Am I too old to start making music?
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- Опубліковано 14 тра 2024
- I sometimes speak to people who are embarrassed by their age, thinking maybe they're too old to get started making music. I'd like to talk about that in this video, to look at it from a bunch of different angles - are you too old to start pursuing this?
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Contents:
0:00 The big question, are you too old?
0:29 The global hunger games of young professionals
1:31 Old people still show up to training
2:36 The pursuit of your craft
4:02 But what if you really want achievement?
4:38 You want to make money?
5:25 Acts of service (with guest speaker Oscar)
6:57 The pursuit of goals is the whole story
7:31 You're not too old to get started
My Foundations courses ► courses.underdog.brussels
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I’m 63! I’m a total beginner. I started 6 months ago with an Ableton training. I even managed to be certified. I spend 12 hours a day there. It’s great for me. A new life
That puts a big smile on my face 🙌
I'm 59 and also a beginner. And Oscar you're a great help!
Cool fellow sexagenarian!💯
I'm 40, started 6 months ago. My last EP just came to the top 10 releases in raw techno on beatport. Never too late! And yes, I do it for the love of music. I have my job, my 3 kids... This is just some extra fun in life.
Wicked 🙌
Share a link?
You give me hope, very impressive
Gj there! Been "producing" for almost 3 years and I am far from producing anything good enough to be put online
Would like to connect! 40.here too and making techno. Love to inspire each other. Any social link?
All very true. Over 70 here, and still enjoying, playing, listening and creating almost every day. There's always so much to learn and try, and it's always fun. Music is one of the grandest experiments and we're in an amazing age where the listening to and creation of music has been democratized to a remarkable extent.
I'm 53 and started 4 years ago. It's a hobby and something to stretch the grey matter. I believe that learning something new and complex is good exercise for the brain and perhaps can delay dementia. I've got a SoundCloud account with about 70 uploads. I've also used DistroKid to distribute 4 tracks to Spotify etc as a bucket list activity and perhaps a lasting legacy. I'm of a generation that grew up with video games and the genesis of electronic music. I follow many people like Underdog and continue to learn. I've never anticipated becoming a popstar. In today's world that is ultra unlikely. The competition is far too high. Learning and growing is fun in itself. Making music and listening back to it brings happiness. Rather like painting and hanging them up on your own wall. The hardest thing to deal with is making huge gains at the start and then the work to improve more slowing up. I'm told that you should make lots of music and grow each time. My problem is that spend too much time on detail or revisit old projects rather than moving on. I'm glad that my children introduce me to new artists all the time. Mainstream pop is so bland these days.
But its well worth to revisit old projects, and apply what you learned, build a libary of sounds is quiete important. Reuse your old sounds - make it a habit to improve your sounds. That is what i learned after now 12 years doing it. Sure its good to finish stuff, that is something what also needs to be learned - to move on - but actually learning from the past is also important - what has worked - etc. I think we cant be too old to make music .- its good for the brain. 49 years old, and still into groovy techno.
@@marcus268 I really like some of my old projects. In the beginning I would improve and after about 6 months I'd apply what I had learned to remix and remaster, rinse and repeat. As my catalogue has grown I've realised that you cannot always polish everything and sometimes I've destroyed something by tinkering. My last track didn't get promoted on SoundCloud as it normally does on Next Pro. I've noticed that they've added a new feature called Buzzing maybe this will benefit producers like ourselves.
I'm 64 and have always been obsessed with tape recorders and music creation since I was a kid in the 1960's. I had a Teac A-3440 (look at Hainbach's latest videos) in the 80's when I and some friends formed a "band". Left it all alone for a while when life happened but took it up again at 55 when I discovered how far DAW's and software instruments have come. Since lockdown I've got into Eurorack and have built up a huge collection of modules which will keep me going for years now that I've retired from work (at easter). Am absolutely obsessed with all aspects of both software & hardware production methods, and I do it all just for fun and the feeling of needing to express something creatively. I'm 64 going on 17.
