Burn Out

Gere Mullican · From: LaVergne, Tennessee, USA (deceased)

I just read Bobbe Seymour's newsletter and it addressed burn out. Maybe I am in the minority, but I am 72 and have been playing (?) steel since I was 12 and, maybe it's because I am not a real good picker, I have never had burn out. I never get tired of playing. Even tho the band I play in every Thursday night has a drunk fiddle player that wears hearing aids (he is about 75 years old) and is far from accurate, I enjoy playing country music enough with the other guys that I overlook his inabilities and his playing from the first note to the last on just about every song. I just wait until I see him adjusting his hearing aid and then I jump in and hit a not or two. I don't mean to preach, but I just love to play and love the pedal steel so much I don't think I will ever get "burn out". Thanks for listening.
Gere

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

you're pretty darn lucky there Gere
could it be that the fiddle player got the burn out ?

John Drury · From: Gallatin, Tn USA

Gere,

I don't have it yet either. But my wife does!

John Drury
NTSGA #3

Bob Hickish · From: Port Ludlow, Washington, USA, R.I.P.

Gere
You got 7 years on me Gere ! But I still love
playing to - I'v had a Steel under my arm
for over 50 years , although that much time
in the saddle don't make you a cowboy at the
Rodeo ! but you can still have fun at our age
and you don't have to ride the Bull ! or
rope the steer to do it ! - I play in a trio and its a lot of
work for a steel picker - If I mess up a tune or
two - you just jump back on and continue to ride !
I thank that's were the top pickers can burn out ! they
have to stay in the saddle all the time . --- Just My opinion !

on the other hand if I were a top hand at the steel ! that
might be fun to !

Bob

Rick Collins · From: Claremont , CA USA

Gere, what does Johnny Sibert think of this?

Webb Kline · From: Orangeville, PA

Gere, you answered why you don't get burned out yourself. You love the music and love to play. In all my counseling experience, I've found that burn out in anything usually happens because of extenuating circumstances in a person's life, not because they are tired of playing or whatever it is they do.

I used to be in the trucking business and I got out of it, not because I burned out from driving. I love to drive. I miss the desert and mountains so bad some times it almost gives me anxiety attacks. But, it was what came with the job that burned me out--irresponsible drivers who I shared the road with, the D.O.T. becoming a bunch of revenuers rather than being concerned with safety, computers and cell phones making shipping schedules in virtual reality rather than in the real world.

If you look at a lot of pros and road musicians, they don't have it nearly as much on easy street as you or I do. I won't mention names, but a friend of mine just left the star he was playing with for the last 7 years because he hadn't had a single raise in that whole time. Combine that with the fact that he has to play gig after gig doing what someone else is telling him to do and nothing more--no time for cutting loose and having fun. Just show business and making the fat-cats fatter. All this while going down the road in a submarine, only getting out for a couple of hours to play an unrewarding show and then back in the submarine again.

I praise the good Lord that I can enjoy playing like I do with no stress, nobody telling me what to do, I can go home after the gig and sleep in my own bed most of the time.

Life is too short to live it stressed out all the time. And you, Gere, are fortunate to be able to still go out and have fun playing at your age because you have chosen to enjoy it and it is no doubt why you still have your health. May the Lord bless you with the ability to entertain for many more years.

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

If you ignore the natural cycles of things,
then you can burn out on anything.

I have taken several breaks from musical creativity, ot at least intense output,
but always come back for more.

Also breaks for ear fatigue.

Sometimes a bit of space, a step back. makes things clearer, and allows the original joy to return.
DD

[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 04 February 2005 at 04:05 AM.]

Dave Boothroyd · From: Staffordshire Moorlands

I don't call it burn out, because it's not a permanent thing, but I think I'm like a lot of players who go through patches where there is nothing I can play that I want to hear.
David D is right- take a break, then one day you'll hear something that just catches your attention and the old enthusiasm is burning as brightly as ever.

