Can we talk about retirement?

[PianoMan51]

Recently our brother in keyboards Dave posted this...

 

Being in a position of semi-retired and never having to accept another, what I classify has a "shit gig" in my life. And it comes with realizing my life long dream of never having to play another electronic keyboard in my life. That is really a pot at the end of the rainbow for me.

 

Other than mistakenly adding an 'a" before pot, I"m pretty much in sync. To set the stage, I"m 69. Been playing since I was 8.

 

I no longer care to play for money. (Especially when the pay is the same as 25 years ago.)

 

I no longer care to play for folks who don"t want to hear an old f#$k play live music.

 

I no longer care to play 'practice" gigs to keep up my chops and repertoire.

 

The 'musically interesting" concerts are soul lifting but freaking exhausting. Being an MD or learning a concert"s worth of new music is great fun, but immense work. And when they"re over I"m wondering why I agreed to do them. Here"s an example:

 

When Covid arrived I found a certain relief at not gigging 's$&t" gigs. And I told one steady gig to find a younger person who needed the gig and the money to replace me when things get back to normal.

 

I recognize that many of us here are of that 'certain age".

 

I"d like to hear your thoughts.

[timwat]

I'm in my own version of this tension.

 

TL;DR - I'm tired of playing music I don't really enjoy and I'm just tired of playing the same old repertoire. I want to return to playing music that is interesting, challenging and closer to my heart. On this side of the pandemic, I'm about ready to take a hard left turn in that direction again.

 

Longer version - I guess my version of 'less than' gigs aren't totally "sh*t" gigs - they pay well, I'm respected for my contribution, I play with good players who have their stuff together, there's no drama. I'm the MD in a few of these situations, and that makes at least one of the situations lucrative. But it's the same general repertoire - weddings, corporates, and similar "fill the dance floor" gigs.

 

I was musically happiest years ago when I was composing my own stuff and led a band that explored it. Some of the players in that band still tell me it was the most fun situation they'd been in, too. But I got tired of all the chores of leading a band - finding, negotiating and booking gigs, all the administrative scheduling and nonsense.

 

Nowadays I have less time than ever - my day job has treated me VERY well, better than I deserve, and I'm more than rewarded for my work. So less discretionary time to devote to music. Where do I want to invest my very precious time? In music that I actually enjoy.

 

The trick, of course, is building that without taking on all the non-music chores again. I don't have any answers yet, but it's where my head is these days.

[ElmerJFudd]

It"s hard to say how things will play out. How much does one need to live on comfortably, contently. Do you have a spouse, how important is being able to travel and do some things before you"re time is up. How far do you imagine you"re going to make it?

 

The other questions are - will you emotionally be able to wind down to a less busy lifestyle. Do you even know what you"ll do with your time when there"s no gig to prep for, or get to, no students back to back during the week. I know I"d have time to walk, hike, bike, etc. Practice the stuff I want to play instead of what I need to have ready. But what then. Some folks fair better with idle hands than others, with less interaction than others. The last year proved that for a lot of us.

 

I don"t imagine I"ll ever fully retire, even if I could financially. Though I sure would be kinder to my body, exercise more, take more breaks, keep stress low.

[Docbop]

For me retirement about my bucket list and that included learning to play piano. So instead of continuing down my guitar and improv path I decided at 70 to be a piano beginner and I'm having a great time. Being new to something give me lots to think about and new activities for my fingers so everyday is a new. The hard part and good having played music for 50+ years and studying improv is I hear thing I was to play, but my hands aren't capable of, but I can work with chords and voicing enjoy playing things someone only playing piano for a couple years can't do. So for me learning be it piano, or spanish, or other things I've dug into since retired keeping my brain busy has been great.

 

 

I do avoid old friends or people I meet that are the stereotype old foggie constantly whining about something. "The things were better in my day" type old people. That's a waste of time. I also find it funny the ones that say they'll never retire they have to work they think that playing music is being lazy. But I watch them "work" they are hardly doing anything, and what they are doing is just the same stuff they've done their whole lives they can do in there sleep. To me that's not work.

