Like most people I started as an amateur musician, and quickly began playing part time-pro in mid teens and became a "weekend warrior" on & off in bar bands for the next few decades... during this time getting married, paying the bills with my day gig (electronics engineer), raising kids, the high points musically were those special moments in shows where you just know that you've nailed it and people started buying you drinks and coming back to shows as regulars. But for every high point, there was a LOT of work, compromise and 3AM load outs involved i.e.: "paying the dues" of a live musician... fast forward to 2019 - the kids are grown up and living their own lives, the wife is now able to retire, the house is paid off and I'm realizing I've got a ton of original music bubbling inside and compositional skills that have built up over the years, so in 2019 I decided even though I'm still working fulltime to release a solo album a year (at streaming pay its still IMHO an amateur field,lol) and I am very much enjoying the compositional process and hearing from folks around the world that are digging what I do. Yes, I do miss the stage a bit, but its really a "been there done that" situation and I am quite content releasing music from home. I guess what I'm saying is I know my approach is not for everyone, some people MUST be fulltime musicians, but to me - whether full or part time, amateur or pro - the important thing is you reach the artistic levels that your "internal muse" propels you to. Reaching THAT is the reward... any cash or additional joy after that is a bonus. :)
Very enlightening story about the driver. It makes me even more critical of myself for being so unhappy at either end of the pro/amateur spectrum. As an amateur I just can not stomach hacking my way through pickup gigs with no/low standards and I refuse to do them anymore. On the other hand it seems like the investment of time to deliver a really pro performance does not pay dividends when no one comes and it's such a difficult thing these days to get anyone to come. I really do miss the "kid mind" and that feeling of discovery when you crossed some new threshold with the boys in the garage. You can get pretty close with LSD but then you have a different set of issues :/
Whether you're performing as an amateur or professional you have the same potential for happiness. Horses for courses. What sucks is when you can't get a gig, can't pay bills, and can't remember why you thought this would be easy. Keep Calm and Keep Drumming!
Looking back I feel it’s crucial to always remember why you began drumming and refuse to get drawn into stuff that detours Away from this passion….years fly by and hundreds of rubbish gigs later one will throw it in…if you got it look after it!….luv ya Vinnie…x
Very Cool ! Attitude is a daily challenge. Thanks for sharing ! For me it’s not always “ I need to recharge the batteries, I’ll go to the gym etc.” sometimes it’s simply walking the dog, taking a shower, talking to someone or writing in a journal or to a loved one. It’s never the same dealing g with burnout. You get burnout if you only go to the gym if your burnt out etc🤓 you nailed it with “Attitude & Gratitude” and I especially loved the “ no matter what, I am playing g my drums, and no one can take that” Lots of thoughts you inspired today ! Thanks again for sharing
Hi Vinnie, thanks for your videos. I find them quite enjoyable. I have been a long time admirer of your work. I have seen you perform a few times here in Australia - Joni Mitchell & Sting. I can relate to your talk of burn-out. I worked as a freelance assistant cameraman for over 30 years, I retired from the film biz Christmas 2019. For about the last 20+ years I was first call. Very, very busy. I could equate my film work to something like a session musician - every day is a different job, with a different crew at a different location or studio. At the peak of my busy work life, I was very fortunate to work with some of the best & most respected artists in the world, Many of them were very gracious, some were quite single-minded & gruff. For the final 10 years I noticed a shift in work ethic, the quality & experience in the leadership group. The directors, producers & my immediate boss onset, the director of photography. By that stage, many of my favourite 'old-school' artists & technicians had either retired or passed away & the 'new breed' had started to fill those spots. I noticed an obsession with speed of getting to the top of the tree. The notion of being really good at what you do was not as important as being the boss at any cost, and I noticed a real lack of attention to detail in their work. It became very dis-heartening for me, as I was no longer surrounded by the professionals I felt had that sense of real pride in what we do, & now considered an 'elder' of the business with many of my immediate bosses being younger than my daughter. I was not enjoying this film business that I once loved very much. So rather than becoming bitter acting like an 'old grumpy fart', I called my agent & told them to take me off the books as of Christmas. I still have a few old colleagues who are still working. Perhaps they have a better mind-set & are able to reconcile the shortcomings of the crew members they are now dealing with. I have always played music. I have done so since the age of 14. I am much happier these days, playing music, making some pock-money from that & spending more time with my wife & daughter. Please don't stop with your insightful commentary. Thank You.
