I have come full circle

[stompboxfreak72]

Im definetly a member of the " Full Circle Tribe"........

I became completely consumed by music by the age of 11. My grandfather played and I just grew up with it. I caught on quick and as a kid everyone knew that I played. It was ( and is) my identity. Problem from me was a vicious home life. It was so bad that I left high school a year early Just to escape. I was accepted to Berklee but could not fund it. My guidance counselor gave me career guide to go through and I saw " pharmacist" and I had remembered reading that Ronnie James Dio was supposedly a pharmacist ( turns out he has a degree in pharmacology but is not a pharmacist). I was able to get a virtual free ride through pharmacy school as misguided as my reasons were for being there. I had no idea what a pharmacist did nor did I know anyone ( except for RJD of course) who worked in the field. I barely was 17 when I ran off to college.....

Fast forward and now I am out of college. I am now a health care professional licensed by the state. I played in a few bands with old friends but they were all into drugs which I now could not be around whatsoever. I pretty much went on hiatus for 8 years. By 30 I thought I was too old and would never gig again.

One day my wife comes home with a flyer that says " Now accepting students " that she picked off the wall at Sam Ash. It was Neil Zaza who I had heard of but really did not know much about. I joined another cover band and studied with Neil for three years. I had some really bad habits that I never realized until Neil opened the musical doors for me. I was off and running in the local scene. I started working on original recordings etc etc and was more plugged in to my guitar then ever before.

We had a sound guy who ended up being Doug Aldrich's guitar tech when he was playing with.....guess who....... Ronnie James Dio. I never got to meet RJD even though I easily could have. But the feeling of having gone full circle was already there. Thank you Ronnie for misguiding a stupid kid into a career that I would have never chosen..... and thanks to Neil Zaza for making me realize that you dont have to sell a million records to feel like a rock star.....

 

[powerlord]

Im definetly a member of the " Full Circle Tribe"........

I became completely consumed by music by the age of 11. My grandfather played and I just grew up with it. I caught on quick and as a kid everyone knew that I played. It was ( and is) my identity. Problem from me was a vicious home life. It was so bad that I left high school a year early Just to escape. I was accepted to Berklee but could not fund it. My guidance counselor gave me career guide to go through and I saw " pharmacist" and I had remembered reading that Ronnie James Dio was supposedly a pharmacist ( turns out he has a degree in pharmacology but is not a pharmacist). I was able to get a virtual free ride through pharmacy school as misguided as my reasons were for being there. I had no idea what a pharmacist did nor did I know anyone ( except for RJD of course) who worked in the field. I barely was 17 when I ran off to college.....

Fast forward and now I am out of college. I am now a health care professional licensed by the state. I played in a few bands with old friends but they were all into drugs which I now could not be around whatsoever. I pretty much went on hiatus for 8 years. By 30 I thought I was too old and would never gig again.

One day my wife comes home with a flyer that says " Now accepting students " that she picked off the wall at Sam Ash. It was Neil Zaza who I had heard of but really did not know much about. I joined another cover band and studied with Neil for three years. I had some really bad habits that I never realized until Neil opened the musical doors for me. I was off and running in the local scene. I started working on original recordings etc etc and was more plugged in to my guitar then ever before.

We had a sound guy who ended up being Doug Aldrich's guitar tech when he was playing with.....guess who....... Ronnie James Dio. I never got to meet RJD even though I easily could have. But the feeling of having gone full circle was already there. Thank you Ronnie for misguiding a stupid kid into a career that I would have never chosen..... and thanks to Neil Zaza for making me realize that you dont have to sell a million records to feel like a rock star.....

Man that is kick ***,I love these little bio's :!:

 

[mikeymike]

I'm glad to see all these stories on here...makes me feel like I found my lost tribe. I'm 53, in a new band again, and will be doing this when I;m 80.
Mine is a long storie, much like the rest, but maybe the most interesting part is the story about one night when my girlfriend and I were fighting over my playing out all the time. She left angry, and I. ( drunk, I might add).....took my "82 american Tele. Sat it up against the porch railing...pulled out a snubnosed .38, and shot at my beloved guitar 6x. Well...I hit it 5 times. The last shot I swear I heard the strings rattle. I went over and picked it up , then plugged it in. She still played. At least the bridge pup did. The last shot went right into the neck pup.
A buddy of mine in the band replaced the pup and I continued to play it in the band up until about a year ago.It now hangs on the wall in my bands rehearsal room.
Now I play G&L's but nobody gives me any trouble about being in a band now. My new wife loves me and wants me to be happy....smart girl.CGM

Not to be off topic or missing your point, but I bet it looks awesome do you have any pictures of it? haha the neck pickup with a bullet in it would be cool. did the shots go through?

 

[tunedown]

I'm glad to see all these stories on here...makes me feel like I found my lost tribe. I'm 53, in a new band again, and will be doing this when I;m 80.
Mine is a long storie, much like the rest, but maybe the most interesting part is the story about one night when my girlfriend and I were fighting over my playing out all the time. She left angry, and I. ( drunk, I might add).....took my "82 american Tele. Sat it up against the porch railing...pulled out a snubnosed .38, and shot at my beloved guitar 6x. Well...I hit it 5 times. The last shot I swear I heard the strings rattle. I went over and picked it up , then plugged it in. She still played. At least the bridge pup did. The last shot went right into the neck pup.
A buddy of mine in the band replaced the pup and I continued to play it in the band up until about a year ago.It now hangs on the wall in my bands rehearsal room.
Now I play G&L's but nobody gives me any trouble about being in a band now. My new wife loves me and wants me to be happy....smart girl.CGM

Not to be off topic or missing your point, but I bet it looks awesome do you have any pictures of it? haha the neck pickup with a bullet in it would be cool. did the shots go through?