[ProfD]

I was musically happiest years ago when I was composing my own stuff and led a band that explored it.

The happiest musician plays on their own terms. Anything else makes it a chore or a job.

 

As a younger person, it doesn't matter so much whether or not the gig(s) are more lucrative financially but less fulfilling musically or the other way around.

 

Sooner than later, one should aspire to reach a point in life where they can do what they really enjoy.

 

That way, you never really have to "retire". Just a matter of switching gears.

[Stokely]

I have a decent day job (I complain about it but it definitely pays the bills and then some). I feel a bit of the same, I'm tired of the same old stuff. The flip side is though that I enjoy playing gigs and it's really hard to get booked playing anything outside the box. Our audiences tend to be middle-aged and up and they want classic rock that they know. We do try to put in some stuff that not everyone plays and is fun, Lido Shuffle being an example, but if I had a penny for every time I've played Gimme Three Steps...one factor is that we have to have subs for some gigs, and there goes anything different as soon as you have a sub.

 

One thing that has helped me hang in there is the band allowing me to sing some lead. I've never really been a lead singer and so that has been a real challenge.

 

I've kind of felt the urge to do some original stuff with other people. Writing-wise I find I'm good at atmosphere and layering but not so good at hooks and certainly not lyric-wise. Plus I like guitar and suck at playing it (though I'm picking it back up--again!) so someone who writes and plays guitar would be an ideal collaboration.

[cp-the-nerd]

At 34, I'm certainly not retired, but after doing the cover band thing for close to a decade with more crappy gigs than good ones I was totally burned out and happy to step away from it all. I don't see myself going back to anything like that lifestyle: weekly repetitive practices that ate up most of a sunday, venues treating us like they're doing us a favor, risking my equipment when things go wrong, etc.

 

I never made decent money anyway, so as of right now I'll only play in a band again when it's on my terms and for people who want to hear it. That much was clear when I bought my looper pedal last year and immediately had more fun with that than anything I had been doing with the band.

 

Congrats on retirement PianoMan51, I'm sure you're going to find new passion for music after shedding the dead weight.

[cphollis]

My minor contribution to the discussion.

 

I don't make my living from playing music. It's a passionate hobby for me. I retired last year, thinking "oh good, I'm going to be able to get deeper into music" and I did and I saw myself getting bored. Relearned a bunch of classical, flirted with prog rock again, no enchilada. Not good.

 

Things changed when I connected with a local singer/songwriter. All original stuff, plays well for crowds, interesting tempos/voicings/modes, etc. Now I'm really having fun again. By comparison, I'm now just going through the motions with my cover band. It is what it is.

 

I consider myself fortunate in this regard. BTW, no s**t gigs in my world, as everyone in the different bands works for a living and it's a passionate hobby for them as well. They are modest gigs, but quite fun.

[Bill H.]

I actually retired from playing keyboards in clubs over 10 years ago. I still had gigs, but the rooms were getting smaller and quieter. (Spoiler alert: I was never as good as many of you in this forum. I'm always amazed that I was able to do it steadily for 40 years, and live off it for 20.)

 

About that time I started a Thursday karaoke show for a friend who owned a bar. Within weeks the place was packed - in ways I hadn't seen as a keyboard player in years. That led to DJ gigs, bigger rooms, and what I'm doing now in bars.

 

I seriously thought about hanging it all up during lockdown, but response since reopening has been so huge that I'm going for a little longer I guess. And I'll be honest - it's for the positive feedback. If it wasn't there, I wouldn't be either.

[timwat]

(Spoiler alert: I was never as good as many of you in this forum. I'm always amazed that I was able to do it steadily for 40 years, and live off it for 20.)

 

Boy that comment hit home, Bill. I started learning late and feel like I have been playing catch up ever since. Combine that with the fact there are some real monsters in my community and there's a part of me that's always ashamed of my playing. A bad mindset I fight regularly and chronically. And we got some real monsters here on the forum as well, of course.

