When the passion for music dies...

Joel-RZ

Member
Apr 6, 2002
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Fort Collins, CO
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After reading through the posts about the PM awards there seems to be a similar and familiar trend coming about. It seems that as the average music fan, or even the most passionate music fan, gets older, gets more responsibility, etc their desire for new music starts to diminish. I realize that this is more common than not as life gets more involved, but it just wasn't something I have seen a lot of on the PM board since I started hanging around here in '97.

This board is full of people that have more passion (and knowledge) for music (of all types) than most have for their own lives. It goes past the hobbyist mentality, many of us spending more time with music in some form than with our own families, or jobs, or things we SHOULD be spending our time on...

Im not sure where Im going with this, but what is the cause of this trend in life? Is there so much music to absorb that even the die-hards loyalty to all things music are moving on because they can't keep up? Is over saturation taking its toll? Or are people just getting older and have other (better) things to put their money, time and energy into? Maybe all of the above.

For me, I still have that desire to discover new (to me) music as I know there is tons I have missed and some I will probably never get to. That keeps me into it, I guess. But my time is certainly fleeting these days and other things have taken precedence. Its still one of those things I can't do enough. Now that I have a family I don't get to many shows, which kinda sucks. I have a limited music budget, so I have to be much more picky than I was...Music for me still gives me something to escape to, something to find comfort in, something to connect with depending on my mood when no one else can...In a wierd way my favorite music knows me as much as I know it. I hope I never lose those feelings.

However, when I do make it to a show (for these purposes, lets keep the context within the metal realm) the attendance seems lower than in previous years but the audience is more diverse in age and background. Are the younger music fans into live shows as much as generations past? Or are the emerging music fans more into experiencing music they can find on the internet, which includes live shows. How is this shaping the music industry of tomorrow? Forget sales for a minute, where will live shows, big and small, be in 5 years? Are festivals the way of the future? Small tours are costly and mostly unsuccessful. What should the promising young bands spend there energy in order to make a name/career for themselves...or is this industry as we know it just in the process of dying a slow death. I dont know.

Any thoughts?

Joe
 
I have a wife and two children. Do I have time to check out all of the music I want to? HELL NO! Family comes first, but my music is still there...and an important part of my life.

I've been into Power/Progressive Metal on the underground side since the poser days of the 80's. I wanted something real and fresh and I found it in Progressive Metal. Since the genre is so underground it makes me feel like it is MY music.

When people ask me, "What kind of music do you like?" my generic response is usually hard rock and metal. Most people have not even heard of Progressive Metal...which is great in my opinion. It makes it more MINE and farther from the bubble-gum aged bandwagoneers.

So the passion has not died...it's subdued, but still there. I'm still going to ProgPower, but I will also be celebrating my son's 6th birthday.

Shit, I'm getting old...lol