Comeback at just the right time!

Three Sevens

TrumpetBoards and a forum for Comeback Players, very timely!

When I packed my horns for long-term storage mid year 2000, I never planned to play again. A couple of weeks after my retirement in 2014, I got a call to play again from a fellow church member that I elected to accept. So many challenges right away, but now almost 5 years back, most have diminished greatly. Now at 68, with Alzheimer's in my family history, I find daily practice and regular public performances a great avenue to hopefully minimize that possibility. I have met many, many fellow musicians since I started playing again and I would count that as a very welcome development now that my working career has ended. Planning and executing a logical practice method is and has been a great physical and mental exercise as well! I'm working on a lot of fundamentals that I missed when I was younger and find that flexibility and endurance have improved greatly after practicing at least 1 1/2 hours everyday following a consistent 1/2 hour warm-up. As my playing ability steadily improves, I find my practice time growing continually benefiting from both aspects. I don't have any deadlines anymore, and that brings a certain "freedom" that now dominates my trumpet life! Very different from my previous trumpet experience and that is most welcome!

Glad to be here,

Mike

administrator

Welcome, Mike!

Three Sevens

Glad to be among this group of people. I look forward to participating and contributing to many interesting posts and discussions.

Mike

GeorgeB

Hi, Mike, welcome.

Richard III

Similar story here. Same family history and about the same age. Retirement means much more time to practice (finally) and play. Picking up new skills and instruments in Bb, Eb and F has got to help.

JorgePD

@Three-Sevens
Mike great to read your story. I packed up my horn in 1978, with every intention of playing again. I never thought it would take me 40 years to do so. I’m 62 and a few years away from retirement, but my kids are grown and now have some free time. I guess too much free time, a little over a year ago my wife told me I needed to get a hobby! So out came the trumpet. Since then I’ve been practicing on my own about 1 ½ hours almost every day. I’m playing in our local community band that has a great group of musicians (ages 12 to 90!). And two months ago I started taking lessons from a great trumpet teacher. I couldn’t be happier to be back on the trumpet!

Looking forward to being a part of this forum.
Jorge

GeorgeB

@JorgePD said in Comeback at just the right time!:

@Three-Sevens
Mike great to read your story. I packed up my horn in 1978, with every intention of playing again. I never thought it would take me 40 years to do so. I’m 62 and a few years away from retirement, but my kids are grown and now have some free time. I guess too much free time, a little over a year ago my wife told me I needed to get a hobby! So out came the trumpet. Since then I’ve been practicing on my own about 1 ½ hours almost every day. I’m playing in our local community band that has a great group of musicians (ages 12 to 90!). And two months ago I started taking lessons from a great trumpet teacher. I couldn’t be happier to be back on the trumpet!

Looking forward to being a part of this forum.
Jorge

In my first year back at the age of 80 and after a 50 year hiatus I joined the local Horizons. Now , three years later I am playing with a larger and very busy Brass and Reed orchestra. Playing with others is really important.