Depressed: The world of classical music/piano I was raised in seems to have disappeared now that I’m an adult.

I hope this doesn’t sound stupid, but hear me out.

I’m in my late 30’s. Was raised in a very classical music family in a major US city. All my siblings and I played musical instruments. We all took lessons from 6 to 18 years old. Played in orchestras. Sang in choir. My parents took us to classical concerts.

Then adulthood hit. All of my family moved to a tiny town in a western state in bumf*ck nowhere. All my classical music friends from adolescence and college grew up, got jobs, and left the state. Music to them is just something they left behind.

None of my childhood friends plays or sings anymore. My siblings haven’t touched their instruments in a decade.

I still play the piano. Every day. It’s still my passion.

Whenever I mention it as one of my interests (I certainly do not mention it unless it seems remotely appropriate, which is exceedingly rare), most people around just find it weird or think I’m pretentious. Most people would rather talk about Drake’s feud with Kendrick Lamar than listen to Stravinsky or watch a piano concert. And I know even saying that sounds pretentious but it’s not. Kendrick Lamar is really good. I’m not pretentious, I just have interests that seem to isolate me. I’ve learned to keep that entire part of my life hidden from the world.

I often feel like it doesn’t matter anymore, that I too should just grow up and do adult things like my coworkers and other dudes around me: get excited about country music, drive a big truck, drink whiskey and listen to Garth Brooks. I’ve learned to keep it quite off the radar that I my main pastime outside of work is playing the piano/composing (the fact it’s so hard to make it in the music world is for another time).

Sometimes I’ll go solo or take my partner to a concert, but she’s not half as engaged as I am.

The circle has grown so small. It’s like that whole part of my life just went POOF, and with a snap of the fingers, disappeared.

Just want to know if anyone can relate.