Have you ever thought what your life would be without music? This week my wife and I are house sitting for my daughter and I did not bring a keyboard. I have several gigs this week but will go home to get equipment and go from there.

Anyway, several times, after being bored with television, I found myself just aimlessly walking around the house and it dawned on me that what I really wished I could do was sit down at my keyboard and just play for a while. I often play for several hours at a time if I am not on a gig and I guess it has really become a habit.

For me music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was raised in a household of entertainers. In the late 1920's and 1930's My parents traveled with very famous vaudeville companies and performed with the likes of Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Bob Hope, and others that really were not yet famous. In my house it was a given you were going to sing, dance, or play an instrument.

Have you ever been at a gig or at home playing and given thought to the sacrifices your parents might have made to provide you with a musical experience? I do. Have you ever thought what might would be different in your life had they not done that? And then what will happen as we age out - you know -just to darn old to do much of anything. I turned 77 this week and still gig 3-5 times weekly. So far I am able to get equipment in and out of the house and car but I know my days are numbered. For sure, I will miss playing for people when that time comes.

Anyway, was just sitting around this morning and thought I would share these thoughts with the group. What say you?

Deane

I really thought I would miss it more. I think I have turned my keyboard on once in the past week, and it's setting 3 feet away. All I have to do is swivel my chair and push the switch.
I do have a big job coming up the first part of July, in Oklahoma, and I find myself looking forward to it, instead of dreading to go in to work every night!
I suppose that is a classic case of burn-out! I do plan to play for the Veteran's home and some fund-raisers but haven't even started that yet.
My plan is to do a few private parties to keep my slush fund alive and spend the rest of the time playing golf, fishing and watching grand kids.
However, I NEVER forget how grateful I am to have been able to support myself and my family by playing music for close to 50 years!

Don you are not alone... you mirrored me.. I have my EA7 to my left and my G70 to my right... many days I do not even turn the power on..

In front of me my TV that I use mostly as a monitor for my laptop also in front of me..
The kitchen is one room away as is the bathroom..

After my 12 year hitch with the shore band ...traveling 4 days a week..
I enjoyed the break, and after filling in with the band a few times...I don't miss it..

My kids know I am home now and I am busier then ever being Pop Pop.

I get a chance to dig into software and keyboards... also do comparisons etc..

I play school performances (my daughter is a teacher}, holiday parties, no charge and enjoy backing teachers and students (Special needs) ... sing a long..

Breakfast and dinner is allotted everyday..(Don't golf).. Walk 3 or 4 miles a day (basketball days are gone)..

In all ... near perfect situation.. and when I do turn on a keyboard...I play what I want...

I was the youngest State Farm Agent in New York state in 1962, and went on from there to own and manage commercial insurance agencies until 1996 when I retired. I didn't teach myself organ until 1966, but was always in Choirs, Barbershop groups, and played trombone through school. I played my first gig with a pro drummer in 1969 with my first B3. That was it, from then on I played weekends until I retired. It has been a total life endeavor ever since.

Music has been a part of my life since I was about 12 years old, however, now that I have retired, the things I miss are the wonderful folks I have met along the way, both in the audiences and professionally. My keyboard gets turned on once or twice a week at most these days, and on days when I'm not seeing a doctor I'm on the boat doing something, even if it's just chillin out and sipping a green coconut margaretta.

All the best,

Gary

for me it's another story...
i was proffesional in music since 1980 and work with bands national and international, since 2011 i stopped with music i had a business to run and don't played music anymore, a few month ago i went back to my piano and play a few tunes.. i made a backup in my memory for this past time and now i'm back into music, i think it needed this break...
all my music equipment has since 2011 packed and not played since then...
it's possible i go for the last years working for my old boss in Belgium in the music industry but i have also other possible changes...
pardon my English, i'm not so good :-)

best regards,

Notlos
Belgium

Comming home after a long day of work, sitting behind the keyboards and making music comforts me and its my one and only stress release vessel... to me its more like a form of meditation... putting my mind at ease...

Despite not being a performing musician, its still the thing that keeps me going.. and makes me a better and happier person..

I get it , I also got a case of burn out too I have been grinding 25 to 30 shows a month many of them 4 hours i going to get some time off starting in July now I just got to take it and not go put and find more work , but tuff to not do when you got 4 kids and a wife to support

so back to work I go but it would be nice to take a break .

I think I go fishing a bit .

Still sitting on a record of 9 weeks off since 1955 from playing at lest three nights a week. At 72, I'm busier than I have ever been. That's because I added 60 hours per month in the studio last year, and my production company has dramatically increased the production of 15 min and under projects which are rapidly replacing a lot of print.