 

And you were able to play for 40 years and live off playing for two decades. You were doing a lot of things well to accomplish that, I guess we're sometimes the last ones to see it.

[Bill H.]

(Spoiler alert: I was never as good as many of you in this forum. I'm always amazed that I was able to do it steadily for 40 years, and live off it for 20.)

 

Boy that comment hit home, Bill. I started learning late and feel like I have been playing catch up ever since. Combine that with the fact there are some real monsters in my community and there's a part of me that's always ashamed of my playing. A bad mindset I fight regularly and chronically. And we got some real monsters here on the forum as well, of course.

 

And you were able to play for 40 years and live off playing for two decades. You were doing a lot of things well to accomplish that, I guess we're sometimes the last ones to see it.

 

Tim in my case I think it was things I did in addition to keys that kept me employed - singing, programming backing tracks, play key bass if needed, and such. Plus it was a time in Seattle when practically any band could work if they wanted to. I would not be able to pull it off today.

 

Tim if you enjoy what you're doing, just keep doing it. Retirement comes when we don't enjoy it anymore.

[El Lobo]

I'm 75, retired, widowed. I'm playing keys and sax in 4 bands. I practice gratitude. I don't know how many more years I've got on this planet or for playing live music, so I'm grateful for every minute that I get to do it. Some musicians I know can no longer play; some of them are dead. I love playing all the music I get to play ââ blues, old rock, R&B, soul, country, jazz, originals. I've been in bands since I was 16, with a couple spells of a few years off to do other things. I'm not tired of music. I enjoy it all, including the schlepping although I've tried to reduce my set-up to minimize the schlep factor but it's still there and my arthritis makes it painful. I had dinner last night with a sax player friend who is turning 70 and approaching retirement. He only plays jazz now because the gigging demands are easier. He's been gigging all his life too and we were making jokes about having to move the pool table to set up for the bar gig and so forth. Homey don't do dat anymore. But if it wasn't for playing live music, I'd be seriously depressed and really screwed up. I always say I'm grateful that I get to play so much music at my advanced age.

[El Lobo]

(Spoiler alert: I was never as good as many of you in this forum. I'm always amazed that I was able to do it steadily for 40 years, and live off it for 20.)

 

Boy that comment hit home, Bill. I started learning late and feel like I have been playing catch up ever since. Combine that with the fact there are some real monsters in my community and there's a part of me that's always ashamed of my playing. A bad mindset I fight regularly and chronically. And we got some real monsters here on the forum as well, of course.

+1 on all that, although I never made a living from music -- that was intentional, it's a shit living, I can make more money doing something else. But I only started playing keys in a band late in life. I'm a total hacker on keys; I can't play anything like several of the local keys players who I am friends with. At least 3 come to mind right away â they've played with name acts, have super left hand skills, lightning fast, advanced chordal understanding, etc. I can't do any of that. If any of them show up at a gig (one did this past Sunday) or at a jam, I'm embarrassed and my self-consciousness turns my keys playing to crap. But I keep getting asked to play in bands or with other musicians so I must be doing something right. I don't know what it is, but I'll take it.

[The Real MC]

I'm relocating to a new day job shortly in a city with a great music scene.

 

I just finished six years of elder care with aging parents now gone and during that time I had to sacrifice playing in my studio. During that time I have been gigging which was a good outlet. Once I get settled in the new town in the new house, I'm not getting back into any gigging right away. I need to feel out the demands of the new job first. The leisure time will be diving back into my studio, and finally start recording a pile of originals. And I don't want gigs/practice interrupting with the studio time.

 

I'm a long way from retiring from the day job. Too soon to tell if I'll retire from gigging, but as I get older it gets harder to turn the body clock back to banking hours after weekend late night gigging. I'm still strong as an ox for my age and can carry gear to gigs. I've simply changed the priorities with the leisure time.

 

Playing in a guitar band is getting old, and most of them are playing the same tired songs that are fun to play on guitar. If I start gigging again, it will likely be my own band where I'll sequence bass/drums to songs *I* want to play. The new city is large enough that I could land a house band gig and just leave most of my gear there.

