For those of you who used to play an instrument...
 

Why did you quit playing?

I was just looking at old threads about people that used to play instruments,and it sparked this.

I am an Instrumental Music Education Major. I have been playing saxophone for about 13 years. I could never imagine giving it up...music gives me so much joy. I know that's corny, but music means so much to me that I personally could never imagine giving it up.

I'm not bashing anyone for no longer playing...so don't think that. :) I just wanted to start a discussion. :)

I played piano from 1st grade until the time I went to college. Once I got there I did not make much time to practice - we did have a piano in our dorm basement - but people used the room to study or to have meetings, so it was rarely accessible. Once I graduated - I did not have room for my piano in an apartment, so again did not play. When I got married and got a house, I played some until my first child was born, and have rarely played since then. If they are awake, they want to come "play" too, and I can't play when they are asleep! Now my oldest is taking lessons, so the piano is used a little. Oh well - maybe once they get older I'll get back into it!

I played guitar from about 4th grade until sophomore year of high school and truth be told I got sick of going to lessons and since I played three sports a year for the school I didn't have time for it.

Well, I played the piano since I was 3. I quit taking formal lessons when I got to high school and got involved in the marching band, but I'll still sit down every once in a while and knock out a tune.

I played the clarinet since 4th grade, and one of my 2 undergraduate degrees was a BA in music, so of course I played in college! I have recently had to quit playing because I have some unexplained health problems, and whenever I play, I get really dizzy and black out.

I took guitar as one of my electives for my music major and really enjoyed it. I have a guitar as well, but I never really play it. I would like to though!

I never quit playing, I quit the band. I was section leader my first two years of high school, but the rule in the junior/senior band was you must be in marching band no matter what. If you were a varsity football player, you should march at halftime. If you were a cheerleader, you should march at halftime. If you were in cross-country your parents were to drive you back from your race as soon as it was over so you could march at halftime. We here at GeekyPenguin just didn't love playing the trumpet enough to be in marching band.

When in college, I received a pretty hefty scholarship for playing violin in the school orchestra. I've also played in a jam band (played bars mostly), as well as operas, weddings, musicals... just about every venue you could think of.

I don't get to play much these days. For the moment, I'm substitute teaching. Occasionally, I'll get to sub for a middle school orchestra teacher (I'm on a lot of their lists here in town). Running the 6th graders through their practices is pretty fun.

I'm a proud band gReek to this day. I still play the trumpet in the pep band and wind ensemble.

I played the piano from age 7 until I went to college. The only reason why I stopped playing is because a piano didn't fit in my dorm room. ;)

I played the clarinet until my senior year of high school... It was cool through my freshman year, but then we got a new director who was Evil with a capital E... :mad:

I stuck it out for two years, but then I just couldn't deal anymore... The band went from about 80 to about 35 in one year...

I played the flute from 5th grade until I graduated high school. We had a fantastic music program in my hometown school system. I did one year of the piccolo in ISUCF"V"MB (ISU's marching band) but wanted to have my Saturdays free. I also played the piano for about 4 years but then my teacher moved away and my mom never bothered to find me another one. We just inherited the piano since my parents redid their house and didn't want it in the living room anymore and I've been saying I'm going to start playing again. I also sang all through school. I wanted to be involved with music in college, but had too many other things going on at the time. Hopefully I'll be able to be in our church choir and do some other vocal-related things in the town my husband and I live in now.

I took guitar lessons for a year or 2 when I was young, I think I started too young because I never wanted to practice... was interested in watching TV more so I quit. I'd like to start it up again though.

I started playing the violin in the 6th grade. I ended up at the Cleveland Institute of Music for college. Was burnt out quickly. I play once in a while, but not regularly.

Cleveland Institute of Music
Ranked as one of the foremost schools of music in the US, CIM's curriculum is based upon solid, traditional musical values, while incorporating liberal arts instruction and new technologies that equip students to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Graduates are routinely admitted to leading graduate schools, are winners of major competitions, and occupy important performance and teaching positions throughout the world.

I started formal piano lessons at age 4 and quit after I graduated from high school. I also played the cello from the 4th grade till my HS graduation.

I quit having formal lessons, but I still play regularly.

