Reality: A hard punch to the stomach.

[autodidact]

You're just an attention whore that's all. Ever think about taking up guitar?

T, I'd fight you but I'd feel guilty for messing up that pretty little face.

 

[rtslinger]

So I'm just about 23 now, I've been playing since I was 16 and I've loved every minute of it. I've played in a number of "bands" as I'm sure we all have but nothing that ever got too popular. I didn't start playing to get famous or make money however I can't help but realize that my time is all but up. Working full time night shift and weekends, bills to pay, looking for my own place, no space for gear, hardly any time to play by myself let alone with a band. Even though I've never really gotten beyond playing a few small shows here and there, its depressing to think that I'm just going to have to stop. I'm going to keep playing at home but performing used to be an escape for me and now its just one less thing I have to help me deal with the "real world". I probably have to sell most of the gear I worked hard to accumulate over the years. I finally have a rig I love and it sucks to think about having to get rid of it but I wont have room for it sooner than later. Sorry for the rant, to most people its just a hobby right? No biggie. Wrong, I just feel like the members of this site would understand what I'm saying more than randoms. This is weak.

Yeah Auto what everyone else has said do not give it up make room for it in your life. Same as the others stop playing live to do the whole life thing but I never sold my gear.So when the 10 years of life without it ended and I started playing live again I just hit the stage ready to rock Fulltime job two teens in high school and the 25 year old in the university hitting the stage every weekend and loving it 54 and still rockn the bottom

 

[Thorsoundcore]

this has already begun to happen to me. basically i stay up kind of late and will sometimes get a little jam time in at night but it sucks cause i don't have a decent amp/head phones to play with at that time of night. otherwise i pretty much sleep until i need to go to work so i only get up with enough time to get myself ready(i never have any desire to play at that time of day anyways unless i'm off) and by the time i get home at like 5-6 i just want to relax for most of the rest of the night. pretty much it's just my laziness atm but i feel like this is something that could slowly start to happen to me unless things change. i'll never part with my instruments though unless I and only I feel like i need to rid of them cause it's necessary.

 

[RBrownBass]

So I'm just about 23 now, I've been playing since I was 16 and I've loved every minute of it. I've played in a number of "bands" as I'm sure we all have but nothing that ever got too popular. I didn't start playing to get famous or make money however I can't help but realize that my time is all but up. Working full time night shift and weekends, bills to pay, looking for my own place, no space for gear, hardly any time to play by myself let alone with a band. Even though I've never really gotten beyond playing a few small shows here and there, its depressing to think that I'm just going to have to stop. I'm going to keep playing at home but performing used to be an escape for me and now its just one less thing I have to help me deal with the "real world". I probably have to sell most of the gear I worked hard to accumulate over the years. I finally have a rig I love and it sucks to think about having to get rid of it but I wont have room for it sooner than later. Sorry for the rant, to most people its just a hobby right? No biggie. Wrong, I just feel like the members of this site would understand what I'm saying more than randoms. This is weak.

Been playing as long as you've been alive (I'm 48), but I didn't start until I was 26. Pleyed drums and timpani before that. I feel for you, but you need to look at this as more of a delay than quitting. In a year, you might have your own place, a different shift and a credit line to replace your gear.

The best advice I can give is to say that sperm cells and eggs don't care if your girl has a ring on her finger or not. Practice birth control, even if you're married! I've seen more band members lose their music to marriage and then kids than anything else. And even without the pressure to stop playing, kids'll cut into your gear budget like a knife.