Are You Too Old to Become a Full-Time Musician?

robertwoliver:

I’ll have to admit, I was irked when I first saw this headline. Exactly how old does one have to be before playing music full-time is out of the question? And who determines this number?

But that question makes an erroneous assumption: all full-time musicians have “made it” big. Really? There are plenty of people I know, both old and young, that are making good money as musicians but without the fetters of a Big Label Recording Contract. They’re not making Lady Gaga’s money, but they are supporting their families.

This article brings up the label execs’ argument that the public wants to see young, fresh faces. While that may be true to a point, the article goes on to say that most fans just care about the music. I have students who ask me if I’ve ever heard of AC/DC. (Yes, really. I am not making that up.) Clearly, they could care less about age.

A better question might be how do you define success? Any musician, regardless of age, should first decide what success is and then decide what goals will lead down that path. As a working musician over 50, I seriously doubt that I’ll get a call to be Adele’s keyboardist on her next tour (ahem!). It makes better sense for me to set realistic, reachable goals that will make me feel fulfilled musically.

That way, I’ll never have to say I’m too old to be a full-time musician.

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