What a great story, and I’m inspired by you sharing your knowledge and positive energy vinnie. Please keep it up. I just had a thought that it’s an honor and blessing that modern technology makes listening to my drum hero so possible.
I needed to hear this! Thanks a lot, music should be the ultimate reward and if i’m not able to keep and maintain all of my equipment I could always give away and/or sell some until I’m able to get and maintain new one if necessary. The old days when I was happier with just one small amp 😂🙏🏽🎸
Thanks, Vinnie, for all the words of wisdom & insight that you share with us! I believe we all have the "potential" for happiness inside ourselves, no matter our circumstances, but I can see that becoming a professional drummer would bring with it certain pressures & responsibilities that an amateur would not necessarily encounter. But if we can somehow get to a place of true gratitude, a place where we experience the simple joy of playing drums, the joy of discovery through learning new things such as a new genre, or a technique that used to be hard for us to get right, these positive experiences will keep us in a good flow. Also learning when to take a break, when to go outside into nature & recharge our batteries. I really loved your story about becoming a blank slate before you would play. I experienced this when I was playing a regular church gig, & I don't know exactly how I got there, however I did a quick prayer before I played, it was a very unusual feeling that made me experience playing music in a way I never had before. Like a Tai' Chi Gung kind of feeling where you really empty yourself of all preconceived ideas and just open yourself up to all possibilities. Thanks again Vinnie, always a blessing to hear you speak & share your experiences with us!
I think i kinda had a foot in both worlds. I had a full time day job and did weekends as a drummer in various bands over the years. So i'd get home greasy and tired on Friday night and then pack up the gear to play some local bar. And there are times when you don't wanna schlep gear in the snow for 60 bucks...but you do it because, like Vinnie said, "you're playing your drums and that's all that matters". 60 years after seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan and Buddy on Johnny Carson, i'm still having a great time playing. I think the joy of playing is really the whole point. I didn't really have the opportunity to burn out on drumming because i didn't do enough of it to burn out. It was my escape from the rest of life in a sense. In the beginning i thought i'd go full pro but things didn't go that way...the need for a reliable paycheck won out...but i think i made enough money to pay for all the gear i bought :)
Happiness is a state of Mind - neither 'professional' nor 'amateur' is of concern to Artistry - ie. creativity is flow, an allowance, of constant renewal, a spontaneous expression of spirit not trapped by form...being present, in the joy of fully appreciating what is, is to experience unconditionally, that is without judgement, expectation, or the need to control outcome. We have the power (mind) to change the way we experience everything and the opportunity to raise our perception of external conditions, and therefore inspire by demonstration. Kudos to the Bus Driver!
PS Vinnie, if you ever meet that bus driver again, ask him what his secret is to being such a joyful giver to all who ride his bus. That might be a whole podcast worth of ideas in itself! Cheers!
No t just food for thought but also confirmation of universal thoughts as it pertains to the source ( highest power) This here is the testament of truth within all of us . amen
This question you bring up, beloved Vinmeister, is extremely insightful for all artists. I'm not a linguist but I had learned that the roots of the word "amateur" come from the words "for the love of". Isn't that beautiful? I think it's extremely fruitful for all artists to ask the questions you are asking. It is very wise to draw from the heart of the amateur and keep that amateur spirit in mind as we get deeper and perhaps more jaded into the things we love to do. It keeps things fresh. And thank you for bringing up process. So glad you're sharing your sharp mind and not just your beautiful drumming. Great artists tend to be penetrating philosophers when they get a chance to speak. What a privilege to hear this podcast. Grateful! ❤️👏👏👏👏👏👏
I play drums in a hard rock band and keyboards in a kind of jazz brazilian disco funky band ...and I'm a lawyer to earn a living It"s very enjoyable like this... Groovolux is the first band and our six tunes album Watermelon island is just released on youtube and all digital platforms
Played a gig with a new band last night… slept less than 3 hours, and right now I’m going to the office, my “real” job… I’m a bit tired, but wouldn’t do it any differently… love drums and music!
truth is like a tree. reality is a like a violin. you can make a singing violin from a tree. not vice versa. love can do nothing. but without it nothing can be done. happy is the one who acts from truth in reality.
After a lifetime of not fully jumping in, I would say you’d have to call me an amateur although I’ve done many gigs I think the amateur and the professional after a life time would both look back as I have and wonder once in a while, what the other side was like, so I think happiness can be gotten on either side why not 1:41
