Obsolescence

Over the years I've noticed a trend in the generations and it goes something like this:

1. The generation after mine have their heads inside mobile phones and iPods.
   
   
2. The next generation bring their own media.

As a musician who hopes that they can reach the audience in front of them I've had quite a few instances of type one.
Typically, more and more, I've had families lost in their mobile phones and iPods. Each person of the family is in complete isolation to every other person. This bodes badly for me. What am I there for? I'm completely redundant, or so I thought.

I had my first experience with a type two.
I have a fortnightly gig at the local Cricket Club and a more wide spread age group you'd only find at a wedding. Everyone from young children, yea, even babies to grandparents. The last night I played I was gobsmacked! I was half way through my gig, when I spotted a man plug in an extension lead and wondered what that was for. To early for the cleaning. As it turned out, the extension lead was to power a portable DVD player to entertain the children! Should I be insulted or should I admit I'm a creature from a different era?

I could come to now conclusion than the parents of the children exhibited really poor cultural behaviour. They have been blackmailed into providing alternate entertainment. The children just wanted to experience their every day behaviour, but for the parents to ignore my attempts and actually provide an alternate entertainment performer just is beyond me. Their manners are just abysmal.

I had young children on the dance floor dancing away, making up dances, but not these socially disadvantaged children. What was in the minds of the parents?

At the end of the night, patrons my age came up and congratulated me on my effort. The young dancers even came up and thanked me, even though they wanted a bit more.

The socially disadvantaged children? They probably didn't even admit that I was there!

Yup, I can see Obsolescence, and it's coming quickly.