You’re Never Too Old

By Steve Carter

Over the Easter break a young lad paid me a compliment (yes it happens occasionally) regarding a recent Linkedin post I’d written. It was about me being asked to sit in and play the drums at a couple of gigs with a band many years my junior, despite not having played myself for 28 years. I was told that what I had done to help them was brilliant and I felt very humbled by the comment.

It made me reflect because originally, I had tried to come up with reasons, or excuses, why I shouldn’t play; too old, too rusty etc. I now know that the real reason was fear, a fear that I wouldn’t be able to replicate, what I could do nearly 3 decades ago. For various reasons I am so glad that I was talked into playing. I proved to myself that if you are fortunate to be gifted with a talent, it doesn’t leave you. I was also able to utilise a couple of other life skills, the realisation of which has only just dawned on me.

During one of the practice sessions, the lads were building a song and had reached the bridge. They were trying different things but were not happy with what they were producing. It would have been easy for me to jump in and say what was needed, but I didn’t. Instead, I waited for them to try different things out, until such point that they asked me for my thoughts. By taking what they had already done, I made a suggestion to them with a slight tweak. Immediately the singer beamed, and I knew that tiny bit of input had the desired effect.

On the night of the gig, the youngest band member, a phenomenal 16 year old guitarist, was visibly quite nervous and told me as much. I remember being that age at my first gig and the nerves I had. I was able to tell him that nobody out there is here to judge you, they want you to do well. I also told him that the stage lighting will block the audience out and that when it comes to the last song of the night, he wouldn’t want it to end; I was right, he didn’t.

We all have something that we are good at and whatever it is, it will always be of benefit to somebody.



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