Mainly for musicians, but anyone can answer?

I hear a lot of interesting opinions on musical expression and age. Do you think there is an age that a person should stop making music a big part of their life and move on. Obviously this does not apply to session guitarists such as myself as much, because our physical image is not shown and does not effect the success of our art.

This also does not apply as much to musicians who have achieved fame in their career, because it viewed as normal to often carry their careers into older age.

Do you think it is weird to have a guitarist in his 40s still playing local gigs. I think a lot of it depends on the genre of the music being played, an older blues guitarist would be more acceptable to most than an older metal guitarist.

I don't see how anyone can walk away from writing and performing if the passion for music is still there. I'm 20 now, and sure hope I don't ever have to make the decision to stop performing, but what are your thoughts on the subject.

Mainly for musicians, but anyone can answer?imax theater

I'm 40; been playing guitar since I was 18.. Never will stop and didn't change my taste in Rock. Like rock from 60's-now.. Is a passion that won't fade

Mainly for musicians, but anyone can answer?classical music opera theater

I think that if you love what you do, you should never stop doing it.

Age isn't a problem. If music is what you like, and what you're good at, then you keep at it until you either lost interest in it, or die.

A guitarist in his 40s is not too old to stop playing if that's what he loves to do. If you ever have to make a decision to stop preforming, if you think there's nothing you want to do more than perform, then you keep on performing.
Hi Jett,

Don't worry!!! My name is Philip, I am 44 and I only started as a musician at 36. I play baritone sax and alto sax in FunkyXL, a semi-pro funk%26amp;soul band (www.funkyxl.nl) and it is great fun to be on stage and make the crowd go wild. Our oldest band member is Hans, our keyboard player, who has been a professional musician all his life, and he still grooves like crazy at 62!!!

Playing music enriched and changed my life big time. I even left the corporate world to start my own business I have a true passion for: Linked Musicians, the first truly international, multi-lingual social network for every musician, band and music business: www.linked-musicians.com: check it out!!!

Greetz,

Philip
my drummer's wife broke up my last band, so i haven't really been playing much, but i don't plan on ever putting my bass down. in the 25 years i've been alive, playing music is about the only thing that makes me happy
My husband is 42 he has been playing guitar for 29 yrs. He used to play in clubs and he has a passion for music . He plays the guitar very well. He got so tierd of playing in clubs that he now plays for GOD. My son plays keyboards and my daughter plays bass.as long as you use your talent for something good and productive, don't give up your passion for music.My husband and kids just recorded their first christian CD.
Just think if all the great legends decided that they were too old to be playing any more....What a terrible loss that would be. I'm sure you have Idols that you look up to. Would you want to see them just stop playing? I think as long as you can still draw a crowd and WOW them with your talent, then who cares how old you are. If a person has made music a big part of their life,or has made music their whole life, you ask should they move on? Move on to what? Keep on playing. I hope you become a legend too.
Absolutely not! Music should always be a big part of everyones life. I'm not a musician and can't live without music of all kinds: classical, folk, country, rock, r%26amp;b, jazz, etc. on a daily basis. A musician can never move on. It's too big a part of who they are. Not all musicans are meant to be "big stars". A musician writes and plays whatever moves them the most and branches out if you get the notion. I don't care if you are 80 and still performing local or for yourself, keep going until you can't do it anymore and not sooner.
Do what you love and love what you do.
Well, I think that if performing is what you love you should do it! I know an older guy who is trying to make it big in country. I think that people need to be realistic about it though. It's not a good idea for people to never get a job because they practice guitar all day hoping to become famous.
No! I'm a young guy, and in the city I live in, there are more than a couple of bands with guys in their 40's and 50's who play metal and garage rock-- and they're some of my favorite local bands. I actually like them better than a lot of the younger bands who play the same genres of music in this city.

The reason is because their attitude is that they're playing music to have fun and they know how to work a crowd up. A lot of younger bands miss that point, so they make music that can be too serious, or they make music to be popular with their friends. I wouldn't say that generally this is the rule, but where I live it definitely is. A lot of the younger bands want the audience to take them as seriously as they take themselves, but the older bands know they're playing so that the audience can have a good time. Plus they've been around forever, so they've got their chops down.