“Time doesn’t really ‘march on’. It tends to tip-toe. There’s no parade. No stomping of boots to alert you to its passing. One day, you turn around and it is gone.”― Heather Babcock
This seems even more true as you get older. Last time I was here was in July. Now it’s February and it seems like no time has passed at all. Psychologists don’t agree on the cause of this, but it does seem to be universal to all humanity; as you get older, time moves faster. Whether it’s repetition, biology, ratio of time from birth to present, or even stress, I’m definitely noticing it.
“Why bring it up?” you might ask. Well, other than that fact that it’s on my mind right now, because it’s relevant to being in a band when you’re closer to getting the senior discount at the movies than you are to using a fake ID to get in. Does being in a “dad band” help you reclaim your youth? Does it make you feel younger?
Personally? No. I don’t feel like I’ve gotten any younger, especially at the end of the night or the next day after a show. If anything, I feel quite a bit older. Why the constant practice and work on top of a normal 9-5 day job? Why haul gear and set it up to just tear it down and pack it away again later the same day?
Playing music is timeless. There’s no bills, no work, no worries. It’s just you and your audience, finding common ground that transcends age or politics or race or religion. Sure, it’s not going to fix the world, but for a little while, the lights dance, the music sings, and the world doesn’t matter quite as much. That’s why I’m in a band, it pauses the rest of the world.