Great thread fellow old fogies....
Started on trumpet in 3rd grade, guitar in 4th. Had me 1st paying
gig at 13 years old, and have been goin' ever since. At 47, I do 30-35 gigs a year and I want to do much more----I'm just gettin' warmed up.
I've advertised for a multi-keyboardist on and off for 2 YEARS in various media in metro NYC region. I've heard from players of all ages. The thing with the 30's, 40's, 50's-plus set is that the longer the player has been OUT of the gigging end of things, the bigger & harder the kick in the butt required for said player to get up, turn off the TV, tell the ole' lady you got some important work to do, and get your arse movin!
Most musicians I've ever met have that burning in the pit of the stomach to play. It's a matter of degrees: how hot does the fire burn?