+1

 

[kickinlikebruce]

Hi, my name's Rich, and I'm a musicianaholic.... But seriously.. I feel like I just walked into my past- great tales of life, and lessons for those a few rungs lower on the age ladder. It's the hardest thing to give up the love of music for anything, putting that axe aside and denying the whole way the inevitable. I can only wish my wife were supportive of my playing- I should have realized she'd never be the same woman I married, but I have started playing again, after a 4 year intermission (my son's birth). It's truly therapeutic, and that lost time was time well spent, but I need to play, to keep my sanity, thanks for this thread.....peace out

 

[CGM]

I don't have any photos, but I will take some. It does look cool. Part of the pick guard was blown out on the downside ( toward the bridge) of the pup. I think you can see part of the round embedded in the wood. A few of the rounds must have hit the wood ..embedded then bounced off . One went throught the body at an angle down next to where the strap hooks on. This guitar also got slammed over a porch rail in a fight. That nearly took the neck off. I poured a bunch of wood glue and JB Weld in the cavety and clamped it up. Then played it for a few years after that. I teach at a music store so I got some really good deals on some G&L's . I now take my frustrations out on the strings. Sometimes I pull out the 9mm but only go after targets. My axe shootin days are over . Now I'm just a guitarslinger. My new axes are real sweetypies and get treated as such. Yes ...I can play some mean blues.......It's all in where you channel it. I'll see about some pics.......CGM

 

[mikeymike]

I don't have any photos, but I will take some. It does look cool. Part of the pick guard was blown out on the downside ( toward the bridge) of the pup. I think you can see part of the round embedded in the wood. A few of the rounds must have hit the wood ..embedded then bounced off . One went throught the body at an angle down next to where the strap hooks on. This guitar also got slammed over a porch rail in a fight. That nearly took the neck off. I poured a bunch of wood glue and JB Weld in the cavety and clamped it up. Then played it for a few years after that. I teach at a music store so I got some really good deals on some G&L's . I now take my frustrations out on the strings. Sometimes I pull out the 9mm but only go after targets. My axe shootin days are over . Now I'm just a guitarslinger. My new axes are real sweetypies and get treated as such. Yes ...I can play some mean blues.......It's all in where you channel it. I'll see about some pics.......CGM

Very awesome.

 

[enigma]

Wow, what an awesome thread. Real honesty and passion for music.

I'm in my early 40's as well with two kids (9 yr. old daughter who has her own red squire strat and a 6 yr. old son who has a black one).

14-16 - loved my cheap Yamaha acoustic (took 5 lessons for $5/each);
16-18 - saved up for 6 months to buy my first electric (Ibanez Artist) w/ cheap solid state Yamaha amp;
18-25 - upgraded to Guild electric w/ Kahler tremolo and Princeton Reverb;
25-29 - not much playing due to work, social life and living in NYC w/ roommates;
29-32 - grad school - sold everything to focus on studying;
32-40 - the dry years far as guitar playing goes (married at 33);
40 - the return of the Jedi !!! Wife buys me a used PRS Santana III - didn't know I played the guitar;
40 - now - found out I had a terminal disease called GAS !!!
(See symptoms below);

Now, I play 2-3 times a month with our awesome church praise band - U2, Tree63, Steve Fee, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Newsboys, you name it we practically play all CCM. It's so much fun! I've never played so much guitar. I feel like I'm truly a whole person now that I have music back in my life!!!
8)

 

[mikeymike]

Wow, what an awesome thread. Real honesty and passion for music.

I'm in my early 40's as well with two kids (9 yr. old daughter who has her own red squire strat and a 6 yr. old son who has a black one).

14-16 - loved my cheap Yamaha acoustic (took 5 lessons for $5/each);
16-18 - saved up for 6 months to buy my first electric (Ibanez Artist) w/ cheap solid state Yamaha amp;
18-25 - upgraded to Guild electric w/ Kahler tremolo and Princeton Reverb;
25-29 - not much playing due to work, social life and living in NYC w/ roommates;
29-32 - grad school - sold everything to focus on studying;
32-40 - the dry years far as guitar playing goes (married at 33);
40 - the return of the Jedi !!! Wife buys me a used PRS Santana III - didn't know I played the guitar;
40 - now - found out I had a terminal disease called GAS !!!
(See symptoms below);

Now, I play 2-3 times a month with our awesome church praise band - U2, Tree63, Steve Fee, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Newsboys, you name it we practically play all CCM. It's so much fun! I've never played so much guitar. I feel like I'm truly a whole person now that I have music back in my life!!!
8)

know any idle cure? hehe

 

[BobSwanson]

Gentlemen:
Born in 1954- still married to a woman I met on the road 27 years ago.
Our 22 year old daughter just graduated college with a Music Business
degree (I am sooooo screwed).

Kids can (as they should), cause a shift in your priorities, hence. I've worked ans an NC Programmer for a LARGE aerospace company for
the last 20 years (it's just a day job man). But nonetheless I've managed to keep an active band situation together continuously since 1975 (except for the first 3 years after our daughter was born when it was just me and the 4 track with a set of headphones).

Currently I have 3 active bands all of which are working on records
destined to probably go Triple Cardboard in sales. Ain't Life Grand.
I also manage to play out 2 to 4 times a month (for a net loss after the bar tab is paid). Wouldn't have it any other way.

Never quit - Music is LIFE.
It keeps ya young (even if ya don't look it, I know I don't).

YOU CAN DO IT.

Peace