Never too old. I released my first ep at the age of 40.
You can make music at any age. I'm making music at 65, soon to be 66.
55 and started a year or two ago. My neurologist encouraged me to take on something that would stimulate my brain to fend off potential Dementia. DJ off and on for 30 some years so this seemed natural :)
OMG. I did not expect to be moved to tears by that, but here we are. Thank you. That was a lovely piece.
I'm 43 and I just started learning sound design and working with a DAW. Just as a hobby, messing around. Who knows one day I would make a half decent track. It's about the journey.
Oscar, I’m 60 years old, have loved electronic music since forever. Feeding on your enthusiasm, talent and humour, I decided to start taking your online course, because you made me believe and I have been having a hoot. Am I a better producer making award winning music? Not yet. Not even close. But then at my age you start to understand that it’s the journey and not the destination that matters most. Thank you!
🙏🏻🩵
I am 62 yrs old, started my love for music at the age of 9 and my love for strange music at the age of 11. I strongly believe, that i was one of the first fivethousand owners of the Autobahn-LP from Kraftwerk. Two years ago i started with learning creating music and sound on a computer and this was really the best decision in my whole life. Cheers!
46 and started making music 3 years ago, after 30 years of barely touching the piano. Had listened to electronic music for all my life and with the release of the syntakt I just had to jump into hardware. That thing is so accessible and a joy to jam on. Same for deeper synth meddling with the minifreak. I really started putting music on UA-cam to just get it out there. I felt that if it only lay on my hard drive that would be a shame. As you said, find some people that like the same stuff you like. This is fun and very fulfilling. Thanks for the great words Oscar!
Thanks for this, Oscar! I turn 50 next month, and I started making electronic music a couple of years ago. I leaned on my hazy memories of teenage piano and violin lessons (neither of which I was especially great at), and taught myself the modern tools almost entirely via UA-cam videos. Your channel has been one of my favourites to follow, and it always inspires me to get back in the DAW and try something out. Music is never going to be my career, and it's highly unlikely I'm going to produce the next club anthem. But that's okay! I have so much fun with the process and the joy of learning new things. If even a few dozen strangers listen to something I've made, or give me some feedback on your discord channel, it brings a smile to my face.
Cool composer and music educator Anna Vilenskaya once sad me: «Music is the way to translate your experience to another beings».
So, i think, 40-, 50-, 60-years old humans have a great experience. And, if anyone of those can tell me little stories of her or his life thru music - this is great!
Hi! I'm Oscar from Underdog and here is my TED talk. 😎
That piano version of Just Like Heaven was actually pretty beautiful.
I love this Oscar - thanks. I think it is so important that "fun" (as a shorthand) should always be the reason to do it. Also "Just Like Heaven" was the first song my friends and I played in our band when we were at school x
Ok guys, I’m 60 years old and I see I’m not even the oldest in this channel! So the lesson to learn is that Music is eternal youth: thanks Oscar 🙏
I'm another of those 50plus guys grown up on 80s pop and electronic music, discovering DAWs and the amazing creative possibilities of today.. Thanks for all the inspiration! And congrats on the video, it worked very well!
This hit me and I’m not even old. I started producing at 16 and had some very small success and recognition at between 18-23 and I guess I have been chasing that again at 31 and it hasn’t happened for me in years. Since starting a family it feels like the opportunity has been slipping away from me and my time has passed as I don’t party any more and have no interest in clubbing. It still f*cking love house and techno though and my passion will never change. Seeing the other comments of people having success later in life is inspiring! I can always reset. I checked and Jamie jones and maceo plex are in their 40s and they only really broke through in their early 30s. That means they were exactly in my position right now when they got their music heard globally (my goal). I can always reset 🎉
Thanks to both of you. I'm 57 this year an enjoy my music making process. I feel now is time I can do this kind of stuff. In younger years I was to hyperactive to stay focused, listen deeply, and to put the work into it. Also electronic music making devices are just way more accessible. Now is the time.
