My son is performing at the Royal Albert Hall

[Emu]

Both my husband and I are classically trained musicinas working in the business one way or another. My 12 year old son isn't the slightest bit interested in classical music. He's played the drums for 2 years or so but during music lessons last year he was using Sibelius 4 edu. version and so I upgraded our 2 to 4 for him. He loves sitting down at the piano and bashing things out and then, with help sometimes, inputting onto sibelius. He too likes film scores. Thing is if he wants to do more than play in a band down the pub when he's older he needs to be better directed musically than he is allowing us to do. In croydon there's a non-fee paying performing arts school which he could go to from year 10 so this academic year I hope he's going to get a grade 1 piano, grade 4 singing and grade 5-6 kit drum exams under his belt just for the paper work. He's only done singing exams up to this point.
Anyway, you have every right to be a proud dad BTFB! There's obviously something in the genes!

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

Making good money/a career out of music is a very tough thing to do I think. Those at the 'top' (not always the best) make a lot of money, but for every one success story there ate thousands of people who never 'make it'. That is why I believe a good education in more potentially 'lucrative' areas is essential as well. I also believe that music is something which doesnt reward simply financially like many so called 'careers'. Music can give you total satisfaction even if you are living on the breadline. Most musicians I know have a full time 'day job' elsewhere.

To get 'known' a musician has to be not only on top of the game musically, but must also be capable of fighting his/her way to the top of the heap and get noticed...they need to be good at selling themselves/marketing for want of a better word. Th eindividual either has th efight in them or not, depending on how they want their music to fit into their lives; some will be happy in pubs or just tinkering away at home & there is nothing wrong with that I feel.

Thankfully my son is also doing very well in all of his other subjects, although music is his first love.

By the way...good rock drummers are like gold dust...I can never find enough of them.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

By the way...good rock drummers are like gold dust...I can never find enough of them.

Could put you in touch with my step nephew ! In a band called Ruffcuts, apparently highly rated by his college tutors and I've seen them play live and he certainly goes for it (the whole band do to be honest). After an hour set he can end up with blisters on his hands he's put his heart and soul into it so much.
He does have a penchant for nicking his Moms mini skirts though as it's more 'comfortable' ! I think it's a style choice and not a sexual tendancy though !

 

[longers]

Very well done littlebigtallfatbloke. You've made your dad very proud.

 

[Emu]

Making good money/a career out of music is a very tough thing to do I think. QUOTE]

Your absolutley right. I work with 2-3 people who are also pro performers and they work at the Beeb to pay their rent.

I won't tell my son you've said that good rock drummers are like golddust. He knows he's good and that might make him tunnel visioned musically. Seeing Spamalot a couple of months gave my son something to think about. We were in the front row, and although he's very much into musical theatre too he'd never thought of playing in a pit orchestra as something he could do. Versatility I think is the key to being a successful drummer and he's musical enough to be able to do that.

Elmer fudd - my brother's band Dr Smutlove (punk cover band - my brother's the drummer) dress up in nurses uniform