When you retire, quit going out to gigs, will you still play music?

A couple of things prompted this question.

(1) For the first time since I was 15(now 69)I'm hanging up the gigging thing, for at least a few months. This is due to the shitty weather up here, lack of interest on my partner's part...my wife, and the fact that the $$$ often doesn't justify the time/effort.

That said, I stil love the music.

(2) A very close friend of mine(age 67) is a retired MD/Internist. He and I started a band back in the 60's. We both retired to this area. He now has terminal cancer...in a lot of pain and weak.

Still, he will go out and play music whenever his physical limitations allow. His love of music is that strong.

So what do you all think? Is it over when it's over?

Thoughts? Gary? Others?

Honestly, I think that if I retired I wouldn't spend much time playing music. Don't plan to retire until they stop calling me to play though. I would keep the gear for the occasional family or charity thing. I wouldn't work on learning new songs or techniques or equipment though.
It's certainly an individual decision. If playing music brings you pleasure then never stop!

I think I’ll stop performing when the calls stop coming in ,when I get tired of trying to hustle gigs, or when moving equipment around is just too much physically. But if I have to give up performing for whatever reasons, I think I would still keep up with my music to whatever capacity I could. I really don’t have any other hobbies so to speak. Between the piano, keyboards, guitar, drums, Latin percussion, harmonica, voice, music theory, harmony, ear training, sight reading, transcribing, licks, music history, song writing, arranging music technology and just learning tunes, I keep myself pretty busy! I could easily spend all day , every day for the rest of my life just studying one of those areas... Now my wife on the other hand, is not motivated to sing if there is no gig. For me gigs can get in the way of my other musical interests, because of all the preparation time required for the gigs ,I have to give up studying some things I enjoy but never perform like Bach and bebop. I do love to perform, but I think I could find plenty to do musically outside of performance to keep me busy for the rest of my life.

For me, I can't remember a time when I didn't play music, and I think I always will. The one proviso being how my health holds up. At 75 I'm going as good as ever - just lucky, I guess. Hope it holds up.

I stopped "gigging" due to health issues and general lack of interest in the nursing home scene. The band I worked with gave up too and one member passed away. I still play at home for my own amusement and still think about going back out. But I haven't done anything about it.

If you played for just for the $$$$$ you might stop playing music when you retire.

I played my last job at 83, I am now 87, and I still play my guitar and keyboard. Last night I was singing Christen and Christmas songs with my Ipad.

No, it isn’t gonna stop until I do.
John C.

The major part of my life involves music, and so it shall always be, in one form or the other.

Up until age 55 I had never played for pay, it was for my own enjoyment. Even when I can no longer play for pay I'll always play music. If I had to choose a way to pass on I'd want it to be while I was sitting at a piano and not while I was in front of an audience.

Ill still play at home for me..I'm on the fence right now. Aside from my own desire, I've recently lost yet another person close to me that served as inspiration to continue. Thinking its time to hang it up, I recently got two new gig requests...and accepted. You mentioned your wife..I imagine the support of others many of us are close to can impact the decision greatly. But either way I have played since 6 years old, I won't quit totally after public performing ends.

The moment I can't cut it on a professional level, I'm done.

Love Tony Bennett, but he has looked pretty confused and sounded bad lately.

Believe it or not, I really like Johnny Mathis, but at 82, he is beginning to show some issues when performing. Still, Run To You, on his latest album is really fine.

R.