 

Even if a band wanted me to join, I'm not leaving for any gigs less than $100.

[Doc Tonewheel]

As I"ve said before, I only play what makes me happy. Gigged a lot in my younger days, but knew it was never something I really liked doing. I love to play music, but am much happier playing my keys at home. That"s why I went back to taking classical lessons. For me, it was to improve my enjoyment by being a better player, but just to make me happy. It"s a bit like weight lifting, except instead of you and the weights, it"s you and the piano. You challenge yourself.

[16251]

I took early retirement from office job (not really my idea.) I'm, 64, single and was lucky to purchase a tiny house with tiny expenses years ago. I can play anytime. Started playing dance gigs fulltime as only income, then gigs and day job. I when to Berklee for 2 1/2 years and studied with some great teachers including a three year stint with Charlie Banacos.

 

The problem is I never seriously put in the work. I'm now been hitting it for over two years with a stretch where I practiced 4-6 hours a day, and I can finally hear real improvement in my playing and how I think. I'm practicing with a drummer for some local duo wallpaper gigs playing some of my favorite tunes and hope to visit some real jazz jam sessions as I continue getting it together. Better late than never is my recurring theme.

[Doerfler]

Even if a band wanted me to join, I'm not leaving for any gigs less than $100.

 

Interesting to me how nothing has changed. I had this policy going back to the end of last century. Needless to say, although I have everything Ineed for almost any gig as far as gear is concerned (chops another story), I haven't gigged for quite awhile.

 

I'm a few years younger than the OP, but understand the sentiment.

 

I also understand the sentiment from El Lobo.

 

Do what works for you.

[ElmerJFudd]

As I"ve said before, I only play what makes me happy. Gigged a lot in my younger days, but knew it was never something I really liked doing. I love to play music, but am much happier playing my keys at home. That"s why I went back to taking classical lessons. For me, it was to improve my enjoyment by being a better player, but just to make me happy. It"s a bit like weight lifting, except instead of you and the weights, it"s you and the piano. You challenge yourself.

 

The older I got, the more the cumulative effect of all the decades started piling up and I just didn't enjoy any aspect about it anymore. Quite a few deep scars from decades in the trenches that unfortunately will never heal.

 

On the positive end of things, I'm extremely happy, content, challenged and humbled to work on Classical music these days. The last month or so I've sort of transitioned slightly away from Jazz and more to getting the pieces I've learned over the years back up to a decent level.

 

The Chopin or Debussy Etudes are difficult enough especially when your forte was ear and improvisation not written note. No one will ever mistake me for Pollini but as lifetime studies they are so valuable, not only to your technique, but your touch and musicality on the instrument.

 

I started learning Chopin Etude op.10 #11 about three weeks ago. It's the first new Etude I've worked on in probably ten years. And man is it SLOW going ! Baby steps. The interval stretches in both hands, rolling the chords, are at a level of difficulty I've never encountered in all my years. On the insane rolled wide intervals I miss more times then I connect right now. It's really going to take some time for this to sound like anything. Beyond humbling.

 

The rest of my practice time is filled preludes and fugues from both books of the WTC. "Use it or lose it" definitely applies with these genius pieces. I started working again on the thorny Ravel Toccata, the last movement from Le Tombeau de Couperin. About seventeen years ago I had it sounding pretty good, now it's total re-learning and also baby steps. Also picking through a few Bartok pieces from the Mikrokosmos Volumes 4, 5 & 6 I had learned years ago but long let go.

 

At the end of a practice interval of maybe an hour, I'll blow on some tunes just to keep the brain and fingers functioning in that area.

 

This sounds like joyful playing to me and just what the doctor ordered when I finally hang up the crummy gig hat.

[Polkahero]

I'm nowhere near retirement age, but I'm definitely going to be much more selective which gigs I take in the future. I look back now and wonder why the heck did I play some of those low paying gigs with little musical satisfaction? Also tired of dealing with venues with crappy pianos, I just won't play those anymore rather than haul my keyboard setup (which will never be as good as a decent real acoustic piano).