I am in my office, with a piano on my left, a guitar on my right, an upright down the hall and 7 other instruments in the three rooms I work in the most. A mile from my new office are 162 stringed instruments, 42 amplifiers, 19 keyboards and all the associated paraphernalia.

Music is a part of almost every minute of my work and personal life. I'm rehearsing "A House is not A Home" on vibes for an appearance with an area Philharmonic Sunday.

Just started playing JJ CALE's Magnolia again. Every week I add what I think is a "musical milestone" tune. Last week it was Brian Wilson's "Warmth of the Sun". the list goes on. And on. And will as long as my mind and limbs hold up.


Russ

I never burned out from the live scene, but I did take a sharp left turn into education for 10 years. It was a chapter worth living, and I'm glad I did it. At age 62, I plan to devote the next 15 years or so playing and singing as much as I can. Maybe by 80 I'll slow down .... a little. There's just not enough hours in a day to NOT sing.

It would be dull!


Although I don't play as many gigs as I would like I spend hours playing either the Pa4x or my S970. Today was one of those days where I was able to devote lots of time. Started with a couple of hours of yard work then by noon I was at the S970, played it until about 3, then went to the Pa4x until about 5. Taking a break now but in the next 2o minutes or so I'll head over to the Clavinova and work on some piano solo stuff. By 10 PM I'll have had enough for one day.


I enjoy to the playing to the max, it always have given me a great sense of satisfaction.

Played my first gig in college in the 60’s. Now, long retired, I average 2 to 3 gigs a week on either Yamaha arranger or guitar, with vocals. This is my hobby and therapy, I suppose. When not gigging, I’m recording musician buddies, who are over constantly to record CDs for family and friends. I enjoy that as much as live gigging. I’m finding that arrangers work well with multitrack recording.

Music has been with me for the greater of my life. It started in grammar school with a with a humazoo, drums, and then guitar.

Excuse for preaching but I have lived a long life and sharing my music experiences is one of my joys.

It is OK to take time off from playing. If there is a true love for music you will come back stronger than before.
Do you love the performance or do you love music? If it is both, which is stronger.

With wisdom from I am not sure I rarely played from Tuesday to Thursday. Fridays yes – Saturdays always – Sunday if it was important. I love music and I knew I put so much into performing there was not enough of me to play a full week. I always looked forward the playing Fridays – I was brand new again.

In the late 60’s I turned to selling securities. They gave me a disk and a phone. For two years I made more money than ever. As the market dropped toward the end of the 60’s I realized that I had a bunch of money but I was no longer enjoying my life. I went back to my music – people – parties—weddings—I doubled my income playing the same amount jobs I was playing. I played and sang better because something inside me was happy again.

I played my guitar for two hours tonight. No single not lead, or strumming; just melody in chords. I was pleased with myself –then I thought; I must thank my first wife and my present wife; because I ran from them to my guitar and became an accomplished guitarist.

My wife does not go on Synthzone so I am safe, (smile)
John C.

I'm telling, John

Hi Deane:

I spend a large part of each day writing songs and recording them.

Since childhood I have enjoyed a wide variety of music and never had much serious training. During my working career, Radio was the primary source for hearing what was new and exciting, mostly in the Pop and Country genres.

As a retiree, I can now spend time doing what I enjoy. Golf is no longer and option due to back pain but Chess and Music are still available and I do my best to make the most of them... provided they do not interfere with my family enjoyment and responsibilities. Writing songs has been reduced to a hobby even though I am a Music Publisher with ASCAP and have a catalog of more than 1000 original songs, not including children's tunes and compositions. It is nearly impossible for a songwriter to achieve monetary success in today's business for a variety of reasons. (Oversaturation being the main culprit.)

I am thankful that I don't have to perform or tour... or play a venue several nights a week like most of you. My music is done in a quiet little studio where my Yamaha 910 is connected to a Digital Recorder and a Computer. You guys have my complete respect and admiration. Just wanted you to know that the Arranger (no matter what make or model) is the best kept secret among songwriters and allows us to compete (to a small degree) with big box studios and labels without all the big money and hoopla that goes along with that side of the biz.

Best of luck to all of you. I know Don Mason's many followers are missing his performances as they enjoy their "date nights" in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. He could be a Recording Star with that voice he uses so well. Thank you, Don... for all your support and advice during my brief string of creativity.

Dave Rice
Bowstring Music Publishing (ASCAP)

Why thank YOU Dave! I appreciate your kind comments.

Music is in me... wouldn't see my life without music in it.