I'm 52 and just started dj'ing a year ago after decades of always wanting to but the inner voice told me I would never be any good. Finally at the age to ignore that voice. Now, like literally this past week, I have dove head first into production. I have no idea what I am doing but I'm open to learn and grow. Thanks for this video. Means a lot.
I'm 43 and started a year ago. Always wanted to do it when I was a teenager but my parents couldn't afford it. So I collected vinyl and DJ'd.Your videos have been the backbone of my learning. So thank you Oscar.
I have been screwing around with music for years and then decided to seriously tackle it when covid started.
I wrestle with this all the time and it can be a brutal killer of productivity. This is a great video for putting down that imposter syndrome.
I am literally 50 years old and have been learning how to make music by watching several of you guys on UA-cam, lots of reading and a fair bit of practicing. In the last few months I have learnt a fair bit and am finally managing to put together some good sounding sounds. Today I have almost got a full length tune almost completed. Well happy. Thank you for the knowledge that you are sharing.
i took singing classes a few years ago. one of my favorite fellow students was an octogenarian. a true amateur (which means literally for the love of it) i have been playing cello since i was a kid, but want to branch into other areas. thanks for the encouragement
Oscars here with what I need, when I need it! Thank you. Stay beautiful.
❤
I am 56 years old and wish I had more time for this hobby. At the moment I'm just a passive UA-cam consumer of your videos and secretly think to myself that I'd like to try it all out. I hope that my time will come soon.
Special thanks for this video, Oscar! And thanks to all the commentators stating their age. Makes me feel not alone at age 63.
This is brilliant and inspiring! I’m 58 and am learning DJ’ing and music production for the first time. Of course recognition is nice but I’m doing this for myself to satisfy my creative urges and my lifelong love of music. Bravo Oscar!
Amen Oscarx2, I thought I would be the only one with this kind of story but apparently I'm not, which is great. Driven by an epidemic and the facing the fact that life can end at any given moment, I also started creating music for my own pleasure. I'm 51 now with a full time job and three teenagers in the house which doesn't get me the time I would like to spend on creating music, but still every moment I get, I take. A big shout out to all the youtubers who devote their lives teaching us old blokes a thing or 2 about electronic music. So inspiring !!
Needed this today, Oscar. Thank you so much. 🙏🏼
Great speech over the poor guys struggling with The Cure song 😂
Which song is this?
@@WurmPaul Just Like Heaven
Thanks!
Thank you for this video Oscar! I couldn't have have said it better (as you said 😂). We so often forget about creating just for the sake of it and for fun. Keep on going, you're making a beautiful impact on so many people's lifes ❤
I'm 40, been sorta at it for 18 years now, though not really, because life keeps getting in the way, and I keep getting in my own way. It's another one of those things, if I'd just really applied myself early on and kept at it, instead of getting sidetracked, distracted, or just being plain lazy, I might actually have had something to show for it by now. I'm actually quite angry with myself on that general account, I feel like I've wasted several big chances in fields where I have talent, or atleast opportunity.
Not the point right now though. Already some years back, a friend of mine, who is sorta in the business - enough to play regular shows, even some bigger ones, have some real releases etc - told me that I was too old, game over, I'll never "make it"... And I just thought it was absurd. He's probably right, but why? It's not like there's a expiration date on musical ability. In reality the experience, knowledge, and wisdom that comes from having lived a bit more, should, if anything, be an advantage in endeavours of the mind, which music very much is. So why do those music business doors close by age 30, unless you've already made it big?
That thought has stuck with me since. It just seems dumb and unnecessary to set an age limit.
Realistically I never dreamt of making it big in music, which is probably a big part of my downfall in this regard, not that I'm all that great or anything. I just wanted to have a little fun, and share it with people, hopefully making something others would enjoy. Which I'll claim I have. So either way I count it as a win.