I quit playing the piano because of the time committment. Once I graduated from high school, got a full time job, went to school full time, joined a sorority and other activities...I just didn't have time. So I quit. I would love to pick it up again, but my mom gave my aunt our piano because SHE plays and theirs broke. We'll get the piano again someday, but my mom figured it was wasting space and my aunt would at least use it!:(

I started college as a music therapy major playing the flute...but the flute professor was horrible...you said "Satan" and everyone knew who you were talking about, so I switched to voice, and in marching band, I'm in the pit (marimba/xylophone)

I played the piano 1-11th grade and one quarter in college, I quit in 11th grade cause I didnt like practicing every day I wanted to go do other things. But I still play it just dont have lessons.
I played the dulcimer 4-6th grade quit cause didnt have that in middle school, plus I dont know how to tune my own still that well so it just sits in the case right now.
I played the viola 5-12th grade don't play that anymore cause I rented my instrament from school so never had my own. Plus my college never had orchestra.
I played the claranette (or how ever ya spell it) in 7th grade but stopped at the end of that year cause the teacher was annoying.
I sang in choir from 7-12th grade and didn't in college cause the director sucked really bad and no one can top my old high school choir director! LONG LIVE DR. OLIEN MAY YOU DIRECT MANY CHOIRS IN HEAVEN I WILL LOVE YOU ALWAYS FOR TOUCHING MY LIFE SO GREATLY!!!!!

Jen

I started the clarinet in 7th grade. In 9th grade I switched to bass clarinet, and in high school I switched to contrabass clarinet (that's a monster of a thing!!!) For marching band in high school I was a flag, though.

I went to college as a flag first semester, but I got mono and missed the last 2 football games of the season (the Saturday before I was diagnosed with mono I was sitting in the stands during a football game while it was snowing!) After my 3 week hiatus from campus (yep, was banned from campus by my doc!). The week I came back was tryouts for concert band chairs. The band director said "You're tryout is on Thursday, here's the music, you'll play clarinet, not bass or contrabass. No we can't delay the tryout so you can learn the music." Umm, yeah...up yours. That was the end of my band career.

I guess my mono self just wasn't "dedicated".:rolleyes:

I played the flute from 5th until the end of 7th grade, when I decided I wanted to try a new instrument. I began playing the euphonium, and in eighth grade, we had to do the scale tests, but I was never able to do them in class. I stayed after school once a week every week to "make up" my exams, but when I'd stay after, the euphonium was always gone from the school. So, I quit band, and then when I got to high school, I decided not to play my flute in the band there, so eventually I just stopped playing. Subsequently, I just sold my flute to our church's organist last month, so I won't be playing my flute ever again...:p

I played piano from age 4 to 17 and took singing lessons from 13-23. IAfter receiving my Royal Conservatory Grade 8, I decided to stop taking exams (there are 10 Conservatory grades plus teacher's and performer's certs) and eventually just lost interest. I had also wanted to concentrate in singing as I, at one point wanted to major in voice. I ended up majoring in drama and history, but continued to take singing lessons for credit in university (as an elective). I finally gave up singing because I wanted to concentrate in graduate school. I may take lessons again after graduating.

I quit playing because everyone called me a nerd. I wish I'd never stopped.

Here's my instruments:
Acoustic guitar-7th through 12- My teacher ended up being a slimeball and was trying to rip off the store owner in which was my surrogate grandpa :p

Piano- 8th-through present- I play it occasionally but not much.

Clarinet- 5th through now- I instruct students on my free time, but I still dislike the instrument :p

Trumpet/Bugle- 8th through present- I still play it here in college, they gave me money...so I play..even though I hate the band.

Bassoon- 7th through 2nd year in college- I wish I was still playing it. :( I miss it so much. But the damn band instructor here hates the instrument so he wants m to play my trumpet instead. And here, I had a damn music scholorship at Ohio University playing it!! *growl* :mad:

Hey, it's NEVER to late to pick it up again. :)

I teach private lessons on saxophone. One lady, who is about 35, called me last year because she was given my name as a sax teacher. She told me she had played only a little bit in school (maybe a year or two). She had quit because everyone made fun of her, and she regretted it. She asked if it was out of the question to take lessons from me and learn to play again, and I gladly obliged.

She is doing very well now! She realized it wasn't too late to play again, and she is really playing quite well. She is a joy to teach.

So in all this rambling, my point is, if you wish you'd never stopped, it's not too late to pick it up again. :)

one, and a two..stop tapping your foot!
 

Flute--Started in the 2nd or 3rd grade (don't remember) and continued straight through high school. I looked into playing for UCLA marching band but decided against it because I didn't want to move to LA.

Violin-- Again, started in the 2nd or 3rd grade. I was off and on with this one but I enjoyed it enough to be in my jr. high school orchestra for 6th and 7th grades I switched back to the band in the 8th grade.

Piano-- I took a class and enjoyed it. I want to purchase a baby grand when I have some extra cash. If I have kids, I want them to learn to play.

Guitar--I still want to learn to play. I'm a summer camp survivor (:)) and all of the years I listened to the counselors playing the guitar and the wonderful sounds they created made me learn to appreciate the instrument.(even though I hate Kum-Bay-Yah to this day :p) I made a goal for myself this year to buy a flute and a violin so I can start up again. I miss playing.