My Mom and Dad always encouraged it! Started out playing around on a Baldwin organ (1977-ish) with the white, yellow, and black buttons for chords and their play by number method. My Dad isn't a musician but he could play "Yes, Sir, That's My Baby" and "When The Saints Go Marching In." I was 4 years old and I was fascinated by it.

Then singing in church... piano lessons on a free piano... trumpet lessons... marching band... chorus festivals... electronic music ensemble in high school... first solo gig in 1991 with my Korg M1... the list goes on like the rest of you!

I met my wife in 1996 because of music... I sang "The Lord's Prayer" and recorded 2 songs for our wedding in 2001. I sing to my son, Jack, everyday! He's 4 and he is matching pitch extremely well.

Music is in me... the way it comes out may be different, but I couldn't imagine my life without it!

Ironically, my first wife divorced me because of my music, but my currant wife married me partly because of it. Maybe I improved, or perhaps because I don't go to after hours joints anymore.

Well here I am on a family vacation in San Francisco at a very picturesque spot overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, and I'm checking into syhthzone. That's says a lot right there.

Although I do a fraction of the amount of gigs many members here do, I do stay active with music and music is always on my mind. I play my piano everyday, I'm and I'm always looking for a musical challenge. I try to walk a few miles everyday very early in the morning. During my walks I do vocal warm ups and sometimes pull out my chromatic harmonica ( which I carry wherever I go)
I'm traveling with a Córdoba Mini Guitar too.

If everything works as planned I'll retire from being a full time public school teacher when 54. I hope I'll have at least 20 years to give music my full attention.
Hopefully I'll be able to gig more and volunteer teach and perform in under served communties. So I still have some big dreams I hope to achieve.

Since I grew up playing music since I was 12, and consider myself a natural musician, I always took it for granted......it was an everyday part of my daily life.

Nowadays, I thank the Lord every day that I can play music. You might not understand this, but here goes.

Society today, in general, consists of lifeless souls, void of emotion and intimacy, empathy, caring, etc. You can see all around you the number of self-obsessed people who just go through the motions of life, "doing" but not "feeling."

I'm a very "emotional" person myself. Another way of saying I need to express my emotions which is hard to do with even friends nowadays, since technology took over our lives.

So I sit at the piano and squeeze out and explore every feeling I have in me that needs to come out. It comes out in the music and I feel emotionally purged at the end of a playing session. That aspect of playing is something I've really come to appreciate these last few years. It certainly beats "bottling" things up until one day you implode!

Agreed Mark - I have a piece of art in my studio that says:
"Music is what feeling sound like"
simple. poignant.

150% if you get my drift.....just sayin'

Well, seems they have lured me out of semi-retirement, at least for a month or so. I'll see how it goes for July and take it month by month. I do miss playing some.

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. You have too much talent, experience and repertoire to fade into retirement all at once. You gotta do this kind of thing in moderation.
Eddie

Thanks Eddie, I have mixed emotions but find I don't have anything to do at night!

Don just buy a new keyboard to perform with and your enthusiasm will flourish 10 fold again, ...lol

Take up night fishin'

Gary

Get a mistress .

chas

yea and then what?....just sayin'

I already do some night fishing. Sometimes in Louisiana it's the only time cool enough!
I like the keyboard I have, not interested in anything different.
Same goes for the wife!

lol thats what you said before the Audya was demoed at the jam hahah

for me its a sad story... i have many gigs in the past alone and with artist in Belgium also have had in the past different concerts with many artist in dubay, Jordanie, germany,...but since 2011 it's gone... and now i want my music live back its back in my heart the music.. i hope it's go well.. maybe i needed this time for thinking about my live...
best regards,

notlos

i miss here many people like scottyee, chicco and also i'm deep sad about a good friend here in the past "dreamer" RIP mate !!

Hey! Just trying to help .

chas

That's something I really DO NOT want to think about ... My life is what it is BECAUSE of music ... there was always music playing in our house ... my parents loved to go to 'clubs' to hear bands ... my mother had a GREAT voice and would never hesitate to get up to sing ...seems everyone in my mom's family sang - all 8 kids - I had an uncle who played piano, and another who along with my grandfather played accordion ... I started taking accordion lessons at the age of 13 years ... I met my wife of almost 54 years at the accordion studio ... as I said in another thread, I played in a band with the same 5 guys for 26 years before relocating to RI ... having lost that 'security blanket', I did not play professionally for 7 years ... I KNEW something was missing, and finally got 'out there' again ...I am still playing today, and intend to do so as long as I can ... when the time comes that I can no longer play, I hope I will still be 'with it' enough to listen to and appreciate great music ...