(Oscar Reynolds) The “I’m just being realistic, it’s too late” line

I guess if we were all jam doughnuts there would be a sell by date for musicians. And as much we may be what we eat, I’m pretty sure I’m not a sugary pastry. I don’t think I’m the only one who has been caught proclaiming their doubts on continuing in music are a “wake up to reality”.

Yes, there’s scientific evidence of it becoming harder to correct previous habits due to our myelin sheath becoming more reinforced. Yes, responsibilities in life can get in the way of practice. Yes, we may not look quite young enough for Busted. And yes, we aren’t as absorbent to new information as a 13 year old.

But what and who am I too late for? I still get great satisfaction with learning new things, which never needs not be the case. And even if I don’t manage to play on Kylie Minogues Jazz Fusion Comeback tour, that certainly doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy every minute of the gigs I’m already doing and the lovely musicians I’m privileged to be able to play with! If you quantify music into levels of success relative to money earned or what looks good on a CV then you’ve already forgotten it’s core purpose- to express yourself.

Enjoying music and practice for what it is, recognizing that I can still learn lots of new things whether it’s harder or not, and knowing where I’m at this point has meant I’m more comfortable in my own skin. By relieving some mental tension I think we become better players without even touching our instrument and can enjoy it even more.