We’re with another FAQ Friday and another fantastic featured question! Today’s question is: Can you start in this business at a late age?
The short answer to this question is: Yes, of course!
To me, this is an ageless business. Young or old, if you want to start doing music professionally, you should. For example, one of my favorite bands, Free, did an album called Fire and Water, and Andy Fraser was maybe 17 years old when that album was released. Geoff Emerick was just 19 when he did Revolver by The Beatles. They were very young when they worked on these albums, but they did not let their age stop them and they became quite successful!
On the other end of this spectrum, if you are a bit older, and you have been playing guitar your whole life, for example, and want to make it your profession, there is absolutely no reason why you can’t do it! If you are starting a career in music a bit later in life, all of the life experience you have gained up until that point will come into play and be extremely valuable.
In this business, people skills are some of the most important skills you can have. When you are young, you may not be able to communicate your ideas as effectively, or you may not have developed the maturity needed to work effectively with people yet. As you get older, you develop these skills, so beginning at an older age gives you an advantage as you have already developed many of these skills.
Just as important as the people skills is the business knowledge you would have gained simply by living life and gaining experience there. For example, at 50 or 60 you will have much more knowledge of finances than a 20 year old! When running a studio or any other kind of business these kinds of skills are crucial when it comes to actually being successful.
In short, there is no age that is too early or too late to start a career in music. If you love music and want to start doing it professionally, don’t let anything stop you! If you are a bit older, you may find that the experience you have gained in life or in your other work will be transferrable and very beneficial when it comes to beginning your music career!
Watch the video below to see the full answer to this question and the answers to other marvellous FAQ Friday questions!