I feel similar ☺️
Thanks for this encouraging video. I am 55 and started just a year ago. As a huge fan of multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield it was always my dream making music. Well, not with some dozens of real instruments but with synthesizers. Actually, in my youth I couldn't afford them - and later I thought I would never be able to learn playing. With today's gear on the market and a regular salary I gave it a try, bought a keyboard first and soon after that some synthesizers and more. A year later I can say that it is fun. I will never learn how to play the keyboard (or piano) really good, and I don't take lessons due to the lack of time. My dream of composing complex instrumentals like my famous idol will never become true. But I do enjoy creating soundscapes, (dark) ambient, post-apocalyptic, dystopic game or movie like sounds. I learn how to use the knobs and faders to manipulate the sound in the direction that I want to have it. That's not composing but experimenting. I record most what I am doing with my mixing desk and publish some of the jams (from the beginning to now) in my youtube channel. I thought I would get bad comments or dislikes because I am not good but decided to keep on as long as there is one person who likes what I do. A year later, I am still not a good musician (or even not a musician at all) but I have 103 subscribers, 38k views, 88% like quote. This encourages me to continue publishing my videos, but apart from that I would not stop playing with my instruments, even if nobody would follow me. Hope this text will motivate others to live a dream, too. And youtube university is a great help. 😉
I’m one of your students 😁 all my music is thanks to you!
Thank you for this video Oscar.
Such a great and inspiring video. thank you! 🙏
This one is GREAT! Thank you for your words!
This is awesome. Thanks dude
Really inspiring video. Never stop talking about these philosophical topics, it helps a lot. Love the split screen idea, really makes the video fun and engaging.
i'm 55 years old and i publish music for 3 years now the best move in my life, i always loved electronic music so it's the best time consuming in life
This is exactly what I needed to hear today. THANK YOU ! 🥰
Thanks for this explanation!
Thanks for this. You are an inspiration. ❤
you guys wore the same clothes! how sweet. 😂 great video. love the extra care to make it more engaging and entertaining
Beautifully said bro!
This video made me kind of sad thinking about my life outside of music production, but 4:00 helped me reflect on it a bit. I wanted to express my gratitude for helping me a lot, especially at the beginning of my journey in learning music production as a hobby, I view you as a successful person from which I learned a lot, and will keep learning!
Sending you much love ☺️
Feeling like “you’ve found people who are crazy in the same way as you’re crazy” - I loved this. Lovely video, thank you :)
Thank you for all the points in this video. They're really great and everyone learning new things can benefit from this video ❤
Wow, 60 seconds in, this is going to be a supreme episode. Important on so many levels. I thank you in advance of completing this video. I find your videos inspirational, and also thank you again.
do whatever makes you happy.
This was wholehearted as fk man, keep doing what you're doing
Absolutely slaying this intro, dude. The speech, but also the piano. There was power here
The best speech about creativity I’ve heard in years! 👏👏👏👏
Thank you! Excellent thoughts in here, and aspects of connection, as well as implied unease with the concept of competition, that feel very cose to my heart. Tbh, they feel somehow related to altered state of consciousness allowing us to not only glimpse at such truths and simply think "mhm, makes sense", but really feel them, and once internalised, to truthfully and openly share them.
Great philosophical reflection on artistic expression! Thank you for the encouraging words!!!
Your a good person Oscar. This was a really nicely done video and message. Keep up the amazing work man.
It's never too late to learn the banjo 🪕
love this Oscar - thank you ❤
Wow this video is incredibly powerful and the message is communicated in such a tasteful way. Thank you for this reminder.
Thanks for this 😊
just discovered your channel recently and have been binge watching a bunch of your vids, you have such a wonderful affability and abundance of knowledge :) i'm 37 too and sometimes think i'm too old to "make it", yet i still remain hopeful. it's a difficult path but it's so incredibly enriching when we can remember to come back to the joy of creating with no expectations. easier said than done at times, but i appreciate the reminder :)
Great video.