------------------
Cheers!
Dave

Webb Kline · From: Orangeville, PA

I agree with the Daves. But, I never considered that burnout; just a laspe in creativity. For me, if I dry up on the steel, I'll play the piano, guitar, dobro or banjo and ususally get my creativity back. When I come back to steel, I am fresh with new ideas.

There is something about the ears listening to one instrument too much. It doens seem to kill the tone after spending too much time with it.

Gere Mullican · From: LaVergne, Tennessee, USA (deceased)

I agree with most of this. I am very fortunate not to have ever had burn out. I was out of picking for 5 or 6 years but not because I was tired of it. I was in a coma for a couple of weeks and then my health wouldnt permit me to play, but I sure did want to. I did play professionally several years ago before the Navy put it on hold, and loved every minute of it. John Drury, I understand your comment and I am happy to say my wife don't have burn out either even tho she don't love the steel as much as I do. She is still totally supportive of me. And Rick, I haven't discussed it with Johnny Sibert, but I think he got a bum deal some way and completely lost all love and enjoyment for music at all. He said he hardly ever listens to any music excpet a little on WSM now and then. He has no desire to play again but still has his Emmons. I am going to mett him for coffee soon and see if I can't convince him he has a lot of fans out there and he is depriving them of hearing him play. Thanks again for listening to me "soap box".
Gere

Chris Brooks · From: Providence, Rhode Island

David said,

"Sometimes a bit of space, a step back. makes things clearer, and allows the original joy to return."

Good way of putting it, mon ami.

After 25 years in the biz full time I changed careers. Now I don't play nearly as much but look forward to it more.

I left music in 1988, and I think this was when clubs were folding, groups being downsized, and I was still young enough (45) to make a switch.

I was lucky enough to enter a profession that was satisfying and interesting.

Chris

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now living in the Ocean State ....

Dennis Detweiler · From: Solon, Iowa, US

I quit once for 5yrs. It just sat in the case. Still have ups and downs.
DD

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

I have never had music burnout, but I do have ebbs and flows. I virtually stopped playing for 5 years in grad school, but it was just a matter of needing to focus on intense mathematics. Now that is something I can burn out on temporarily, I think that left-brained stuff is not necessarily natural. But again, I always come back. It's weird, with either music or technical things, I think I come back stronger after a break. The brain does some serious processing about one thing while you're doing something else.

Of course, I haven't played steel that long, and I think it will be a long time before I have any ebb in interest there.

But like John D., my wife is definitely suffering from 'steel burnout' right now. My 14-string Sierra just arrived from Ron Turner today, and it's been a while since I saw such a roll of the eyes. "You mean you have four of them now?

"

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MSA Classic D-10 8+4, Sierra U-14 8+5, Sierra S-10 3+4, BMI S-10 3+4 plus assorted six-stringers;
Peavey LTD 400, Line6 Pod 2.0 + Ampeg BA 112, '64 Fender Deluxe Reverb, '69 Dual Showman Reverb + EVM Cabinet

Ken Lang · From: Simi Valley, Ca

I wonder about the corralation between burn out and age and working to make a living. For myself, the thrill of music started in high school. From then on thru college and Army service and into the workforce, music consumed me. The main thought of the day was how to arrange what the band was going to do with the next song we learned.

While there was some time spent on the road, I learned it wouldn't support a growing family. The "fire" would have to put out on local gigs.

Still, those local gigs were sometimes up to 7 nights a week. While still having a day job, the compromise was made up in the hours I got to sleep. Years spent sleeping 3-5 hours a night and getting up for the day gig.

No biggy then, when you're young.

Now at 63 years old, still day gigging, the buzzer goes off at 4:00 AM. If I need 8 hours of sleep that means pajama call at 8 PM. That used to be shower time to get ready for the gig.

Can't retire, moneys too good. Can't play, sleep is too precious. Too soon old and too late smart.

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