bandstand or not??

[Walktausha]

Just wanted to get some feedback from the GP to help find a new direction.
Currently I'm with a group/band that has a majority of older guys in it. They play the old, old, old country stuff. Be it that I'm still in the learning process "guitar", trying to learn different styles ie:chet, willie, ect.. I do vocals and play some guitar, but I would like to do my own stuff. However the group is not interested on this. So, is it better to stay with this group just to have a band to play with for the experience, or give it up to pursue writing and singing my own stuff?

BTW, they don't make much money at the gigs they play $20 - $30 a night but they say that they just do it for the chance to play. They are pretty good though. What do you think? Stay or go?

Thanks in advance!!!!

[Garry Sharp]

Many people are in more than one band. If you can spare the time, stick with it for as long as you are enjoying / learning / contributing; getting live experience is always valuable, and develop your own stuff separately.

[azraelswings]

If you're really interested in writing and performing your own material, thats what you should do. The question you need to answer is whether or not you can balance that with this country hits cover band. Would you don't have enough time to learn songs for the band AND concentrate on writing, then it might be a good idea to quit the band. If you can do both, then stay with the band and reap the benefits of performance experience.

Then again, understand that if you have a gig playing originals and the band is scheduled to play, they may not take kindly to your unavailability.

There are a lot of things to consider, personally I'd do both until it became a problem.

[Dani Pace]

Hang with the old guys, for the time being anyway. You are getting exposure and experience. In the meantime persue your interests, jam with other people, and start putting a band together to do the music you want to play. Learn all you can from those older guys but if an opportunity to move on happens take it. Try to part ways with the old band on friendly terms, it's easy to make enemies but in the music industry you need all the friends you can get.

[azraelswings]

Originally Posted by Dani Pace

Hang with the old guys, for the time being anyway. You are getting exposure and experience. In the meantime persue your interests, jam with other people, and start putting a band together to do the music you want to play. Learn all you can from those older guys but if an opportunity to move on happens take it. Try to part ways with the old band on friendly terms, it's easy to make enemies but in the music industry you need all the friends you can get.

Well spoken.

[Walktausha]

Thanks for all the input.......I guess sometimes I just get tired of the same old stuff and want to move on, but I have doubts about my abilities as a musician, being good enough to fit in somewhere else, and if my songs would be enough to keep me going on my own.
Thanks again for all the good advice...........

I wonder if Hank really started this way ???