good enough to play with you (that would be me, in many situations) - give us a chance. Not to thrill you with our playing, but to turn you on to a new artist; to provoke ideas within you; to show you something you wouldn't have found on your own. I had a climbing partner who once showed me an incredible trick with a piece of gear, and I said "wow, that's amazing. Thank God I know you." And he said "Everyone in life has at least two things they could show you. Your job is to figure out what they are." Hippie wisdom, to be sure, but that was great advice.
4. Sometimes, when we don't get what we want in our dynamic with others, it can be because we don't ask. I am certain you are very busy, but have you tried recruiting/aggressively leading others? "Hey, you know, you have some great chops. I want to spend a half hour with you next Tuesday and see if we can ...." etc.
5. Previous posts of yours allude to the crush of the schedule. As a teacher of mundane HS math, I can attest: school can be an overwhelming crush because you control so little of the schedule, and it's a lot of time. Maybe survival is all you can ask for. Usually we are disappointed when our expectations don't align to actuality. And usually, once you sit down (for me, the average time required for this appears to be one bathroom trip) and readjust expectations, it feels a lot better.
6. Finally, a short anecdote. I used to manage a guy who was a truly gifted musician, and he was perpetually dissatisfied with his bandmates. I once asked him "who has been someone you played with, and enjoyed?" And he thought, and then told me that when he was home from college one summer, he got a job with the local school district going into all the school music rooms (remember those?), and inventorying EVERY single instrument. To assist him (and likely part of some work therapy program), he was given two assistants: a mentally handicapped man a bit older than him, and a child of 8 or 10 who was both autistic and had Tourette's. They would waste time with tubas, castanets, basses .... And I quote this man directly: "Now THAT was free jazz, motherfucker!"
The thing is, I doubt that's the band he would have recruited, but he found some value there. Maybe you can find something of unexpected value?
Hope I haven't offended.
1. I'm of a certain age, and 'not musically dead yet.' I'm more musically compatible with, say, 25 year olds than people my age. One thing is, you may surprise yourself that you don't need to smoke dope with dope-smoking kids to have a good session with them. I am guessing you and I share a dislike of that 'scene,' but sometimes, you can get around it fairly easily.
2. It's school; most people aren't meant to be your friend. One, two or three good contacts from any life situation means you're doing well.
3. Re: the people who aren't good enough to play with you (that would be me, in many situations) - give us a chance. Not to thrill you with our playing, but to turn you on to a new artist; to provoke ideas within you; to show you something you wouldn't have found on your own. I had a climbing partner who once showed me an incredible trick with a piece of gear, and I said "wow, that's amazing. Thank God I know you." And he said "Everyone in life has at least two things they could show you. Your job is to figure out what they are." Hippie wisdom, to be sure, but that was great advice.
4. Sometimes, when we don't get what we want in our dynamic with others, it can be because we don't ask. I am certain you are very busy, but have you tried recruiting/aggressively leading others? "Hey, you know, you have some great chops. I want to spend a half hour with you next Tuesday and see if we can ...." etc.
5. Previous posts of yours allude to the crush of the schedule. As a teacher of mundane HS math, I can attest: school can be an overwhelming crush because you control so little of the schedule, and it's a lot of time. Maybe survival is all you can ask for. Usually we are disappointed when our expectations don't align to actuality. And usually, once you sit down (for me, the average time required for this appears to be one bathroom trip) and readjust expectations, it feels a lot better.
6. Finally, a short anecdote. I used to manage a guy who was a truly gifted musician, and he was perpetually dissatisfied with his bandmates. I once asked him "who has been someone you played with, and enjoyed?" And he thought, and then told me that when he was home from college one summer, he got a job with the local school district going into all the school music rooms (remember those?), and inventorying EVERY single instrument. To assist him (and likely part of some work therapy program), he was given two assistants: a mentally handicapped man a bit older than him, and a child of 8 or 10 who was both autistic and had Tourette's. They would waste time with tubas, castanets, basses .... And I quote this man directly: "Now THAT was free jazz, motherfucker!"
The thing is, I doubt that's the band he would have recruited, but he found some value there. Maybe you can find something of unexpected value?
Hope I haven't offended.
vonbladet
r00b
I didn't enjoy that at all, if that counts as solidarity.
Musicianship and history midterms just came back today. I’m feeling a little better:
I can believe how relieved I am to get a B in musicianship. That’s the only class I have that I will be stoked to get a B in.
Gotta get my term paper rough draft for history and my arranging homework done today. Plus a bunch of other shit.
I can believe how relieved I am to get a B in musicianship. That’s the only class I have that I will be stoked to get a B in.
Gotta get my term paper rough draft for history and my arranging homework done today. Plus a bunch of other shit.
Danhedonia
Noted duckfat enthusiast
Hey now! 
hmy:
hmy:
Let me try and answer this even though I’m on my phone:
1. It’s not a weed thing. It’s about immature musicians (socially and musically) who wouldn’t possibly be usable for work gigs.
2. Agreed.
3. I’m supportive of younger students who ask for advice but I also don’t have the time or energy t mentor or just hang out and assist other students. Because if another older students misasventures (I won’t go into it other than he tried to “re-educate” other students contrary to th curriculum) I also don’t want to become more than just a student while I’m
Paying tuition.
4. See 1 and three above
5 you are the 4th person to tell me that after my private instructor, two other professors and my wife. Perhaps y’all are onto something. On the other hand, I stand a good chance of either working with many of these professors or needing the for references later. I don’t want to be the guy who “just survived”.
No offense taken. I’m just in a very specific and kind of uncomfortable spot in my career and I’m trying to make the best of it.
jelloman
Couch'd Tater...
Can I see the notes from your combo class? Please?!?