Time to retire?
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Bishops submit their resignations at 75 nowadays.

    Is there an age at which Directors of Music, Organists, Choir Directors, singers and such should?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,979
    When we've had enough and will not put up with it anymore.

    Retirement age is highly individualistic. You seem to kind of know when to throw in the towel.
  • Carol
    Posts: 856
    When you cannot climb up to the choir loft and then catch your breath again before you need to sing OR when your vibrato is so big you can throw a cat through it-- whichever comes first.
    Thanked by 6francis ServiamScores CHGiffen Bri hilluminar cesarfranck
  • francis
    Posts: 10,824
    when it's time to go to the big pipe organ in the sky...
    Thanked by 3Carol CHGiffen Joseph Michael
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,467
    "when your vibrato is so big you can throw a cat through it"
    Is there a scientific measure of vibrato to correspond to that ?
    Using "Nail the pitch" I see that I stay closer to the note I am singing than to any other, so within 50 cents either way. I am no longer a cantor in church (at 84), but the unauditioned community choir I sing in seems to value my contribution.
    Thanked by 2Carol cesarfranck
  • Carol
    Posts: 856
    I think I heard Johnny Carson make the cat comment about Tony Randall's singing. I do still sing as a cantor at 66, but I can tell my time is running out as a cantor. I hope I know when to go, but I am not sure there are any younger singers to replace us older folks.
    Thanked by 1cesarfranck
  • francis
    Posts: 10,824
    I think 50 cents is too much... 30 max.
    Thanked by 1a_f_hawkins
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,888
    There was one collegiate professor at my Alma mater whose vibrato was literally so wide you could not tell what note she was even attempting to sing. We used to laugh hysterically whenever she gave faculty recitals. She must have been one helluva pedagogue, but as a musician herself? Good heavens no. Billy goats’ babbling was just as musical.
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    I think 50 cents is too much... 30 max.

    Does that take inflation into account?
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • francis
    Posts: 10,824
    Ok... good point! 20 + 10 for “weight gain”... after that, you are severely off pitch.
    Thanked by 1a_f_hawkins
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,933
    Don’t retire, if at all possible. Go out like Vierne.
    Thanked by 6CharlesW DavidOLGC tomjaw Nathan_the_Organist Joseph Michael cesarfranck
  • francis
    Posts: 10,824
    How did Vierne go out?
  • tandrews
    Posts: 174
    He found a theme that even he couldn't improvise on.
    Thanked by 5francis tomjaw Nathan_the_Organist StimsonInRehab Joseph Michael
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,888
    Vierne literally slumped over dead while playing the organ at Notre Dame.
    Thanked by 3francis tomjaw LauraKaz
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,979
    I have found it better to not die at the console, but leave when you want to kill several choir members. Murder is not conducive to good music ministry.

    Thanked by 3tomjaw CHGiffen Nathan_the_Organist
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,888
    I just retire when the treads get so worn that things start to slide.
    Thanked by 4Chris Garton-Zavesky CharlesW CHGiffen Nathan_the_Organist
  • Steve QSteve Q
    Posts: 121
    A friend of mine who is of a certain age said that they will have to "pry the pipe organ from my cold, dead hands."
    Thanked by 4Chris Garton-Zavesky tomjaw CharlesW cesarfranck
  • TimTheEnchanterTimTheEnchanter
    Posts: 205
    I'm 37 now, and I honestly don't expect to retire as a music director or organist, because I won't financially be able to.

    Unless I marry rich. But at 37, marrying at all, let alone rich, isn't looking likely, either.
    Thanked by 3CharlesW Elmar cesarfranck
  • TCJ
    Posts: 986
    I always found the concept of retirement to be nonsensical in itself. Kicking back and relaxing? Sorry, but this is earth. Our part here is to toil. We can relax when (if) we get to heaven.
    Thanked by 3francis tomjaw cesarfranck
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,979
    Tim, you can spend your own money, or you can marry and let your wife do it for you.

    I highly recommend retirement for everyone. I have retired four times, already.
    Thanked by 5Carol tomjaw Elmar StimsonInRehab Steve Q
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,232
    I have found it better to not die at the console, but leave when you want to kill several choir members. Murder is not conducive to good music ministry.


    As usual, Charles we shall disagree.

    1) Leave AFTER you have killed the appropriate choir members.

    Why?

    2) It IS good ministry to leave your successor with no problems to solve.

    Besides, at our age, 'life in prison' is not really a threat.
    Thanked by 2CharlesW Nathan_the_Organist
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,232
    I retired from the biz when it became clear to me that I'd rather slug a priest than listen to them tell me about how to do church music, what music to use, (and that's giving very wide latitude to their definition of 'music for church'), and especially on 'how to direct a choir,' when their experience in ensemble was playing a kazoo in a nightclub coupled with a 6-week stint directing a feeble nuns' choir in a nursing home.

    (The above is half in jest. WHICH half?? *Evil cackle*)
    Thanked by 6tomjaw CHGiffen CharlesW ServiamScores LauraKaz cesarfranck
  • Schönbergian
    Posts: 1,063
    That's very unkind. I'm sure they received excellent kazoo training in seminary as part of a rigorous music curriculum.
    Thanked by 7CHGiffen ServiamScores Carol CharlesW dad29 LauraKaz Nathan_the_Organist
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,888
    Schönbergian, this made me laugh out loud.
  • David Sullivan
    Posts: 355
    RE: I always found the concept of retirement to be nonsensical in itself.

    90 year old priest reading announcements from the pulpit: The second collection is for retired priests.
    (Long pause)
    Whatever that is.
    (Another long pause)
    Maybe they're sick.
    Thanked by 2Elmar ServiamScores
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