For me once I focused on the joy in creation only my workflow improved and it made happier with the process as a whole
Thanks for this little video, i skipped past it first time, glad i clicked this time, im 46 and been trying to learn all this craziness over the past 18months and im getting there but im easily discouraged when things dont go my way or just get writters block, maybe not working as hard as i could but around work it can be difficult sometimes but you helped me realise that it definitley is worth sticking with, i only intended it as a new hobby to have fun with so i may be a little hard on myself sometimes and thats probably not good for me.....thanks
Fantastic video with very insightful perspective and wisdom.
A lot of my favorite artists are not very popular in the grand scheme of things (talented and recognized in their specific genre communities, but not popular enough for a grammy), and are on the older side in terms of age, but still releasing new music every few years. For some unexplained reason, I love their music so much, more than any other. I always make sure to buy their music/merch/tickets whenever I can so they can keep on doing it and afford a living, so that I can selifshly get more of their music before they decide to stop!
I recenrly had a discussion with someone about growing a fanbase, and how to approach it. He is more experienced than me at DJing, and has done small local DJing gigs. He has a small fanbase. He said that I should finish more of my music, so I can release it and start getting a following. However, I argued that I want to spend more time to improve at the craft of performing, production, mixing and conposition, as I want people's first impression of the music to be so specific to my tastes and undoubtedly ME, that if they like what I make, they will naturally want more of what I naturally create. I think... both approaches are completely valid, but I choose the 2nd one as I prefer a smaller fanbase of dedicated fans versus a very large fanbase that I cant make a connection with.
I liked the whole talking to yourself bit, made the video more interesting for some reason. Also, talking to yourself can be therapy 😂.
And also Oscar! I really like where the direction of the channel nowadays! Keep up the good work!
I was a teenager during the early 90's rave scene in England and learned how to mix while living in a house full of DJ's, lost interest in it all after a music tech uni course place fell through in 98. About 5 months ago I walked past a local house and saw a set of decks and gear set up in a kitchen just as he was coming out the house, I just asked outright and other than the guy turning out to be a local legend it struck a cord. A few weeks later I had an amp/speakers and a cheap knackered DDJ400, a couple months later my spare room is the beginning of a studio with FLX6 and multiple synths/launchpad/keyboard with laptop and PC all networked. I'm still learning Rekordbox and now Ableton, as well as new hardware, and slowly getting the bits together for live streaming just for sh!ts and giggles..... It's also a way out of being depressed by giving an outlet and something to do. That's me now early 40's and rediscovering it all over again. But dam I wish I still had my vinyl 😂
Beautiful, thank you for these words. I started making music when I was 28/29. I agree with this feeling that you have of accomplishment, and that if it is appreciated by someone else, it’s sure that it is something huge on your part which is shared and love. We naturally want to tend towards a feeling of recognition in the same way as what we feel, without necessarily it being the work of the century
Thank you really for this video, Oscar ❤
I needed to hear that.
lovely video, thank you so much!
This is a truly inspirational video that allowed me to understand something about me and my relation with making music. I restarted a few months ago after a 15 years hiatus, really had fun messing around but when I had to go from 95% finished to 100% finished, all the fun went away and it became a chore. Your video made me realize that I don’t have to go to 100% finished, I don’t have to release a track if this is not bringing me joy. I can simply enjoy the part of making music that makes me happy, and who cares if I’m stuck in a 8 bars loop. Thanks for that Oscar
Wonderful post, Oscar. I’m turning 62 at the end of the month and am just beginning my journey. I may fantasize about having a number one hit on Beatport, but I’m doing it mostly as a learning exercise. Love your videos, keep up the good work and we’ll be here grateful to have it.
I agree! As long as your hearing works and the music still evokes emotions, where's the problem? We're not talking about becoming the leader of a boy band, after all.
