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Tomorrow is not promised.

#61
This is the best thread I've been a part of all my years on this forum. Thank you, Cheese.
I'm 69, always have had relatively good health; no high blood pressure, etc. But just because you're healthy today does not mean you'll be healthy tomorrow, even if your parents lived to be 100.
My father's sister passed 2 months ago at age 98. Her husband was 99 when he passed. Their daughter died from cancer at 73 and their son died of a heart attack two years ago.
I am still getting over covid from Jan 17th test. It almost killed me. My 02 level is normal but I am doing my nebulizer treatments 3xday, hoping one day my voice will come back to 100% and there is no lasting damage. I thank my Creator every day and every night and during the day, too. I didn't feel like doing anything at all until last week. The first thing I did was to play my bass to a dozen songs with headphones.
I also have had a passion for photography so I've been familiarizing myself with a new camera I bought 3 months ago. I was working 5 days a week since retiring at 66, but that's going to be cut back to just a few.
There's too much I want to do. I was on-call 24/7 for 38 years, which took a toll on my mind. Music is my saving grace and photography is the cherry on top if my caramel sundae.
I do not understand people who have no hobby! How does one travel through life without at least accidentally discovering something that gives them passion?
I thank God I am alive. If it's my time to go, I'm good with that, too. I've had a ball gigging since I was 16. My last gig was Nov 2018 and for sure I mean my LAST gig.
Rock on, my friends. Play your instruments!
 
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#63
Sting was 29 years old when he co-founded the Police. Obviously you and I are quite a bit older that that, but it's really old for anyone to decide to be a rockstar. Glad it worked for him.

We live in Denver and I'm a big career guy. My wife has a story in her head (which I hope is true) that in ten years we can relocate up to the Roaring Fork valley, which has a vibrant regional and national touring music scene because of Aspen and the Belly Up in particular.

She promises me that in that scene, a guy with the amount of playing experience I have will be as employable as he wants to be with people coming through who need house players. I'll be almost 60 on that timeline though, so it would need to be a certain thing. But I want her to be right and am all in on the plan.
 
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#64
Dr. C...
Great post... cheers to geezer players!

I gave music a serious shot in my mid 20's (took a year off from a steady job) and had to face it that while I was OK and had the drive, in LA area the competition was just too steep. Decided to stick with the day job and it took me around the world and lots of experiences. Getting married at 40, my wife knew I played music but never new me when I was serious about it. A club we belonged to had a small band for events, and she said they were looking for guitar player. I stopped by and they asked me to join (and handed me a used bass - I auditioned on guitar). That was 20+ years ago... I still have my day job and play with great group of local musicians (and gig on occasion).
I study more about music now than I ever did when I was "serious". It's truly a blessing being able to play on a part time basis... turning 65 this year, it's all good.
 
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#65
I'm 68. Started playing bass when I was 60, never having played any instrument before. Started going to jams, then doing blues gigs, then starting on jazz, then jazz gigs. Until March last year, of course; but pandemic time has been serious woodshedding time.
I do wonder how much longer I'll be able to heft gear, but as long as I can, I'm in. Thing is, it's the path, not the goal. It's the joy of playing, learning, every day, rather than the pleasure coming from "what I'll be able to do one day". Rock on!
 
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#67
Great thread. I'm 65 and like many of you, have been playing most of my life. At this stage I get a lot of joy and satisfaction from playing and have learned that the discipline of working on things in your life on an ongoing basis (like practicing every day) is good for your mind and body in many ways. I'm fortunate to play with a bunch of guys that are 1/2 my age and it give me the kind of musical interaction that I did not get from playing in a "geezer" band. No expectations on where any of this leads me or for how long, but in the meantime, its part of my daily life. As is the Talkbass community.
 
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#68
Dr. Cheese said:
From time to time, I have questioned why I am making a serious effort to study Bass as an older person. Today, however, a thought came to my mind: Jimmy Blanton; Scott Lafaro; Jaco Pastorius; Oscar Pettiford; Doug Rauch; did not know their lives would be short. They just got the most out of the time they had. That should be my approach, whether I have ten days or twenty-five years left to play.
Click to expand...
A great poet once said, "Ask not for whom the funk thumps. It thumps for thee."

So, we all need to "Carpe Bassum".
 
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#73
I was too lazy to read the entire thread, so I'm probably +1-ing various sentiments here, but...

I feel like the mentality of "I'm too old to learn something new, take up a new hobby, etc." is starting to fade. With the pandemic, we've been seeing more and more adults exploring new hobbies, maybe those that they may have wanted to try in their youth but weren't able to for various reasons. That's a great thing.

Sometimes it's hard to pick up new hobbies as an older adult because many folks have gotten so used to being experts in their adult lives that it's hard to transition back to being a novice, even if it's in two totally different things.

But I feel like as long as we maintain a lifelong love of learning and an openness to keep learning, then we'll be okay. I always say that the more I learn, the more I realize I know nothing. And that keeps fueling me to learn more to fill in those gaps. Of course, then I learn more, realize I know nothing, and work to learn more... I'm addicted to learning, I guess.

I only got into road cycling in my 30s. Even now (I'm 42) I look at the folks in my club in their 60s and 70s still riding 100 miles a week and I think, "I wanna be you when I grow up!" And I've seen young cats look up to me that way. So let's all inspire each other!
 
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#74
I learned long ago that stardom and superstar level playing would never be my thing. My musicianship on guitar, bass, drums or the accordion will be things that bring me joy, sometimes bring others some moments of fun and will never be a legacy to be remembered by others outside my family.

Have fun with it as it is, whatever level you're at, and it's never wasted time!
 
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#76
Great thread, thanks Cheese...

Tomorrow is absolutely not promised, and I think about that often with my children. They rely on my wife and I (two girls, 4 and 1) and I need to do my best to be here for them now and as they get older.

I love playing because it forces me to let go of whatever else is in my mind. I can enter a song and not leave it until the song is over. "The journey is the destination" type of feeling. I find I get much more satisfaction when I put on music and playing along than I am A/B'ing instruments or ruminating over string choices, etc. etc.

I picked up my first bass in middle school, switched to guitar for awhile, then re-found bass in my 30's. I hope I am lucky enough to play into my later years.
 
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#80
I agree, just do it. Some of the greats like you say had a short time in the grand scheme of things. Not that you or I are going to do the same thing, but Hendrix started playing at 15 and was dead by 27. So even with a stint in the Army, he basically changed the guitar world in 12 years of total time with the instrument.
 
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