Listen to your parents. Even if they are wrong, they want whats best for you (or at least what they think is best). From what I hear, your dad is probably worried about you wasting more time on the band and less worrying about school work (I dont know, might be wrong), anyway, My oppinion is that learning a musical instrument doesnt hurt, but dont get something like that get in between you and your family, thats the worst thing you can do. Try finding out the reason why your dad is so against it, and then try to proove him wrong, talk to him, but dont fight anymore. (Thats the worst thing you can do, your dad will just get more and more against it).

[ http://www.underoath777.com ]

this is irrelevant but..

its kinda sad you advertising underoath at a time where their singer has been kicked out of the band,
but the drums do sound good,espescially on the changing of times album, track 6, i forget the title, it has a drum intro, is fucking mean as.
And i agree with some of the things you said.
Don't keep fighting or get vengeful or shit, you'll only come out worse off in the end. theres some old saying, honey not vinegar.

You know, I remember a time not long ago, when I had a fight with my mom, I got carried away and made her cry, and a little while later I realised how much I heart her feelings and now everything is sweet with me and her, but i still regret fighting with her very much till this day. From now on, it doesnt matter what it is, if it comes to family, I'll take all their shit and be happy, because I know that even the meanest things they could say to me, they say with love, not hate. I never want this to happen again, I would advise you to do the same, Even if they are being the biggest assholes, fuck the band, fuck the drums, your family is the most important.

[ http://www.underoath777.com ]

blindspot.number.one, if that is what you want to do then you must explain this to him.sit down and be all meaningful and shit.tell him that making music isn't all about making lots of money.people just make music because it's what they love to do.

by the way if he's been a pain in the ass when you have tried to tell him, don't start bitchin at him, worst thing you can do :)

What kind of music do you play? What kind of music do they like? My suggestion is to find a happy medium. I love my parents, and i used to be quite close to my mum, but when i got my last boyfriend, she went haywire, and our relationship has never been the same. I've changed, and she hasn't. Which sux, cos i love my mum, and want her in my life and want to be close to her. I'm 22 now. I live away from home, adn have for over 4 years. I still see them almost every fortnight, and i head home. I do both - i go out to karioki with mum and we sing together, and she loves it. Then i go out dancing till 2 in the morning (she often joins me). But my step dad doesn't really understand it. He loves listening to me, and luckily supports me, but for a long time i don't think he knew how serious it was. All i'm saying is it's not your music that's at stake here, it's the shape of your future with your parents. Mine hasn't gone the way i wanted it to, but i have to be the older one and deal with it. My suggestion would be that if you're still at school, make time after school to practice. Ask yoru music teacher if you can use the drums during lunch or after school. Make a deal with your parents. Tell them that you love your music, and really want to pursue it. However, having a back up career is also good, so if they're telling you to get a qualification - listen to them! There are many musical qualifications out there - audio engineering, some of hte rock courses - not only teach music, but also marketing and how the market works. So you could go that way. Proove to them that you can balance your life, my parents always used to worry cos life was never balanced for me. Probably what your parents are on about. Just act like an adult, don't get defensive! Or that will put their defenses up. If you must - try a school councilor to be piggy in the middle. Or a teacher or something. But don't let your school work slack, just make time for both. Proove that you can both do your homework and work on your music. Perhaps they'll be more open to it. If they dont' like your music, don't force them to. Work on it somewhere that isn't home. My mum doesn't like my fashion sense, so i tone it down when i go home. And if you're not in school - leave home! :o) If you are in school, thank your lucky stars you don't have other stresses like bills - which trust me, are a huge weight on your brain, and not good for the creative process! Anyway, just compromise, and if they can't, don't rub it in their faces. Go somewhere else and do it. They can be proud of you and not like your music, so once you start doing well, then tell them that you're donig well. It sucks that you can't include them in what you love, but it's just hte way it is sometimes - but i agree with teh others, no one will ever love you more than your family. They are probably just worried about you. My dad gets really angry when he can't fix my life or i'm sick, and he yells at me. But i understand now, and that's half the battle won. Good luck.

Well school aside you gotta have some sort of fun in your life. Without hobbies and stuff you're too susceptible to being bored because of "nothing worthwhile to do". But if your dad wants to hold you back because he's trying to recreate a picture in his head of what you should be then you're no use to yourself as you'd be a puppet that has school being their whole life and everything going into it. The thing is though most parents when they see their kids getting into music and a couple of weeks/months down the track they try inadvertantly to get them out of it because who knows why because they think you'd end up like a typical rockstar that they idolise. But maybe you gotta show them how serious you are if they think you are wasting your time.

My dad actually had the "put ur bass, guitar and software away for a sec and study a bit harder cause it's exam soon" speech last night. So i just told him that i don't want to study at night cause i studied all day. It's only natural that your parents worries about ur educational well being before your music ventures cause it's a safter career choice. It's annoying yes, but isn't it worse if ur parents don't care?

Thanx everyone for their thoughts and opinions!
Shit i start exams tomorrow so im studying really hard now i wanna prove that i can do well at school

everyone here has given some good advice, so i dont have much to add but yeah just stick to your education first, but still keep up with the music. i guess you have to find a balance with your music and stuff so that your dad will be fine with it.

Dude, just play the fucking music.

Aunt MIMI, told John Lennon when he was 16: "The Guitar is OK, but you'll never make a living of it".
That says a lot, OLD PEOPLE KNOWS SHIT ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE, except for me, of course.

Blindspott#1,

Parents can sometimes say things that have the opposite effect to what they wanted. I made up my mind that I wanted to do music seriously when my Dad tried to argue me out of it. It was probably the biggest fight we ever had. It helped me find out who I am. No family rifts today, i love my old man and we have a great relationship. And even though at the time I really hated the prick, now all I can do is say thank you, thank you, thank you. You made helped me realise what I want to be.

But you absolutely have to give school your time and focus. Remember your music will never leave you, but you only get one shot in school to get it right. You've said you are doing well in school which is fantastic. Music will command your time and drag you away from the real world- that's kind of why people love it so much! Music destroys study- I know this from experience. But I was lucky to get enough good work done in school before I was condemned to life as a bum.

I hope this means something to you!