If Only I Knew Then What I Know Now............ Options

[jenny72]

Hi to all

im relitavley new to here- joined last weekend i think- i think i should have posted my original post on this forum........im 33 and wanting to take my DipABRSM, i took the LGSM when i was 17, along with A level music at college- but failed part of it- then due to home circumstances i left college, got into work and never persued the music from then on- its only now at this old age, that my daughter is turning into a rock star electric guitarist (!) that my thoughts have once again turnned to the music i left behind- i started looking into studying again last weekend- with the hope of one day leaving the dull job im in and have been in since i left college ( it was only ever supposed to be a stop gap to earn the money to go to music college!!)

so........i found the DipABRSM,which i think might suit me.....where am i going with al this waffle..........(!?)...........oh yeh........anyone else done this?- i mean made a mess of it when you were young and then tried to get back in?- are there any sucess stories out there to give me hope?- its going to take me longer as ive got the job and 3 kids now so obviously i will have to do it in my "spare" time (whats that then?!!!)
plus.......i need a piano (oh yeh- doh- that would help!)- as i got rid of mine when i had my first child, due to lack of space and time.

i have seen the ist of useful books etc for the exam but its such a long list- does anyone know which might be the say, 5 core books to get to help me along the way??

if only i knew then what i know now id have never given up on it.........but then i wouldnt have had my 3 gorgeous kids, and id rather have had them anyday!!

so, heres to trying again now........ :D

[SteveHopwood]

if only i knew then what i know now id have never given up on it.........but then i wouldnt have had my 3 gorgeous kids, and id rather have had them anyday!!

so, heres to trying again now........ :D

I have become a musician. I did not carry on with my earliest ambitions to become a high-flying soloist (good job, really, as I wasn't good enough, but that is a different story). If I had, then I would not have had my wife of over 30 years, a son and honorary daughter (long story) or sundry other gorgeous kids to light up my life (Heidi is just the latest in a long list - see other threads for mention of her name).

You didn't make a mistake. You have the opportunity for another go. Good luck.

Steve :D

[Mark the Harp]

I did a lot of music in my teens, and then for various reasons ended up in the Leadership Development part of a large organisation - which is great, as I was always able to apply the learning from playing in a band etc, to some of the work.

But after 22 years, I suddenly realised that I was going to be doing this forever. So I'm leaving, am already co-running a fairly successful online music shop, teaching harp workshops, and generally, doing stuff I have the energy for, and turning down the stuff I don't have energy for. And despite losing a regular and reasonable salary, I'm doing all my future work for "me" / "the family", rather than a big corporation which, much as I admire it, is immensely frustrating to work in if you're at all creative.

I think if you are broadminded as to what constitutes a "music career", then you really can't lose, if it's your true passion. I was brought up to believe that "hard work" is what we need to do, and I'm starting to discover (through asking others what my impact is on them, a brave but hugely valuable thing to do) that it's the stuff that's "easy" for me which is actually the most valuable thing for others.

So if my experience helps, keep talking to people and inquiring into what you do that's valued by others and valuable to you, and follow that. The best of luck - sounds very very exciting. Go for it!

[Storini]

Not music-specific, but quite interesting about life goals in general, is this article: http://www.paulgraham.com/hs.html .

He started his own business in the dot-com era and made quite a success of it. Quite a few other interesting articles there if you are an IT-techie type.

[mullers]

hey!

I have come back to the piano after a 12year absence. I got to grade 7 when I was 17 and then stopped due to family stuff. then decided last year to take it back up, as my career , which started as stop gap also, has become more boring than I can describe! So, my great plan is to get grade 8(eventually !!) and then look at teaching privately. So I took my grade 6 this summer and passed, an now starting on grade 7 again! Its a slow process, but I love it!

SO goodluck, and let us know what happens!!

:D

[AmandaL]

if only i knew then what i know now id have never given up on it.........but then i wouldnt have had my 3 gorgeous kids, and id rather have had them anyday!!

Different situations create different feelings. I teach mature students who didn't do particularly well at school, even though they were quite good at a subject. They left school, just drifted from job to job, perhaps not married or had children, but now long to do what they never did as a youngster.

Whatever someones life pattern, I think the desire to return to learning or completing a goal is a combination of old fashioned 'wisdom comes with age', and a lot of people feeling that they want to fulfill their own lives even more than they have - even those who've got children. As any parent will know (although I'm not one myself!), a large portion of your own life is given up for a child or children - not just time, but money and your attention. As fulfilling as this is in it's own right, as the children get older, start school, begin to find their own feet, independence, likes and dislikes, the parent feels they also may have gaps forming that could do with a little fulfillment.

Hindsight is perfect vision. We can all look back on what might have been, or things that we might have done a bit differently in life, but look at it from a positive frame of mind, learn from it, look forward at the opportunities that ARE still there and go for it, do something about it!! Otherwise you'll only be looking back in another 10 years or so thinking the same thing.

[Mark the Harp]

I love Storini's link - I'd really recommend you have a good read of this article. I wish someone had told me this when I was 16 (31 years ago!!) but then again, I'd probably not have listened then.

The meaning I take from the article is:

1) go for the things / people that interest you and have the most possibilities.

2) Don't imagine some perfect future and try to work backwards from how you get there to where you are now - just go for what interests you.

3) Do it!!!