❤ So true. It took me 20 years to realize this and I am very glad that I returned to music. I can now enjoy playing, having fun and as you mentioned meeting orher crazy people sharing love for art and music. Thanks for the wise words. Both of you ;)
"Music was my first love...and it will be my last." ❤️☮️☯️❤️☮️☯️❤️
I am 62 and a just started learning to produce Electronic (primarily techno) six months ago and I am having a blast and I proud of what I have learning since then and what I am doing with it.
Really motivating and moving. As a 44yo guy that started producing one year ago, I feel that creating any kind of art is something that can be done at any age. Thanks for the energy you always transmit and keep up the great work!
Thank you Oscar, for sharing this insight and the advice. In addition, lot of stories from the comment section confirm your words. As a 30 year old, self-taught to play bit of a guitar and piano, I find all of this very encouraging.
As wholesome as always, Osc!
This is a very inspirational video. Thank you. I'm 50 years old and have always dabbled in Music production not for money or fame but because I enjoy it. I also am into listening to music with good equipment.
I am a 22 years old very beginner producer living in Gent. I really hope I can make this me job, I work everyday, every free time on my knowledge and sound. Nobody around me had something with music at all and I never did music when I was younger. Sometimes I wonder if I am not to old to start this because I really want to be a producer in house music. This channel helped me a lot already, thank you.
You got my thumbs up the first minute ❤
I started with EDM 4 years ago when I saw your first videos. You gave me the motivation and inspiration to do this. To this day I have not regretted a single click in Ableton. Now I'm 46 years young and I can say: I make good music. Not for everyone, that's not necessary.
But gladly for my loved ones.
I like the style of your content and look forward to many more years of grooving and growing with you.
Thank you so much Oscar...
Trying anything in life has to be felt as a personal accomplishment. Do it for yourself, the output feedback is complimentary but not necessary
Very meaningful words ❤
We need life alert for music producers
As always thank you Oscar for your videos. We come here for music education and often go back with life lessons.
I love this video. Well said.
I am mid 40 and started only a year ago to produce music. Got a little bit better over the last months and really love it to be creative. Knowing to not make money with it but as you said, it's because it is fun and if others like it then it's even better. Get my first EP out soon 😎🎉
I wanna take this opportunity also to thank you @OscarUnderdog for your great tutorials here on UA-cam from which I learned a few pieces of the puzzle.
@All - enjoy and have fun with whatever you are doing. Cheers!
You are a really good teacher and motivator! I think motivation is the key here, and having realistic expectations when it comes to "manual talent" - which is not as necessary today as it was before sequencers and computers in music … ;-) I'm staying away from making music, it would need to much of my time (I tried to regain some of my keyboard playing "skills", which weren't that good in the first place some 40 years ago, but it was too frustrating). But in principle, there's no age limit to pursue arts of nearly any kind.
53 Here. Been writing music since 2004, been DJing since 1992. I have so much music in my head, and Oscar's tutorials and courses have been of incredible and invaluable help. I'm doing it because I love what the rave scene in the 1990s gave me. I hope that I can be that catalyst for someone by bringing my music to be added to the tapestry that is dance music. I have a full-time retail job, but making, releasing and DJing music, and bringing it to people any and every-where for the sake of music itself. I want to learn, and I want to help the scene stay afloat. If someone helps me, I want to help them too. I often think of what Carl Cox had said once: "Don't wait until your local DJs/Artists become big before you start supporting them." There is room for everyone.
Glad I watched this
Danke Oscar. Du hast den kreativen Impuls, den ich ein Jahrzehnt vernachlässigte, in mir neu entfacht. Ich mache wieder Techno. Einfach aus Freude an der Musik❤😊
Great video Oscar. I picked up music production at 38, and will probably never make any money from it, but the joy it gives me every day is already worth it.
What a beautiful, silly, thoughtful lil guy...thnx, Oscar♥️