Do you recall the day you traded in your
guitar for a job at the bank or gave up your
piano lessons to become
a doctor? Have you
been thinking about rediscovering your
musical roots as soon as your retirement
kicks in? Are
you still hoping that some day
you’ll get to dust off your sax and join the
local jam session? If this sounds all
too
familiar, you’re not alone. In fact, it’s
more common than you think for people in the
latter stages of life
to get the itch to
return to their musical beginnings.
Like most closet musicians, you likely
arrived at a turning point in your life where
you had to decide between
the certainty of a
job and the uncertainty of a life in the
music business. And, like the vast majority,
you chose
the more stable path. Do you ever
wonder though, what it would have been like
if you had enough courage to pursue
the other
path - even if it would have totally freaked
your parents out?
As a professional concert pianist I have
people say to me all the time that they would
give anything to do
what I do. A lot of these
folks wish they just could turn back the
clock and get another shot at it, even if it
might
not have been the responsible thing to
do.
That’s why I’m so grateful for the path I
have chosen, not only because I love it, but
because I don't have
to worry about what I
might have missed. The truth is; I love music
and what it does for my soul. I wake up every
day with excitement because I really don’t
know what’s going to happen or where I’ll end
up. That to me is a gift,
not a liability.
The only thing certain in my life is
uncertainty and that I can always count on.
But, our society is not programmed to think
in these terms. We’re groomed in school to
play it safe, get
a job and pay the bills.
It’s definitely the easy thing to do but is
it the right thing? I think we were all born
to learn something new and exciting every
day. For most people who go to the same job
day after day, a job they
most likely hate -
how is this learning?
Many people find themselves at a turning
point in their latter years when they think
to themselves, “What
exactly happened to my
dreams?” But, then you think to yourself, “I
got married and had kids, it would have been
completely
irresponsible of me to follow my
dreams because so few actually make it.”
That’s true, except why couldn’t you have
been one of the few?
In any case, I often say to people, “Why
don’t you quit your job while you still can?”
To my mind, living
every day in a situation
you hate will only lead you somewhere you
don’t want to go. It’s important to choose a
goal
in life that you really are passionate
about because, that’s what will make your
life exciting and challenging. Anybody
can
get a job.
But, even if you absolutely cannot give up
your job, why not take up music seriously at
the same time? Start
practicing in secrecy.
Then eventually you’ll be good enough to
perform for others. And, if you’re passionate
enough,
you may even get to be the performer
that you’ve always admired from a distance.
You know, the one you’ve often cheered
for
with mixed delight and sorrow because, you
know you could have been that person?
The good news, it’s not too late!
Take my friend Bruce for example. With three
years left to go to his retirement
as a bank
executive, he reintroduced himself to blues
guitar. Shortly thereafter he reunited his
high school band
and today they’re actually
booking themselves for dances, concerts and
private functions.
And, my friend Mary Ann is doing the same
thing. She had a music degree in classical
piano which, she eventually
gave up to become
a family doctor. Today, several years later
she’s formed a jazz quartet with some friends
and
another doctor on drums, and the band
performs at least 5 nights a month around
town.
These are just two examples of people who
understand that they can have it all; both a
successful professional
career and a life in
music. Like them, you don’t have to wait for
your retirement to get back to doing what you
love.
So next time you feel the need to rejuvenate
your life with music, come on out of the
closet. Because, the
truth of the matter is
the only thing stopping you, is you. Take my
advice and start living your life the way you
want and not the way everyone else expects of
you. Live the rest of your life doing what
you love because, the
only risk in life is
not taking one.
Paul Tobey is a professional concert pianist
who is well-known for his motivational music
seminars and popular
f'ree piano music
downloads.
I
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