[zeronyne]

I"ve never really thought this through until this moment. I want to thank you all for sharing your experiences and viewpoints, because it resolved something in my mind that I didn"t even realize was bothering me.

 

I"m 54 years old, and I have a college freshman and a high school sophomore, so I have a little bit more to do before I can retire, but I am perfectly on track to retiring at 62 with way more than I thought I would have at that point. (The market"s been good to me over the years).

 

But what is relevant here is what you are saying about milestones and endings. I stopped doing MIDI and audio consulting in my early 30s after I realized I had no future in it. I stopped playing out when my first daughter was born, but all of my gear decisions were still made with the 'I"m eventually going to play out again' factor. I never really had a reckoning with my dream that I"d be a keyboard player supporting an artist, so there was never that finality that is a little sad but also very freeing. And my occasional work with some famous artists was just enough to keep the aspiration alive...but I was never going to be able to tolerate a tour bus across the US, and the pay compared to what I make in my current job would have made it not only sad but stupid.

 

But right now, at this moment, I realize I will never play out regularly, and like I said, it"s very freeing.

 

This whole post may not quite make sense, but just know you guys are awesome, and I"m lucky to interact with all of you.

[Outkaster]

As I"ve said before, I only play what makes me happy. Gigged a lot in my younger days, but knew it was never something I really liked doing. I love to play music, but am much happier playing my keys at home. That"s why I went back to taking classical lessons. For me, it was to improve my enjoyment by being a better player, but just to make me happy. It"s a bit like weight lifting, except instead of you and the weights, it"s you and the piano. You challenge yourself.

 

The older I got, the more the cumulative effect of all the decades started piling up and I just didn't enjoy any aspect about it anymore. I was the kinda guy that couldn't "leave it at the office". I was too passionate about real Artistic music. I dwelled on the negativity of it all incessantly and for too many years. Thus, I developed quite a few deep scars from decades in the trenches that unfortunately will never heal.

 

On the positive end of things, I'm extremely happy, content, challenged and humbled to work on Classical music these days. The last month or so I've sort of transitioned slightly away from Jazz and more to getting the pieces I've learned over the years back up to a decent level.

 

The Chopin or Debussy Etudes are difficult enough especially when your forte was ear and improvisation not written note. No one will ever mistake me for Pollini but as lifetime studies they are so valuable, not only to your technique, but your touch and musicality on the instrument.

 

I started learning Chopin Etude op.10 #11 about three weeks ago. It's the first new Etude I've worked on in probably ten years. And man is it SLOW going ! Baby steps. The interval stretches in both hands, rolling the chords, are at a level of difficulty I've never encountered in all my years. On the insane rolled wide intervals I miss more times then I connect right now. It's really going to take some time for this to sound like anything. Beyond humbling.

 

The rest of my practice time is filled preludes and fugues from both books of the WTC. "Use it or lose it" definitely applies with these genius pieces.

 

I started working again on the thorny Ravel Toccata, the last movement from Le Tombeau de Couperin. About seventeen years ago I had it sounding pretty good, now it's total re-learning and also baby steps. Also picking through a few Bartok pieces from the Mikrokosmos Volumes 4, 5 & 6 I had learned years ago but long let go. A couple of pieces from Mendelssohn's Songs without Words. Never a shortage of stuff.

 

At the end of a practice interval of maybe an hour, I'll blow on some tunes just to keep the brain and fingers functioning in that area.

 

Dave that's a crazy piece. I have never tried to play it. It's probably a little beyond me. I am playing some Mozart and Beethoven sonatas though. I dove into classical music after 22 years again.

[KuruPrionz]

I have a home studio. It's too difficult to find other musicians that want to explore whatever random madness comes to mind when I am creative.

I've spent my musical life learning to be responsive and spontaneous and record is fun for that.