I played the violin for 7 years and I can still play it. I remember once being the 3rd chair in an orchestra (section leader for the 2nd violins). Sometimes I wish I had taken up piano as well although that was my very first instrument. Music is a big part of my light. I use the instrument of my voice since I joined my church choir about a year ago and I absolutely love it.

I played the clarient from 5th grade till HS graduation. In college I really just didn't want the extra time commitments. Plus I wasn't all that competative (read: I really didn't care how good or bad I sounded) about it & wanted the time to explore other options.
I have played the piano since 7th grade and still play when I get back home to our piano.

I'm from a musical family so I guess it was bound to happen that I play somethin!

When I was little, I wanted to learn how to play an instrument. My best friend at the time played piano... I wanted to play piano too, or flute, or violin. My parents signed me up for recorder lessons instead. :rolleyes: They didn't want to actually spend money to encourage my interest in music... recorders are cheap, pianos and violins aren't.

I wasn't interested in the recorder, but I had a music teacher in middle school who also ran the choir and encouraged me to consider singing. So now I sing. :)

I played the bassoon for 8 years. I quit playing when I transfered to a crappy college and they were wanting me to play music that I could have played when I was in middle school. The director was upset with me, but then I brought in some tapes of the music I was used to playing and he kind of understood.

I still miss it, but I don't have a lot of time to spend on practicing like I used to.

I started violin in the first grade. This was NOT my idea. I wanted to play the drums. The parents were not keen on this. I played violin, not for myself, but to keep my parents happy. By the time I got to 6th grade, I goofed off enough so that my parents got the hint that I really didn't want to do this--to tell you the truth, I just did not have the talent to play.

I finally got to take up the drums in college. I wasn't all that great, but I could play bass drums in the pep band at hockey games. Even got to take a class in it! The reason I don't take it up now is because of money and priorities. I have a lot going on in my life, activity-wise, and the time/cash isn't there.

But I do love music.....

Adrienne
:D

I play the flute, but it's so hard to find motivation to practice when I'm not in any ensembles or anything. If anyone has any suggestions on how to find motivation, I'd greatly appreciate it. I've spent far too many years and far too much money on lessons... plus I love it too much to ever give it up completely.
I also played oboe in high school, but that was because I wanted to do district orchestra, but, well, they weren't too good, and I needed a challenge. Once that was over, I stopped, mostly because I couldn't afford my own oboe.
And clarinet, well, I just started playing that because my brother did and there was one around the house. That just faded off, and I never was all that good.

Violin - Played in 2nd and 3rd grade. Band teacher came in one day and talked about the band, so I quit and joined band in 4th

Flute - Played 4th grade until I graduated from H.S. In the four years I've been out of H.S., I've played the flute maybe twice. The last time I picked up my flute, a few months ago, I realized how much my playing skills have fallen. I enjoy making music, but like ForeverDiamond, I can't get myself to play.

? - I played another instrument for a couple of years in high school but I'm sure I'd get laughs if I said which. I stopped playing that instrument because I eventually lost interest.

Guitar - I was going to take guitar lessons this semester, but that fell through. I will be taking them in the fall though with a friend of mine. I'm gonna be a rock star. :p

I started taking piano at 5...and quit taking formal lessons at 19. I still play, though, I am not as good as I once was. I started classical voice lessons when I was 13, and I am very active in singing! I recently started taking guitar lessons. Not very good at that yet! I was a Finance major in college - decided to take the practical route instead of music. Now, I don't even use my Finance degree! (I am in sales/marketing) It is nice to be able to pursue music to some degree. The choir I am in produced a CD this year. :)

I quit playing trumpet because our band teacher hated my whole fam (my uncle threw a trumpet mouthpiece at him, resulting in 10 stitches in his head).

That, and I'm lazy.

My father is a music teacher. He teaches concert and Marching band for 4th graders through 8th graders. I started playing piano in the 1st grade and gave that up when I reached 4th grade because I wanted to play the flute. I played that until by Junior Year in High school and then palyed the clarinet, sax, tenor sax, frech horn, and Tuba (just for kicks and usually for football games). As sophmore in college I played with a group that played at football games until Chico state lost their football team. Ever since then I have only played with my dad's kids when they need help. I still love music and we usually end up playing holiday music every year but the rest of the year I don't really play:(

http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/laugh1.gif

I played Clarinet and flute. I want to leanr piano verrrrry bad!

Played saxophone when I was in elementary and middle school. Once I got to high school, I basically had to make the choice between sports and music; it was an easy one for me, sports were always my first love. I actually was pretty good on the sax and my band instructors weren't happy I gave it up.

When I was younger my mom tried to get me to take piano lessons; she even offered to buy a piano for me. I never took an interest in it. Part of me wishes I did, but it's no regret of mine.