What If the Goal Wasn’t to Retire From Music? 💼

I first heard about the FIRE movement during the pandemic.

Financial Independence, Retire Early.

The idea is simple:

Save aggressively.

Invest wisely.

Live lean.

And retire by 40.

Some people follow this idea religiously.

And on paper?

Sure — it sounds smart. Safe. Freeing, even.

But something about it never sat right with me.

Still doesn’t.

And here’s why:

Because to me, the idea of “retiring” from music feels… heartbreaking.

What are we saying?

That your job is so unfulfilling, so draining, so soul-crushing…

That the only way out is to escape by your forties?

I don’t buy it.

If you’re making music professionally, and your biggest dream is to one day stop…

Then something’s gone very wrong.

The point of a music career isn’t to get through the day.

It’s not some 9 – 5 where your best bet is just to survive the shift.

Music is a skill.

A craft.

A calling.

And you, my friend, are the instrument.

You don’t just clock out from that.

Sure, it needs maintenance...

Daily tuning...

A sense of play and purpose.

And let’s be honest — a bit of spiritual fuel too.

But if that’s not what it feels like for you anymore…

If every rehearsal feels heavy...

If the thought of “another gig” makes your stomach sink...

If you’re fantasising about quitting altogether…

That’s not your fault.

Music school didn’t teach you the full picture.

They gave you technique, not tools for thriving.

And without that?

It’s easy to believe the problem is you.

But I don’t think you’re broken.

I think you’re burnt.

And I think we can change that.

Let’s have a free tea date to see where you are, and where you’d rather be…

And how we can get you there — together.

If that sounds like a cuppa ☕️ you could use, you can book your tea date here.

With warmth and music,

Gökçe 💙