I still like to play with a couple of groups of people, an ensemble can sound nice. Gigging does wear thin, more about moving gear around than anything else. I travel pretty light but am considering ways to go lighter.

 

And, I am eternally weary of loud. Loud is over.

[El Lobo]

But right now, at this moment, I realize I will never play out regularly, and like I said, it"s very freeing.

 

This whole post may not quite make sense ...

Actually, it makes perfect sense. To each his own.

[niacin]

My retirement plan (from a decade out):

 

1. Stop doing cover band fill-in gigs just cause I know most of the songs and they pay relatively well and there"s free food and alcohol. Recognize that I"m not a poor uni student anymore.

2. Buy a Vintage Leslie 122 or 147.

3. Buy a synth that is designed for performance. Regular keys. Polyphonic aftertouch. Ribbon. Etc.

4. Join a jazz quartet where I can just play Hammond. Classic "60s soul jazz. Hard bop.

5. Join or start a few tribute bands where the required keyboard rig is built around a Hammond.

6. Start learning to play organ properly (again, it"s where I started at age 10). Practise. Practise. Practise. Enjoy the learning.

 

In the past 18 months I have done #1-5. (Yes the answer to #3 is Hydrasynth. Love it, and it will keep me busy for years.) About a month ago finally got my practice space sorted so it doesn"t look like a holding dock. I am just starting out on #6 and looking forward to whatever time I have remaining on this planet to work on it. I have a gig with a very talented local (originally from England) blues guitarist and a couple of blues masters in the rhythm section. The bass player recently posted a video on FB and wrote 'It"s a privilege to play with these guys.' I feel the same way. And I want to feel that way about every musician I play with. And the more focused that search has become the more I am succeeding in finding those musicians and the music they make. The rest be damned. Life is too short.

[Docbop]

My retirement plan (from a decade out):

 

1. Stop doing cover band fill-in gigs just cause I know most of the songs and they pay relatively well and there"s free food and alcohol. Recognize that I"m not a poor uni student anymore.

2. Buy a Vintage Leslie 122 or 147.

3. Buy a synth that is designed for performance. Regular keys. Polyphonic aftertouch. Ribbon. Etc.

4. Join a jazz quartet where I can just play Hammond. Classic "60s soul jazz. Hard bop.

5. Join or start a few tribute bands where the required keyboard rig is built around a Hammond.

6. Start learning to play organ properly (again, it"s where I started at age 10). Practise. Practise. Practise. Enjoy the learning.

 

In the past 18 months I have done #1-5. (Yes the answer to #3 is Hydrasynth. Love it, and it will keep me busy for years.) About a month ago finally got my practice space sorted so it doesn"t look like a holding dock. I am just starting out on #6 and looking forward to whatever time I have remaining on this planet to work on it. I have a gig with a very talented local (originally from England) blues guitarist and a couple of blues masters in the rhythm section. The bass player recently posted a video on FB and wrote 'It"s a privilege to play with these guys.' I feel the same way. And I want to feel that way about every musician I play with. And the more focused that search has become the more I am succeeding in finding those musicians and the music they make. The rest be damned. Life is too short.

 

 

Once you get up to retirement age the thought of hauling around a Hammond and Leslie will disappear. Even hauling a Rhodes starts disappearing. Suddenly a keyboard that's "close enough" and only weights 30 pounds sounds great. Right now your saying no way, but it happens, like it or not it happens.

[Bill H.]

Once you get up to retirement age the thought of hauling around a Hammond and Leslie will disappear. Even hauling a Rhodes starts disappearing. Suddenly a keyboard that's "close enough" and only weights 30 pounds sounds great. Right now your saying no way, but it happens, like it or not it happens.

 

Truer words were never spoken.

[ProfD]

Once you get up to retirement age the thought of hauling around a Hammond and Leslie will disappear. Even hauling a Rhodes starts disappearing. Suddenly a keyboard that's "close enough" and only weights 30 pounds sounds great. Right now your saying no way, but it happens, like it or not it happens.

 

Truer words were never spoken.

