age defiance

As something of a musician, I recently attended a free conference call which discussed some of the modern aspects of independent music marketing, and one of the things the speaker touched upon were the "myths" that people new to the scene tend to fear. One of the things this gentlemen suggested to be a major myth in the industry is that one can be either too young or too old to "make it" or make any waves in the music industry. While this statement may prove successful at providing warm fuzzies for all the thirty-something-and-ups on the line, in reality I don't think that he is exactly correct in his assertion. While it is true that the music *should* be the first and foremost thing that sways someone to be a fan, let's face it...if you are of a certain in a certain genre, you just don't get the respect.

When it comes to being too old to be "cool", I'm sure that in the genres of rock, blues and country, there isn't such a roadblock. But try getting into pop music or even electronic music at the ripe age of forty and see how well you do, particularly if some of your success hinges on live performances. As much as I don't want to admit it, I'm guilty of it just the same as the next guy. I went to an electronic show, saw a guy in his early forties and asked my friend, "what the hell is that guy doing on stage?" Now if I had already known who he was, of if he was one of the "dinosaurs" of the electronic music industry (who already earned his respect when he was younger), I would have felt differently...most likely. But he was for lack of a better word a "newbie", and as much as I hate to act ageist, I judged him as an "old newbie" which means he's up against more of a challenge than a regular newbie.

If you're still following this ridiculous example, all I can say is that I find that it is a shame that certain genres of music are still so wrapped up in image that breaking into a scene will be twice as hard for people who don't fall into that certain imagery. As much as I would like to think that the faceless internet is changing the way that we feel about such things, I myself stand as a shocking (and embarrassing) example that it hasn't changed very much at all. Sad, isn't it?

Then again, if the "old man" who was performing had really good kick-ass music, I may have felt a little differently. It's hard to say for sure.