I was fine when my facsimile was just an option. I will be a depressed musician the day having to settle for "close enough" to a Rhodes becomes reality.

[niacin]

My retirement plan (from a decade out):

 

1. Stop doing cover band fill-in gigs just cause I know most of the songs and they pay relatively well and there"s free food and alcohol. Recognize that I"m not a poor uni student anymore.

2. Buy a Vintage Leslie 122 or 147.

3. Buy a synth that is designed for performance. Regular keys. Polyphonic aftertouch. Ribbon. Etc.

4. Join a jazz quartet where I can just play Hammond. Classic "60s soul jazz. Hard bop.

5. Join or start a few tribute bands where the required keyboard rig is built around a Hammond.

6. Start learning to play organ properly (again, it"s where I started at age 10). Practise. Practise. Practise. Enjoy the learning.

 

In the past 18 months I have done #1-5. (Yes the answer to #3 is Hydrasynth. Love it, and it will keep me busy for years.) About a month ago finally got my practice space sorted so it doesn"t look like a holding dock. I am just starting out on #6 and looking forward to whatever time I have remaining on this planet to work on it. I have a gig with a very talented local (originally from England) blues guitarist and a couple of blues masters in the rhythm section. The bass player recently posted a video on FB and wrote 'It"s a privilege to play with these guys.' I feel the same way. And I want to feel that way about every musician I play with. And the more focused that search has become the more I am succeeding in finding those musicians and the music they make. The rest be damned. Life is too short.

 

 

Once you get up to retirement age the thought of hauling around a Hammond and Leslie will disappear. Even hauling a Rhodes starts disappearing. Suddenly a keyboard that's "close enough" and only weights 30 pounds sounds great. Right now your saying no way, but it happens, like it or not it happens.

 

Oh no, the Leslie stays home. It's the only vintage piece I've ever seriously wanted and it's just for my own listening pleasure. My gig rig is the SK2 or the SKpro and the Vox. When it comes out I'll buy the SKproX or whatever they call the 2-manual version, but otherwise I'm, pretty done buying gear.

[Al Quinn]

I"m 62 and love playing as much as I ever have. I actually start to feel down if too much time goes by without playing with others or playing out. At this point, I"m careful not to do too many gigs and not commit myself to anything I won"t enjoy. I"ve become comfortable turning down gigs which wasn"t always the case.

 

I haven"t been in a steady band for many years. I much prefer being a sub or just a hired gun. I"m happy to just do two, maybe three, gigs a month. More than that and it reminds me of my younger days when I gigged a lot and it felt like work. I"m also happy to play with friends just for fun. When the music"s good it nurtures my soul. It"s like some sort of therapy â my happy place.

 

This past year or so has been interesting in that I got into playing alone which was new for me. Of course we practice alone but in the past my practice was geared toward playing in an band rather than solo. I suspect I"ll keep doing gigs until it becomes physically difficult or not possible. I"ve toyed with the idea of taking classical lessons. I enjoy it so much and wish I could play it better.

[Piktor]

Retiring and music? Let me think about that:

 

Aging warrior

Get a grip

(Difficult to do with hands that grow stiffer by the day)

What is left? Is it enough

To see you through one more campaign, one more battle,

One more skirmish, one more minor argument ...with that pimply kid

Who just let his dog do that on your lawn?

Now that the fight in you is no longer in you,

Has abandoned you in search of a more willing and capable vessel,

Do you wonder if you have left a legacy, a mark,

Or even a tiny nick in "the music"?

Hurry now

Time devours

Maybe (MAYBE) it will leave you enough

To create and issue that monumental thing

A symphony, a song, a lick,

a B major 7/G chord, a crumpled piece of manuscript

With only a title that doesn't completely suck scralled at the top.

Maybe you can plant a tree

And it will grow tall

And someone will cut it down

And they will cut it into boards

And they will plane and sand the boards

And make a road case

For a DX 100

That will sit in someone's closet for years

Until it doesn't.

 

Retire? What am I going to do then, sit around and write bad poetry? ð